Getting motivated
Keeping fit
Your ability to keep up a physical activity, such as jogging, racket sports, cycling or swimming, is related
to your aerobic fitness or stamina.
Generally speaking, the greater your stamina, the greater are the health benefits. If you want to improve your stamina, it's important to start gently, increasing the frequency of your activity before increasing how hard you exercise.
Have fun
There are many activities you could take part in to increase your stamina. Not everyone sees exercise as fun,
and doing something you find boring, just because it's good for you is very difficult to sustain. But you can
take steps to make it more enjoyable.
Try out different sports or activities until you find something you like, such as a dance or aerobics class. Join a team or club where you could meet new friends. This could be a local football team, or a sport you may not have tried before (like korfball).
Activities that you can do as a family or with friends may help with motivation. When you find an activity you like, exercise at a pace that still allows you to talk. Try to go somewhere different and exercise outside such as a forest, a beach or a park. Make sure you vary your activity a little so you don't get bored.
Achieving your goals
Even when you usually enjoy exercising, there will be days when you just can't seem to find the motivation to
get active. Here are some practical tips to help keep up your enthusiasm. Keep a diary that highlights the sport
or activity you do. Note down how far you ran or the match score, your pulse, how you felt, etc. That way you
can look back and see how you have improved over time.
Collect inspiration and stick quotes from coaches, athletes or anyone successful around your house and/or your office. Inspirational stories from people who have achieved against the odds may help - if they can do it, so can you. Set yourself some short and long-term goals. Success will provide you with a sense of satisfaction and further motivation to keep up the new lifestyle. Keep your goals: specific; measurable; achievable; realistic; time-based (SMART). For example, rather than saying you'll get fit by summer, start by setting the more specific goal of going to a one hour step aerobics class or an ashtanga yoga class each week.
Staying motivated
When it comes to staying motivated it's just as important to train your brain as it is to train your body. Here
are just a few ideas to help you.
A great way to stay focused is to keep reminding yourself of the reasons you started exercising in the first place. This may include losing excess weight, improving your health or testing yourself in a competition or race. Picture yourself achieving your goal, such as completing a race or fitting into smaller trousers - and imagine what it will feel like. Through visualisation these images and feelings will motivate you and will help you achieve them for real.
Exercising releases chemicals in the brain, like serotonin, that have a strong affect on your mood, helping reduce anxiety, stress and depression. So whenever you don't feel like exercising, try to remind yourself how good you'll feel afterwards.