Working out can suck. There’s no denying that most of the world doesn’t really take any pleasure in vigorous exercise; it’s difficult, can hurt, and makes you sweat and smell bad. That being said, exercise can lead to huge benefits and shouldn’t be ignored just because it’s uncomfortable. With that being said, here are 5 tips for working out that come from people who love to work out!
- Only do what you love: Those that are most successful when it comes to working out tend to do the exercises they love to do. Find out which type of exercise makes you happy and focus on it! Don’t go running if you know that you hate running. If you’re looking for cardio and don’t like running, there’s swimming and biking and all sorts of different exercises and activities that will get your heart rate up that you might enjoy far more. Sports teams are another example of fun things to do that will get your blood pumping and lead you towards health.
- Use feedback: Instant feedback makes everything better and means you’ll be more likely to keep the effort going. Instead of waiting to see if you’ve lost weight a few weeks down the line, get a fitness tracker so that you can get instant feedback about how many calories you burned. I wrote a blog post about a $12 fitness tracker (so you know they’re not all expensive) but they range in price and what they can do. Most will coordinate with your smart phone too so you’ll be able to transition it seamlessly into your life.
- Exercise with friends: Doing things alone is usually less fun than if you have some great company. Working out with people is not only more entertaining, but it also keeps you accountable to someone other than yourself. It’s one thing to let yourself down but it’s another thing to let both yourself and your friend down when you’re supposed to be exercising together.
- Go outside: The sun has amazing properties for your your physical and mental wellbeing. Working outside is so much better than working out in a room that is stifling and fully of other sweaty people grunting and wheezing their ways through their workouts. Nature will help you enjoy what you’re doing so much more and the wind in your hair will make you feel alive.
- Don’t let setbacks get to you: You’re only humans you will make mistakes. There’s no point in denying that cardinal truth and getting upset at the mistakes you make on your road towards health will do nothing except set you back and ruin your motivation to continue. Use your setbacks as a learning experience and try to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
These are only 5 on the 10 tips that this fantastic article has about exercise tips. Read more here to see the rest.