Tips to Stay Motivated to Exercise or Train

Those of you who know me, know I run competitively. Lately I've had some big problems finding motivation to run, but the last few days I have gotten it back. I thought I would share some tips with my readers that helped me get focused once again. So here are my tips:

Stay Hydrated: Make sure you drink enough water during the day. Your energy levels will be much higher if you are drinking enough water. Carry around a reusable water bottle during the day to make this easier.

Sleep Well: If you're tired, it is much harder to exercise, especially if you are not getting enough sleep day after day. Get into a rhythm with your sleep by going to bed around the same time each day and getting up at the same time.

Eat Well: If you're going to eat junk, eat it after you run or walk or whatever you do. Not only will it be good motivation, but apparently your body processes the bad food much better after strenuous activity. If you're confused about what to eat, stick to a balanced diet with whole foods. See The World's Healthiest Foods for more info on healthy foods.

Rest: Make sure you give yourself time to recover. If you tire yourself out every day, you're not going to want to keep on doing it. I personally take one day off a week, but many people might want to take 2 or 3 (see below for related tips!)

Variety: If you do the same thing day after day, you're going to get bored. For example, if you want to average 40mins a day, don't run 40 mins each day. Perhaps you could do 35 min one day, 45 min the next. If you're running outdoors, change your route frequently (try not to do the same route more than 2 or 3 times a week). Do fun stuff too; some days go faster and shorter, while other days go longer and shorter. Though I'm talking mostly about running, I'm sure you can put variety into any other activity.

Make a Plan: Get into a weekly rhythm. Do the same thing every Tuesday for example. It's probably easiest to go with a weekyly schedule, because the rest of your life is likely structured that way. Also, pick a time each day to do your exercise. If you get into a habit of this, it makes it much easier to get out there.

Be Adaptable: If you find you're doing too much or too little, change your plan. Don't be afraid to take a day off if you need it. Sometimes you get stressed or have a tiring day. You'll be better off if you don't force yourself to exercise (if you're training competitively it MAY have a negative effect to take a day off, but use your judgement - if you work too hard now instead of taking a day off, you might find yourself taking a whole week of a month later!).

Exercise with Someone Else: Having someone there and knowing that they expect you to show up makes it harder to not do something. Plus it makes running less boring (though sometimes it's nice to exercise alone).

Have Fun: If exercising is constantly not fun, why would you want to do it?

Make a Goal: If you have something you are aiming for, it makes it easier to get out there. The goal could be as simple as lifting more weights, going on a longer run or just running 6 days in a week. Just having a goal gives you direction.

I hope these tips are helpful to you. If you have any other tips you'd like to share, please post them. I always welcome feedback.

Also, if you know of anyone who might find this post (or any other post in this blog) interesting, please send them the link. I'm trying to increase my readership so I can have some good contests in the future!