Today I have another great guest post for you from a great freelance blogger.  Her name is Bella and she is here to talk to you about ways to help you stick to your health and fitness plans!

If you want to change your appearance, you can do it simply or subtly by changing your wardrobe or getting a haircut. But before you start thinking about opting for a cosmetic procedure, one of the healthiest and most effective ways of looking as well as feeling better is to start a new exercise regime.

Regular exercise has a whole heap of benefits, from making you slimmer, stronger and more flexible to boosting your mood, improving your skin and possibly even making you live longer. Getting started on a new fitness regime can be hard work, however, requiring plenty of willpower and motivation. If you want to stick to it and see the results, try these 5 fool-proof tips and strategies for staying motivated and on target:

1. Set yourself realistic short-term and long-term goals. The sense of achievement when you reach a goal can help you to stick with your new lifestyle, but it’s important to be realistic. Be too ambitious at the start and you’ll quit right away, so set yourself achievable short-term goals, cross them off the list and then progress to longer range goals.

2. Make exercise part of your daily routine. To stick to your regime, you need to take exercise seriously and schedule workouts in your day just as you would any other activity. It’s important not to make excuses – simply to make physical activity part of your life.

3. Do activities you enjoy. If you hate an activity, you won’t stick to your new fitness regime. If you find something that you enjoy, such as a competitive sport like badminton or a fun activity like salsa dancing, you are more likely to want to do it each week. You might even discover a new athletic talent. You should never force yourself to do an activity that is painful or uncomfortable because you’ll only start dreading it.

4. Write down your goals, plans and achievements. Seeing your goals, your workout schedule and your progress written down on paper can really help you to see the benefits of what you’re doing and stay motivated.

5. Get a friend or family member involved. If you know someone who also wants to get fitter or lose weight, why not join forces to achieve your goals? Having someone else to motivate and support you, as well as joining in fun activities that you wouldn’t want to do alone, can really help you stay on track.

These are all some GREAT tips to help you stay on track with your health and fitness goals! You have to work hard if you want to reach your goals! Stay focused, stay dedicated, and be patient! The results will NOT come over night.  But, when you do start to see the results you will appreciate all the hard work you did to get those results!

Why not create your own!?

There are several different things you can do to surround yourself with motivation and inspiration throughout your days.

You can do like the picture above. Place quotes, words, or saying around your house, office, or at school

You can email motivational things to yourself…or there are applications and other programs that will send you daily motivation if you sign up for it.

Staying motivated is one of the key things needed to help keep you on track with your goals!

It is so important  that you remember why you started your journey!

Because only YOU can help you reach your goals!

Stay focused…stay dedicated…stay motivated!

Aiming for a new body is a common goal for a lot of people, but like many other
endeavors, it’s easier said than done. While commitment to the cause is always
impressively solid at the beginning, few actually get through to the finish. The following
are suggestions on how to keep the fire going when trying to get into shape.

Bring a friend

The easiest way to help discipline oneself to stick to workout routines and schedules is
to have someone check on them. Make sure to invite someone who’s disciplined and
equally determined or else you might end up giving each other excuses. The goal is for
you to motivate and encourage each other. Since not all of us are lucky enough to have
that friend or family member, joining a class or team works too.

Know what you can and can’t do

Everyone has limits, especially in exercise. There’s nothing wrong with wanting that six-pack to materialize itself in a week, but we have to face the physical constraints lying between us and our goals. Keeping your workouts within your capacity lessens the likelihood that you’ll quit because of the impossibility of the exercise (and transitively,the goal of getting in shape). Be creative. Mix and mash the workouts that you can do.

Give yourself a deadline

Our teachers knew what they were doing. How much schoolwork would we have
finished if they didn’t give deadlines? Setting specific dates for certain goals adds to the
pressure of having to achieve them. The more detailed your goals are, the better. Think,
“be able to lift forty-pound weights in two weeks” rather than just “improve weightlifting”.

Track your progress

Keep records of how you’re doing. Nowadays this is especially easy to do because of
the dozens of free smart phone applications designed for this purpose. Improvement
isn’t always easy to feel, but writing it down keeps you assured that you’re going
somewhere. For additional motivation, reward yourself whenever you see progress
markers achieved.

Let brains improve with brawns

Getting in shape isn’t just about the body. It’s easier and faster to achieve that dream
figure when you use tried and tested methods. Hundreds of thousands of books and
websites contain information on dieting, exercising, conditioning, and bodybuilding. It
helps to join online forums and groups where you can share routines and tips.

Often, the biggest enemy in working towards getting fit is time. Desired results can take
months or years to manifest. Above all, it’s important to find enjoyment and fulfilment in
exercise because work turns into play when you’re having fun.

About the Author:

Macy is an experienced writer on health and fitness. She loves to help people learn
more about methods and machines that help in losing weight and building muscle. Click
here to learn more about one of her favorite companies that create products to help
people get in shape.

References:

American Diabetes: 15 Ways to Stay Motivated to Exercise;
[http://www.americandiabetes.com/living-diabetes/diabetes-fitness-articles/15-ways-
stay-motivated-exercise]

Pete Williams, Core Performance: 7 Secrets to Get Motivated for a Workout;
[http://www.coreperformance.com/daily/mindset/7-secrets-to-get-motivated-for-a-
workout.html]

Ruth Zukerman, The Huffington Post: 10 Ways to Stay Motivated to Work Out;
[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ruth-zukerman/10-ways-to-stay-motivated-to-work-
out_b_931603.html#s335840&title=Dont_Go_It]

Anne Stein, Chicago Tribune: Staying motivated to exercise;
[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-03-21/health/sc-health-0321-fitness-excuses-
20120321_1_exercise-class-morning-exerciser-department-of-exercise-physiology]

Aura Dundalk Leisure Centre: Top 7 Ways To Stay Committed to Exercise;
[http://aurasportleisure.newsweaver.co.uk/auraleisurecentre/1kxnwq0cqt8]

Heather Scott, The Examiner: How to stay committed to your exercise routine;
[http://www.examiner.com/article/how-to-stay-committed-to-your-exercise-routine]

BUT the only one who can make these changes are you!

Make sure to set reasonable goals for yourself!

And do not lie about the good/bad things you ate…

or the workouts you did/didn’t do!

Lying only hurts you from not allowing you to achieve your goal!

Keep yourself motivated and work hard!
You will reach your goal!!

…Stay Focused! Do Work Today in the Gym!…

]]> http://www.infinitelifefitness.com/2012/05/07/motivational-monday-16/feed/ 5 http://www.infinitelifefitness.com/2012/02/06/motivational-monday-3/ http://www.infinitelifefitness.com/2012/02/06/motivational-monday-3/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:36:42 +0000 admin http://infinitelifefitness.com/?p=237

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.
Plato

Today is the PERFECT day to get started on your new health and fitness goals. Stop making excuses and just do it! There is no “I’ll start tomorrow”…why not just start TODAY!

Even if you had a bad breakfast or lunch…so what…you still have the rest of the day to start over and start achieving your goals.

no money to work out in a gym…no problem check out THIS post and THIS post. Need some help finding some healthier things to eat? Look at THIS post.

Today is the perfect day to start living healthier!

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HAPPY MONDAY!