Quora great question of the week

How to motivate oneself to exercise?

Answered by Marshall A. Davidson, Doctor, Researcher, Writer, Brain Enthusiast, Parkinson’s Advocate There are several things that go against the common standard. However, they work for me and for others who’ve taken the advice from my blog: 1. Map out protected time every day: Failure to schedule exercise equals to recipe for failure. 2. Start with a reasonable, even easy protocol. Keep is short (2030) minutes at first. Only add to it after three successful weeks. 3. Realise that doing anything is better than doing no exercise. If you’re too tired at the 10-minute mark at least you did something that day. 4. Don’t fill your head with lofty and unrealistic goals. Have one goal only: do it. Things will slowly develop with time at their own pace as you stick to a routine. 5. The more you think and negotiate with yourself the less chance of actually “doing it”. Forget it all and just blindly but safely work the exercise routine. 6. Never compare yourself to others when exercising: If you fare better you’ll get lax and if you fare worse you’ll get discouraged. 7. Disconnect diet and exercise: Though connected by the bond of good health, from a motivational standpoint these two have nothing to do with one another. 8. Consult an exercise professional to help develop an initial reasonable exercise routine that is in line with your abilities. 9. Don’t rely on professionals or other people to motivate you to exercise. 10. Incorporate getting outdoors once a day besides going to work, no matter what exercise routine you set up. Views: 2.4K, Upvotes: 20