Everyone knows why we should be exercising: to improve health, to look good, to feel good, to fit into nice clothes, to burn fat, to lose weight - all...
Everyone knows why we should be exercising: to improve health, to look good, to feel good, to fit into nice clothes, to burn fat, to lose weight - all that good stuff. And yet, we're just not doing it. In fact, many of us hardly move at all. We drive everywhere we need to go and then look for the closest parking space; we take the elevator instead of the stairs; we work in front of our computers for hours and then go home and plop on the couch; we watch way too much TV; and then we go to bed.
Our inactivity has become a dangerous national pastime. According to a recent study of more than 120,000 American adults, the more we sit around, the shorter our average lifespan. The results of this study published in the American Journal of Epidemiologyprovide an excellent reason to get up and get moving - to live longer. Why then, are we not motivated to spend more time exercising?
It seems that losing weight, looking better and feeling better (not to mention living longer) would provide enough motivation to get us moving, but judging from our obesity problem, they are not. The problem with motivation is that many of us believe it's something that will come to us if we wait long enough - that someday we'll wake up and finally want to exercise or diet. Rather than believing in this fantasy, maybe we'd be better off by realizing that motivation is something we create, not something we wait for. And before we can create the motivation to do something, we need commitment.
Making a commitment to do anything - exercise more, eat healthy, lose weight - is one of the most fundamental principles of success. When you're committed, you make it a priority and no matter what comes up, you don't make excuses. I see this in my practice every day. Clients come in to the office and tell me they absolutely have to lose weight and are very committed to do whatever it takes. Together we come up with a plan - a plan that typically includes exercise such as going for a walk for 30 minutes, 3 or 4 days per week to start. I always ask, "On a scale of 1-10, how committed are you to follow through with this exercise plan?" It's not uncommon to hear that their level of commitment is a 5 or 6. Unfortunately, that's not much of a commitment; it's more like a desire. And there is a vast difference between being committed and desiring something. When you simply desire something, you do it only when the circumstances permit. When you are committed, you accept no excuses. Only true commitment leads to real results.
Get started today. No matter how big or small, make a commitment to exercise and use the list below to help you create motivation. It's time to get moving. You can do this!
All the Motivation You Need To Hit the Gym (DailyZenList.com)
1. No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch.
2. What seems so hard now will one day be your warm up.
3. Summer bodies are made in the winter.
4. Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.
5. When you feel like giving up, remember how many people you have to prove wrong.
6. Fitness isn't about being better than anyone else; it's about being better than you used to be.
7. It's better to be covered in sweat at the gym, than covered in clothes at the beach.
8. Do today what others won't, so you can do tomorrow what others can't.
9. Pain is temporary; quitting lasts forever.
10. You are going to want to give up. Don't.
11. A year from now, you will be glad you started today.
12. I can't tell you it will be easy, but I can tell you it will be worth it.
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