5 Ways to Stick with an Exercise Routine

(Watch this fun 3min video…Then read the post below)

So, it’s the middle of January…are you already flagging on your commitment to a new exercise routine?

If you are, here are 5 Ways to Stick With It:

1. Roll out of bed and “Press Play” - Don’t ask, “Do I feel like doing this today?”  Just like brushing your teeth - you don’t do it because you feel like it, you do it because it has to be done.
2. Commit to doing a half-assed job - Give yourself permission to not push to your limits, to do only 10 reps out of 20, to stop half-way through the workout.
3. Take a mental vacation - Let your body do the work while your mind goes somewhere else.  This flies in the face of “being present.”  I know.  But, personally, if I were “present” and tuned into my body while I exercise, I’d hear it screaming, “Stop.  I don’t wanna do this.  Let’s go back to bed.”  So, it’s best that I mute the volume on my body and concentrate instead on something fun, like a conversation I recently had with a friend, or a blog post I want to write.
4. Relax everything except the target muscle - While working your calves, concentrate on relaxing your face, neck, and shoulder muscles.  Relax the thigh.  Don’t burn more energy than necessary.
5. Modify the routine - If there is a movement in your routine that you don’t like - either because it’s too intense or not intense enough - substitute another movement in its place.

Brian Tracy quotes an old saying in his book Eat That Frog, “If the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that it’s probably the worst thing you’ll do all day.”

In other words, do the hardest thing you’ll have to do first thing in the morning…the rest of the day will be a breeze.

So get up, press play, and keep moving toward the physical outcomes you want.

Gambatte! (Japanese for “Press On”)

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What helps you to keep moving forward toward a long-range goal?

Comment below.

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