15 Quick Tips for People Who Dont Like to Exercise

We've all had days when we don't have the energy to tie our athletic shoes, let alone bounce around in them. But exercise can give a daily blast to your mind, body, and soul.

Here are fifteen quick tips to get you moving:

1. Don't get intimidated by the prospect of a daily exercise regimen. You don't have to run a marathon. You need only get your body moving each day. Once you tone your muscles, you'll naturally find yourself wanting to do more challenging workouts.

2. Reframe the way you think about exercise. Begin to think of each workout as a gift you give to yourself instead of just another "should," "ought," or "must."

3. Make sure you enjoy your exercise program. Some people like classes. Some people don't. Choose what's right for you so it becomes something you actually look forward to.

4. Make sure your workout is convenient. Schedule it for a time of day when you typically feel the most energetic. Have your gym bag packed and ready to go by the door or in the car.

5. Make your workout weather-proof. If you run or walk outside, get the right workout gear so weather conditions are never an excuse.

6. Make sure you're doing it right. One reason for wanting to quit exercising is injury or pain. Check with your doctor before you start an exercise program so you know you're safe in the workout you choose. And check in with trainers, too, if you're working on equipment at the gym or trying a new sport.

7. If you're having a low-energy day, tell yourself you have to exercise for only ten minutes. That will get you moving, and once you're in the exercise groove, you'll usually want to finish your workout.

8. Go with friends. Start a group for walking, running, or training. The camaraderie (and peer pressure) can do wonders for your daily motivation.

9. After a really good workout, write a few notes in your journal about how good you feel. Use it as a reference the next time you don't want to begin.

10. Start with small goals. If you want to run for 30 minutes, for example, start by walking fast. When you can do that, make a goal to spend those 30 minutes running for one minute, walking for one minute. When you build on these smaller goals, you'll be running in no time. And you'll give your confidence a boost, too.

11. Recognize that some days it will be easier to exercise, and some days you'll have to struggle through the workout. This has to do with a lot of factors, including mood, hormones, the glass of wine you had last night... Take the pressure off by understanding the fluctations. And exercise anyway.

12. Try behavior modification tapes. Mike Brescia has a good one for exercising here: http://www.momscape.com/thinkrightnow/exercising.htm This audiotape is not self-hypnotizing or subliminal. You'll hear every message, but these messages are subtle and, for many people, effective.

13. Use a visible reward system. The effects of exercise are cumulative and long-term, so sometimes it helps to see your results on a daily basis. After each workout, put a big red star on the calendar as a symbol that you completed the day's workout. Take photos of yourself every month in your workout gear so you have a visual record of your results, too.

14. Get to the bottom of your exercise aversion. For women, if it's the run-of-the-mill gym you can't stand, try a women-oriented fitness center, such as Curves. This is a fast-growing fitness phenomenon, and many women feel like their workout becomes a 30-minute vacation--like a girls' night out at the exercise machines.

15. Be gentle with yourself. Take a day off at least once a week. And if you do skip a few workouts, don't beat yourself up, but do get right back in the routine. The fewer consecutive days you skip, the more likely you'll be to make your workout a lasting gift you give to yourself.

About the author:
Susie Cortright is the founder of momscape.com and Momscape's Scrapbooking Playground - devoted to helping visitors record and preserve their cherished memories. Susie also trains and supports new scrapbooking instructors with a new and rapidly- growing direct sales scrapbooking company. Find out how to join her team here: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/busine ss.htm and get a steady stream of new ideas with her scrapbooking club: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/scrap bookclub

---

Take a Break

Writing is a strenuous creative activity, and like physical activity... Read More

Pilates: A Challenging and Motivating Exercise Regimen

Pilates is named after its creator Joseph Pilates. It is... Read More

The Truth About Exercise and Why Its Not Always Good for You!

Exercise is often regarded as a panacea for many things..."if... Read More

7 Ways To Guarantee You Stick To Your Workout Program

1. Begin Looking at Exercise Differently. Think of exercise as... Read More

Thirty Minutes of Exercise a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

"Exercise is good for you!" If you had a dollar... Read More

Weight Loss and Fitness - Facts not Fiction

The world of weight loss and fitness is certainly vast,... Read More

Home Gym Workout Routines

Home gym workout routines can take the hassle out of... Read More

The Importance Of An Active Lifestyle

Over the past 15 years or so, we have been... Read More

Who Else Wants To Get In Shape in 35 Minutes?

Most of the physical fitness trainers, and coaches agree that... Read More

Wise Up and Invest in Your Workout Success - Six Top Fitness Faux Pas

Already dedicated exercisers make small but costly mistakes regularly in... Read More

Planning An Exercise Program

When designing an aerobic or strength training exercise program, fitness... Read More

What the Philosophy of Tai Chi Can Do For You

Taoist PhilosophyTo understand the purpose of the form it is... Read More

Six Simple Strategies to Turn Your Walks into Workouts

If You are already fitness walking several times a week... Read More

6 Things A Norwegian Fable Teaches Us About Healthy Perseverance Part 2

4. Ideas, goals and dreams have a shelf life. The... Read More

Success Versus Failure in the Exercise Department

Success is what you are prepared to make of yourself... Read More

What is Pilates?

Pilates is a system of over 500 controlled exercises that... Read More

The Importance of The Fibonacci Numbers in Fitness Training

"Things do not change; we change." ?Henry David ThoreauThe following... Read More

How NOT to Return from an Exercise Break

Several sites, including this one, recommend that you take a... Read More

How to Get The Most From Your Home Workouts

A recent study found that home workouts may do even... Read More

Exercise Tips

Exercise TipsThe most effective exercise regimen includes both strength training... Read More

Exercise Motivation: 7 Sure-fire Tips

So you've begun an exercise program to get in shape... Read More

How to Start a Walking Program

Did you know that walking is the number one participation... Read More

10 Best Workout Tips

Top Trainers share their secrets to getting slim, toned and... Read More

How to Keep Your Body Fit

Fitness is just as imperative as health. As a matter... Read More

Unstable And Proud Of It! Power to the Push-Ups!

When I get finished teaching you this never-before-seen version of... Read More

Finding The Right Exercise Intensity

We've all heard the exercise guidelines that recommend we participate... Read More

Diet and Exercise ? Without Going to the Gym

Exercising and dieting are tasks that are very difficult for... Read More

Triathalon Racing, It Starts At The Beginning

Long before you can enter into triathalon racing, you will... Read More

Invest in Your Health

What if a trusted friend were to tell you about... Read More

Complete Physical Transformation Using The Purposefully Primitive Fitness Methodology

The Purposeful Primitive approach to the art and science of... Read More

Banish Your Lower Back Pain Permanently Without Drugs or Surgery

It is estimated that about 80 percent of the population... Read More

Arthritis Exercise ? One Way to Relieve Pain & Stiffness in Your Joints (part 3)

There are three main types of exercises to include in... Read More

Movement That Matters: Exercise With a Greater Purpose

You've seen the commercials Ive fallen and I cant get... Read More