Keep Montana Walking
To Encourage Family Walking For Exercise In Montana

Be Your Own Motivation

Reward yourself. There’s no better way to sustain your motivation to get fit than immediate gratification. So, when you reach the halfway point of your goal, treat yourself to something like a nice dinner out or that new handbag you’ve had your eye on. Share your accomplishment with family and friends, as others’ acknowledgement of success will inspire you to further press on towards your goal.

Be consistent about when you exercise. Choose to work out at the time of day when you tend to feel most energetic,’ suggests Luscombe. If you’re a ‘morning person’, exercise when you wake up. If you’re on a consistent workout schedule, your body’s hormones adjust so that you train most efficiently—and with the least fatigue—at that particular time of day.

Fit in fitness whenever possible. Did you know that six 5-minute spurts of exercise can be just as beneficial as one 30-minute workout? That means it’s fine if you can’t do your workout all in one go—just break up exercise throughout the day. ‘Try getting off the bus one stop early, walk to the office or supermarket, take the stairs instead of the lift or stroll through the park at lunchtime,’ suggests Luscombe.

Take it one day at a time. ‘The more gradually you take on an exercise plan, the more likely you are to achieve your goals,’ says Luscombe. Your body will adjust better if you start slowly, and you’ll get stronger without injuring yourself. Avoid making too many lifestyle changes at once. For instance, changing your diet, giving up smoking and rushing into a full-on fitness plan is too much all at once.

Find an exercise partner or support group. Make two appointments per week to meet up with someone and exercise. If you have a friend relying on you to go to the gym or take a morning walk with her, you’ll be less likely to cancel. Write down any workout dates in your diary and commit to them as if they are business meetings.

Vary your fitness activity. ‘Cross-training is the key to a balanced fit body,’ says Luscombe. ‘If you don’t change up your workouts, your body only trains one set of muscles and you stop seeing results. To prevent this fitness plateau, make sure you incorporate a variety of strength training, flexibility and cardiovascular exercise into your routine,’ she adds. One weekly fitness plan might include swimming, running or walking briskly one night, lifting weights the next, doing yoga, cycling, and weight training or Pilates on consecutive evenings.

Skip a day. ‘Exercise obsession is as bad as none at all because it’s physically and mentally counterproductive,’ says Luscombe. Allowing your muscles to rest and rejuvenate is a crucial part of being healthy and achieving maximum results. And giving yourself a mental break prevents burn-out and makes you more likely to stick to a long-term exercise plan. Listen to your body and if you’re having an off-day, take it easy and rest.