You know you've got to get moving. You resolve to park the car a few blocks from work, take the stairs, and hit the gym after work. But a few weeks pass and before you know it, parking spots start opening up right in front of the building, the elevator is already in the lobby, and you've worked late every night that week. It's not that you don't know how to get fit, you just can't seem to stay motivated. We all know people who are religious with their workouts. So, what's their secret?
We asked fitness experts and regular Joes alike how they stick with their routine. These methods keep them moving; maybe one will work for you.
1. Embarrass Yourself
Make a mark on your calendar every time you make it to the gym or park. Seeing your motivation (or lack thereof) in black and white helps keep you going. Suzanne Schlosberg and Liz Neporent, authors of Fitness for Dummies, Second Edition (IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 2000), suggest "whether you write your goals on the side of your shoe or in your training diary, glancing at them on a daily basis will help keep you focused and motivated. Some people tape their goals to their bathroom mirror or refrigerators." Do whatever works to make you remember what you promised yourself.
2. Join a Club That Wouldn't Have You for a Member
So you're not Steffi Graf. That doesn't mean you can't join a tennis team. Richard Cotton, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise, says "joining a club, team or finding an exercise partner ... provides a support system and someone to simply share the experience with. Often times just knowing someone will be asking you 'How's it going?' can be the difference between exercise success and failure."
3. Love Thy Neighbor and Love Thyself
You can't leave a neighbor standing on the corner checking her watch. She knows where you live. Miriam Nelson, director of the Center for Physical Fitness at Tufts University and the author of Strong Women Stay Young and Strong Women Stay Slim (Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1999), says, "When I make a date with a neighbor to go for a run I keep it, and we have a great time." She also plans a regular appointment with her neighbors. "Saturday mornings several of my neighbors come over and we lift weights together; it's a great way to start the weekend," she says.
4. Challenge Yourself
Working toward an event — like a 5K walk or run, or an overnight bike trip to a faraway bed and breakfast — keeps you on track. Every time you exercise you'll be closer to meeting your goal. "The minute you mail in your entry fee, you'll have a whole new sense of purpose. And the feeling of accomplishment you get from completing your event is like nothing else," say Schlosberg and Neporent.
