Getting yourself in good shape

YOU know you need to work out, but you feel you’ll do it maybe tomorrow, or the day after that. Here are some tips to get you to work out NOW.

Do something small, right now

Going all the way to the gym, or getting decked out in your jogging gear, or doing whatever you feel you should be doing may seem like too much work. So just do 10 push-ups or jumping jacks. Usually, it is just enough to get your heart rate going a little bit, and make you feel that a little more exercise would not be so bad.

Do a full body workout in less than five minutes

Kill the “I don’t have time” excuse by developing a routine that engages every muscle in your body in just a few minutes. You probably won’t lose weight or build muscles doing this.

Substitute healthy activities for sedentary lifestyle

For instance, make an effort to go to the gym, instead of watching a TV show you don’t really like. You will feel motivated to exercise and form a new exercise habit. You are probably telling yourself something like “I should exercise right now. If I don’t work out, I am never going to get fit. “This statement has many hidden obstacles. For one thing, feeling like you should do something makes it seem like work, or an obligation.

Remember that exercise is a choice

Instead of thinking about how you will look if you don’t work out, think about how great you would look if you did!

Get halfway there

If you want to go to the gym, but just don’t feel like it, at least just drive yourself to gym. If the exercise involves going outside, a good first step is to get dressed and just sit outside. A good next step is to walk. You will find that once you are dressed to go walking, exercise doesn’t seem like a big stretch.

Set a goal for yourself

Sign up for a charity walk or run that will encourage you to train. Once you have set a date to work towards, you will have a goal in mind while you are working out. The feeling of accomplishment after you are done will encourage you to sign up for another, or to just continue being fit.

Hypnotise yourself to get you motivated to exercise

Hypnosis is a state of intense concentration, when your mind is extremely receptive. The

“Best Me Technique” or suggestion-enhanced experience, encourages you to pre-experience the accomplishment of a goal.

Trade weight for cash

A 2007 study showed the more you pay people to lose weight, the more weight they will drop over a three-month period. If there is someone who keeps nagging you to lose weight, ask that person about paying you for every kilo you lose. If your employer is self-insured, he may consider enlisting the services of a company to develop reward programmes to encourage employees to lose weight.

Get back on the horse

Have you not exercised for a week? A month? A year? A decade? Don’t punish yourself. Don’t think about how hard it is to get fit. Live in the moment. Do you want to get in shape? Then work out. Eventually, you will get the momentum going, and you can fine-tune your routine. That will come naturally, from feeling good about yourself, and wanting to take better care of yourself. Until then, just establish in your brain that working out is a choice. Overcome procrastination using self-talk