Almost everyone is fully aware of the benefits that come with exercise, eating well and healthy living in general. However, staying motivated enough to maximize and maintain these benefits can be tough. In the modern day world, there are so many temptations in each area that make it increasingly easy to neglect the ideals of healthy living that we know we should be adhering too.
Eating
With fast food outlets on every high street, and take-away meals now simple to order from the internet it is very easy to eat unhealthily. Everyone should be allowed a take away or fast food every now and then, and in fact, this is almost necessary to ensure you stay motivated and enjoy your food.
The main reason that diets fail so easily is the fact that they cut out the enjoyment that naturally comes from food. Being told “you can never eat chocolate” simply increases your cravings. Allowing yourself the occasional treat will allow you to get your fix of sugar (or fast food/takeaway), but still keep you eating healthily for the majority of the time.
There are also small things you can do that will make you feel fuller for longer and keep the cravings at bay. One of these things is exercise, and another is eating breakfast. Exercising brings regulation to your body, meaning your body if more efficient with the energy provided by food.
It breaks it down slower and gets more out of it. Eating breakfast every day sets you up for the day. It activates your metabolism and will reduce the need for you to snack on unhealthy snacks such as crisps and chocolate at the office. Stay motivated to eat breakfast and you’ll find it much easier to eat more healthily.
Take a look at our body shape articles, find the figure that looks similar to your own and you will find a workout and diet plan just for your body shape.
Exercising
Exercising releases endorphins that make you feel great. That’s why you feel so good after a workout, a swim or a run. The only issue with endorphins is that they don’t last forever, and you can forget how they feel. So the next time you are considering going to the gym, you are unlikely to use this feeling as a reason to exercise.
There are so many benefits to regular exercise that it is hard to list them all. It would be silly to exercise for every reason available, but all you need to do is find one or two reasons that are important to you. If looking good is important to you, then use that as your incentive to get out of bed and get to the gym, or to put on your running trainers and hit the roads for a run.
Likewise, if reducing your cholesterol is important to you (maybe your doctor has mentioned that it could become an issue for you in the future), then use that to spur you on to ensure you get your 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day – even if it is just a walk.
The main reason that people stop exercising is the fact that it becomes repetitive to the point that it is no longer enjoyable. Getting around this is easy – simply join a club or society that is built around a physical activity; maybe a running club, a football team, a tennis club or even something as simple as a golf society. Joining a club where like-minded people get together to participate in a sport is much more enjoyable than fitness training, which in turn increases your chance of staying motivated.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle is a much broader topic than exercise or eating habits. In fact, in pretty much encapsulates them both, as well as adding a few other aspects worth considering. Lifestyle can mean several things, and just a couple of changes could make a big difference. Start by looking at your hobbies and things that you do every week, or every day.
If you spend 3 hours watching TV or 2 hours on the internet, maybe consider alternatives that could be more beneficial to you both mentally and physically. OK, after a hard day at work, relaxing in front of the TV is sometimes well earned, but if you have a glass of wine each evening you will be undoing the benefits of regular exercise or healthy eating. It is simple lifestyle changes that make it easier to stay motivated when it comes to exercise and eating. Above are three key areas that we should all have some say over.
They are all interconnected and have an impact on each other, making it important to address all three equally. Funnily enough, gaining the motivation to improve one or two of these areas will ultimately improve your motivation in the other(s). So if it seems a little daunting to approach them all at once, start with the one you think should be the easiest and in time this will filter to the other two.
What are your top 3 tips for staying motivated?
