How To: 5 Things To Do To Get Exercise Motivated

I do a lot of exercise in my week and have done for my whole life. It's both part of an aspiration to get and maintain fitness, but also because my body and mind feels wonky without a good range of exercise every day. Even while I was in primary school I got involved in any sport I could or else I went for runs, skipped or any other exercise I could find.

I have upped my exercise lately, mostly because I have fallen in love with the benefits of Hot Power Yoga (but more on that another day). My current timetable for a week is:

Monday - Hot Power Yoga at 6.30am / Weights and cardio at the gym in the afternoon

Tuesday - Hot Power Yoga at 6.00am / Basketball game

Wednesday - Hot Power Yoga at 6.30am / Netball game

Thursday - Hot Power Yoga at 6.00am / Yoga at lunchtime at work

Friday - Hot Power Yoga at 6.30am / Pump or Aqua-aerobics class at the gym

Saturday - Hot Power Yoga / Weights and cardio at the gym

Sunday - Recovery day or an easy exercise

I thought I might share the five things that help me to be motivated everyday to complete all these different forms of exercise as well as work a full time job, blog, write and other hobbies.

So here are my 5 things to do to get exercise motivated:

1. Choose something that you love: I think this is the most important thing to remember. I absolutely love going to yoga every morning and I find that if I don't go I am not as happy and awake as I am when I do. All the activities that I do are things that I really enjoy and want to do, so it inspires me to stick to the schedule.

2. Exercise in the morning: If I pack my bag the night before to make sure that I can just get up, get changed and go in the morning to a class, it is a lot easier than thinking about and reconsidering exercise after work when you are more tired. I give myself 10 minutes between when I get up and when I have left the house so I have no time to contemplate sleeping in, so really I don't have the time to make an excuse.

3. Take care of yourself: Eat right, drink lots of water and get lots of sleep. Not only will you be more inspired to do exercise everyday but you will have the energy to do it. It makes an amazing difference.

4. Set a weekly goal: Make sure you have a goal for how much exercise you would like to complete each week. This way you have something that you are aiming towards which keeps you motivated.

5. Make sure you give yourself a rest: Don't push yourself so hard that you become injured or give up all together. Rest days are important for both physical and psychological recovery, without them you will become exhausted, uninspired and uninterested in your exercise. It will become a chore rather than something you enjoy, which is not what you want.

Hopefully you find these tips helpful. I know these are what drive me to keep up my routine, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Photograph courtesy of Carmen Aurora.