"I bought my gym membership but didn't get my value.”
“The initial enthusiasm to exercise remains just that, “initial”. It lasts barely for a week or two.”
“The mention of the word exercise makes me feel lethargic!”
Does this sound like you? If yes, then perhaps the following tips can keep you motivated enough to stick to an exercise regimen.
How to stick to an exercise regimen
Reverse Psychology
All of us are aware of the benefits of exercising, yet they don’t seem to motivate us enough to stick to our chosen exercise regimen. A good idea is to use a little bit of reverse psychology on yourself. Keep reminding yourself of the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle. Stick a poster stating points like-increased risk of heart attack, obesity, high cholesterol, weaker bones in old age, lower immunity etc in your bathroom where you are most likely to spend a decent amount of time alone. A powerful reminder of what not exercising will do to your health will help to keep motivated.
Choose the right physical activity
Choosing the right physical activity is also extremely important. Though we start enthusiastically a lot of us start viewing exercise as a mundane chore after a while. It is therefore important to pick a form of exercise that you find interesting. Running, kickboxing, spinning, dancing, aerobics,swimming or any outdoor sports, pick whatever you like.
Work with your subconscious
Finally, more than anything else it is your own will power which can help you stay motivated to stick to an exercise program. Making a conscious effort will bring you results, but you will get even better results if you can align your subconscious mind with your desires too - nothing will be able to hold you back. One way to do that is follow a hypnosis technique called “embracing a positive body image.” You could do this with help of a trained hypnotherapist or follow the steps listed below:
Close your eyes and sit in a comfortable position
Take a deep breath in and exhale
Imagine that with every out breath you are exhaling all your insecurities, fears and anxieties
Repeat this process for a few minutes
Now imagine yourself the way you want to look, fit and healthy
Embrace this image of yourself
Relax
Take a few deep breaths in and open your eyes.
This technique is very powerful, but you’ll need some practice to be able to do it yourself. Another interesting do-it-yourself technique is listening to an audio CD containing subliminal messages. Soundtracks in these Cds are embedded with messages that have been manipulated so that they are beyond the perception of your conscious mind (therefore the name subliminal). Subliminal messages are considered to be powerful enough to influence your subconscious and reprogram it in such a way that it becomes easier for you to stay focused on your goals.
However, subliminal messages for exercise motivation, hypnosis or any other technique will be beneficial only if you are consciously willing to work towards your goal.