We are often lectured about the importance of incorporating exercise into our daily schedule. For example, regular exercise not only enhances your fitness levels, but it also encourages you to take better care of yourself and boosts your confidence. However, whether you have taken time out due to a busy schedule, or to recover from injuries, it can sometimes be difficult to put yourself out there again. In fact, after a period of inactivity, it could feel nearly impossible for you to find the joy in exercise that is necessary to succeed.
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With that in mind, here are some top tips that you can use to rediscover the joy in exercise!
- Focus on how it makes you feel, as opposed to the results. While exercise is an excellent way to achieve healthy and sustainable weight loss, this should not be your only aim when it comes to introducing more exercise into your routine. Instead, you should focus on the hidden benefits of exercising – such as the way in which it makes you feel. As regular exercise releases endorphins, you’ll begin to notice that you feel happier and more focused throughout the day – you’ll also have a lot more energy.
- Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. As mentioned previously, exercise should be less about expecting immediate results and more about learning to love your body and having fun while doing so. One way in which you can achieve this goal is by ensuring that you do not put too much pressure on yourself. For example, you do not have to work out every single day – as your body needs time to rest and recover too.
- Watch more sports on TV. While watching sports may not seem like a great way to incorporate more exercise into your routine, it’s a great way to get you excited about working out again due to the simple fact that it reminds you how much fun team sports can be. For example, if you are a big fan of rugby in the UK, watching a few matches could encourage you to sign up to local teams and try your hand at playing.
- Buy yourself workout gear. In order to have fun while exercising, you need to feel comfortable and confident within your own skin – which is often easier said than done. However, it is not impossible. For example, buying workout clothing and accessories is a great way to help you feel the part, and can also boost your confidence significantly.
- Workout with a friend. Sticking to a workout routine can be difficult, as there will be the odd day (or even week) where your enthusiasm seems to disappear entirely, making the likelihood of you skipping a session increase drastically. However, you can hold yourself more accountable when this happens by working out with a friend or loved one. Furthemore, this can help exercise feel as little less daunting (and a lot more fun) as you aren’t doing it alone. Your friend will be by your side every step of the way – and you can shower each other in compliments or shout out motivation when things get tough.
