The Secret to Exercising

I don't usually write about exercise but I thought I would try something different. Plus I know I should exercise and I don't really want to. I am sitting here after a long fun weekend of eating, drinking and more eating, and the last thing on my mind is to exercise.  What is it about exercise that makes it so difficult at times to motivate yourself to do it?  Probably because it is so easy to NOT DO IT.  

But we all know the benefits of exercising, so we try to incorporate it into our lives. What if we were to look at exercising differently? Instead of thinking of the drudgery of exercising, such as sweating during a run or lifting weights that are too heavy, envision the end result that you want.  Whether that is lying on a beach in a great bathing suit, becoming more successful, seeing yourself in a fabulous outfit, wanting more energy or just feeling happier about yourself.  That is the thinking we need to adopt to get us off the couch.  Envision what you want, say it and believe in it.

It is similar to work.  We all don't love going to work, but we go because we love seeing the paycheck that arrives in the mail.  Try it for exercise, start small and build upon it.  Think about what you want and make it a happy thought, one that you are excited to reach for.  Incase you forgot, below is a list of the benefits of exercising:

• Improves self esteem, you feel more powerful
  
• Increases brain power, generates more ideas and in turn more successful
• Strengthens your heart and muscles
  
• Increases your endurance
  
• Relieves stress and lifts your mood 
  
• Increases your energy

Also, don't try to make the exercise goal too unattainable.  A recent study from Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana found that even a small amount (10 minutes a day-72 minutes a week) can improve heart strength and general fitness, nearly matching the benefits of women exercising almost twice as long.   
So for today or this week, think about what you would like.  Maybe it is that dress or bathing suit. For me, I want more energy. So when you think about going to the gym or for a run, close your eyes, envision the goal, put a smile on your face and know it is yours!   What would you like? Comment below.

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