Spring is officially here, and it's getting to be a great time to be active outside. Now is also the time to get motivated to exercise so you can don that new swimsuit or just feel healthier overall.
If you aren't doing any physical activity, any exercise in any amount is better than nothing. Don't feel you have to start out by running a marathon; just try going for a walk around your neighborhood.
If you are already doing some regular physical activity, then step it up a notch by increasing how long you exercise, by intensifying your workout, or by exercising more frequently.
Here are some tips to get you motivated and thinking about your exercise routine:
- Make physical activity fun. One of my favorite ways to get motivated is by listening to music while I'm working out. Download some tunes that get you pumped up for exercise.
- Exercise with a partner. Use this as your time to catch up with each other, instead of going out for lunch or coffee.
- Try out a variety of exercises. You'll soon find a few that you really enjoy doing.
- Be accountable to someone. Tell a friend or family member that you are going to start or increase your exercise program and ask them to hold you to it.
- Make exercise a family affair. Turn off the television and head outside. Take a family walk, walk the dog (or if you don't have one, offer to walk your neighbor's dog), wash the car, work in the yard, or go to a park and play volleyball, tennis, or soccer.
- Make it a priority. We already squeeze too many activities into our days, but if you think about it, they are all things we choose to do. Why not make some physical activity one of them?
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