Exercise: Tips to stay motivated

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Have you ever started an exercise program, but stopped halfway? Many people also fall into the same situation, because they are bored, because they do not like it, because they are slow to see the results. Here are tips to stay motivated to exercise.

1. Goal setting

Start with small goals, then make them larger, longer, but realistic goals that are achievable. It is easy to get frustrated and give up halfway because your goals are too ambitious.
For example, if you haven't exercised in a while, a short-term goal is to walk 10 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Even a short period of exercise can be beneficial. A longer-term goal is to walk 30 minutes 5 days a week. The long-term goal is to walk 5 kilometers.
For most healthy adults, the U.S. Department of Health recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise and 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise each week, or a combination of forms of exercise. move above. The greater the amount of exercise, the greater the benefit. Take the initiative to incorporate strength training exercises of all major muscle groups into regular movement at least 2 times per week.

2. Find joy

Find a sport or activity you enjoy, then diversify your workouts to maintain enjoyment. If you don't like working out, you can find other activities, like playing volleyball or softball, or learning to dance. If you just want to exercise at home, look for instructional videos online, like yoga, intense interval training or boxing, or most simply, walking or jogging in the park. Discover your hidden talents or interests in sports.

3. Make movement a part of everyday life

If it's hard to find time to exercise, don't make excuses, schedule your workouts like any other important event. You can completely exercise throughout the day, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking in the parking lot further to walk to the store, walking along the border while watching people play sports, or go for a light walk during breaks at work. If you're working from home, you can stretch, walk or climb stairs, do squats, lunges or sit-ups, walk your dog, ride a stationary bike, walk or jog on the treadmill. , do endurance exercises during your lunch break or when you watch TV at night.
Research shows that sitting for long periods of time has a negative impact on health, even when you get enough exercise for a week. If your job requires you to sit for long periods of time, take breaks by moving around often, like getting a drink or standing while talking on the phone or meeting online.

4. Information notes

Are you looking forward to losing weight? Increased vitality? Sleep better? Managing chronic illness? Write down your goals. Finding the benefits of being active regularly and writing it down on paper will help you stay motivated.
You may also find it helpful to keep a workout log, such as what you did during each workout, for how long and how you felt afterward. Document your efforts and track your progress to keep you moving toward your goals and remind you of what you've accomplished.

5. Join with relatives, friends, neighbors,...

You are not alone, invite friends or colleagues to exercise or go for a walk, exercise with your partner or lover, play ball with your children, or organize a neighborhood group to go to the gym together .

6. Reward yourself

After each set, take a few minutes to enjoy the good feeling that training brings. This internal bonus helps you maintain a long-term commitment to regular training.
Reward yourself with new running shoes after completing a longer distance, or listen to new music while working out.

7. Relax yourself

If you are too busy with work, or simply do not want to practice, take a break for 1-2 days. It is important to return to practice as soon as possible. Now, once you've regained your passion, move on. Set a goal, make it happy, and surpass yourself time and time again. Remember, exercise is a lifelong thing, and recall these tips when you get tired of practicing.

8. Restart your life

Time-saving appliances, like dishwashers and elevators, give you more time, but they also prevent you from burning calories. Washing dishes in the dishwasher, driving to work instead of walking, and using the elevator all burn an average of 111 calories a day. During the same period, you have gained about 4.5 kg per year. Whenever possible, don't motorize your life.

9. Step counting

Calculate how many steps you took today, then set a goal to increase your steps to about 500 steps a day for 1 week, then increase again the next week. Practice habits like these: Park your car far from the entrance to the company, walk for half an hour during your lunch break, talk to your colleagues while walking, take a short walk when you arrive at the meeting point a little early.

10. Workout in the morning

Early morning is the best time to exercise, as it puts exercise at the top of your to-do list. When working out later in the day, dozens of obstacles and excuses are used to distract from exercise. The excuse won't happen when the first thing you do when you get out of bed is exercise. Sweating in the morning also stimulates the brain to function throughout the day. There is evidence that morning exercise reverses some of the metabolic damage of the high-fat or sugary foods you ate the night before. Go to bed earlier so you can wake up earlier.

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References: mayoclinic.org, thehealthy.com