Discover This Surprising New Ingredient for Exercise Motivation

Exercise motivation comes in many forms, from managing health conditions to wanting to look good for a high school reunion. Now, researchers have found an especially powerful resource by tapping into emotional memories.

A recent study found that asking people to remember previous workouts significantly increased the amount of exercise they did the next day. Happy memories had the strongest effect, but even unpleasant memories provided some inspiration.

Maybe you're struggling to stick with your aerobic classes or you just want an additional boost. Try these ideas for creating and using memories that will make you want to get moving.

Creating Memories for Exercise Motivation

1. Plan a vacation.

Play golf in Scotland or go scuba diving in the Caribbean. Bring home special memories that you'll love to revisit.

2. Take the scenic route.

Make the most of your surroundings at home. Jog along a wooded trail in your local park. Play volley ball at the beach. Buy a colorful yoga mat.

3. Engage all your senses.

Enjoy your workouts to the fullest. Buy a soft fluffy towel. Play your favorite tunes.

4. Make it social.

Everything becomes more unforgettable when you share it with others. Start a soft ball team at the office. Spend the weekend skiing with your family.

Find a workout buddy. When someone else is counting on you, it's harder to make excuses when you've arranged to exercise.

5. Pay attention.

It's difficult to recall many details about your time on the treadmill if your eyes are glued to a TV screen. Try activities that encourage more mindfulness, like Tai Chi.

6. Challenge yourself.

Striving to reach ambitious, but feasible, goals builds happiness and self- esteem. Work with a tennis coach or increase the mileage on your morning run.

7. Avoid injury.

At the same time, pleasant conditions provide the best motivation. Reduce your chances of getting burned out or sidelined by a strained ankle or sore back.

Watch for signs of overtraining, and follow safety guidelines for any sport or exercise activity.

Using Memories for Exercise Motivation

1. Keep a journal.

Putting things in writing makes past events more vivid. Record significant moments so you can read them later.

2. View pictures.

Images make a strong impression. Snap pictures with your phone or carry around a small digital camera so you can photograph yourself being active.

3. Learn to visualize.

Conjure up a mental image of fun times and outstanding achievements. Picture how you looked spinning around on the dance floor or scoring on the basketball court.

4. Break it down.

If you've ever studied for a test or memorized a long password, you know the value of dividing information into smaller chunks. Trace your workouts from warm up to cool down.

5. Talk it over.

Solidify your memories by discussing them. Go out for coffee with your fitness buddy. It will give you both an opportunity to rehash your training sessions and benefit from each other's perspectives.

6. Make a morning resolution.

You'll accomplish more by making frequent resolutions, rather than waiting for New Year's. Start each day by forming an intention.

Maybe you'll decide to swim laps during your lunch hour or sign up for tango classes.

7. Review at bedtime.

Monitor your progress to stay on track and sharpen your memories. Set aside time to evaluate what's working for you and what you want adjust.

8. Repeat and repeat.

Memories grow stronger with practice over extended time periods.

You're more likely to renew your gym membership if you give yourself regular reminders of all the benefits, such as controlling your weight and toning your muscles.

Take a trip down memory lane the next time you're having trouble talking yourself into going to the gym.

Memories can be one more tool for recharging your exercise motivation.

Exercises for the Extremely Busy

Getting in a good workout can be challenging, considering how busy most of us are. A workout doesn't have to involve a lot of equipment nor an hour of time.

The exercise program that follows is not designed to be a complete program, but it is a worthwhile workout that you can sneak in when you just don't have the time to visit the gym.

If the following exercises are too easy, add weight, more sets, or extra repetitions.

Let's get started:

1. Pushups.

If you're in great shape, do 100 correctly formed pushups as quickly as possible, taking breaks as needed.

If you struggle to do one good push up, try doing them on your knees, or stand at the base of the stairs and put your hands on the stairs.

The key is to make it easy enough that you can do at least 10-20 repetitions.

2. Bodyweight squats.

From a standing position, squat down and stand back up. Do as many as you can and try to go all the way down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. If that's too difficult, grab a doorframe to pull yourself back up.

3. Jump squats.

These are similar to the bodyweight squats, but instead of just standing up, you're going to jump as high as you can, land softly, and repeat. Do as many as you can. This is a tough one.

4. Lunges.

To lunge, you simply take a big step and then lower yourself down until your back knee just grazes the ground.

This one will really help to stretch out your hips and challenge your balance.

5. Jump lunges.

As you come up from your standard lunge, jump up and switch your legs in the air. Go back down and repeat.

6. Jump.

Jumping is great exercise. Hop on one foot, jump on two feet, then alternate to hop on the other foot. Use a jump rope if you like. Jump for height or long jump.

Jumping is good for your bones and keeps your nervous system sharp.

7. Stairs.

If you have access to a multi-story building, walk up a few floors and walk back down. If you're in decent shape, try running up the stairs. Who needs a stair machine at the gym?

8. Leg raises.

Lie on the floor, lift your feet a few inches off the ground, and hold them up for as long as you can. The higher you lift your legs, the easier it will be.

If that's still too hard, bend your knees. If the standard form is too easy, you can hang from a bar or a tree limb and lift your feet up to your hands. Find a variation that works for you.

Getting a good workout can be as simple using your body for resistance.

These exercises don't require a lot of room or any fancy equipment.

Just the pushups, bodyweight squats, and leg raises are enough to keep most folks in decent shape.

Give these exercises a try the next time you're short on time. You'll be pleased with the results.

Learn more about your health online when you read the rest of our information here about: Lifetime Fitness Exercise guide and also download the free health report available there!

Warren Tattersall has been a full time nutritional consultant for over 35 years and works with people all over the world to help them improve their health, increase their personal energy levels and to use supplements to assist with diet related health issues.

Just send him a note on the form here - Contact Us - to request a personal no obligation one-on-one consultation with Warren

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