Perhaps you've just stepped on the scale, only to find that it hasn't budged since last month. Or perhaps that pair of skinny jeans you bought last week is already too snug in the waist. Whatever the case, you know that you need to get started on a fitness routine, or that if you already have one, you must ramp it up. Take steps now to meet your fitness goals.
Move Your Body All Day Long
Go for several short walks during the day to help yourself build an exercise habit. Walking three to four times a day for short periods of time can improve your health, and help prevent the mental and physical fatigue that can accumulate during the day. If you don't enjoy walking, put on some music and dance to one song before you resume your usual tasks. Or do a few minutes of an exercise DVD. After three or four months, you might be on your way to becoming an expert belly dancer or yoga goddess. Energy begets energy, and you'll soon find that you're more inclined to engage in longer bouts of exercise.
Make Yourself Accountable
Perhaps you know so much about fitness that you could get an honorary degree in exercise science -- but you still can't seem to establish a routine. Motivate yourself by making yourself accountable to another person. Start a blog and document your progress -- you'll feel pressure to stick with your diet and exercise program so that you have something positive to report when you write your next post. Work with a personal trainer who will help you to set goals and stick to them. Schedule workouts with a girlfriend. You'll have to show up, and as the saying goes, showing up is half the battle.
Try Something New
It is easy for boredom to set in after you've been doing the same exercise routine for a while. Shake up your habits by adding a new activity to the mix. Ride a bicycle on some trails, learn how to rock climb or take a dance class to learn some new moves. You gain confidence from learning new activities, and your self-image can shift as you become a woman who isn't afraid to take a few risks and have adventures.
Don't Overdo It
You may be very motivated to get in shape so you can fit into your favorite little black dress, but working out too often or strenuously can cause problems. Stress fractures, inflamed tendons and ligaments, and sore joints and muscles are what you can expect if you overtrain, according to the Harvard Medical School publication "HealthBeat." Working out when you're ill or injured is likely to slow you down even more in the long run. Give your body time to recuperate so that you'll be ready to resume your usual routine.
Member Comments