Finding Simple Ways to Keep Up with Your Exercise Routine

It has been my experience, that working out does something so totally great for me, and yet...I end up in a slump. Either I stop losing the weight, I stop feeling motivated, or I just stop all together. Sound familiar?

Exercise has been proven to naturally boost your mood, tone your body, help you sleep better, have more energy and yes, even prevent many types of diseases and complications. So then why are more then 50% of Americans on a diet, and less then 20% of them are on an exercise routine? Because, the work out fails to work!

To find out what will work best for you, you have to know what motivates you. Is it loosing weight, being healthier, having more energy? What is your highest motivation? Now, whatever this is, examine it. Will you "get over" it in just a few weeks. If you think you will, then your biggest destruction is your lack of commitment. Don't feel bad. This is actually why the majority of people fall off the exercise bandwagon, so to speak. Commitment ranks number one, as a necessity for almost everything in our lives. If we can't commit to waking up on time everyday, we lose our job, if we can't commit to our spouse, we jeopardies our marriage, if we cant commit to the promises we make, we become unreliable. Commitment is a true basic and important need in our lives, and we sometimes fail at it.

Don't be overthrown by that statement. Just look at the importance of commitment before you write it off and say "I just can't commit" The truth is, if you want something bad enough, you will and can succeed in committing to it!

Motivation is key to keeping your commitment. If you weren't motivated by the need to work, you wouldn't. Well, if you are motivated to exercise for whatever your true goal is, whether achieving weight loss, or living longer, you must feel a need for these things to bring you under proper motivation.

If your goal for weight loss is wishy-washy so will you reap that from your exercise. Make sure the goal in mind is a attainable goal as well. If you want to lose 100 pounds but only lost four, your looking at the wrong goal. Do not let your long term goals be the objective. Instead set short steady short term goals. For example, say, I would like to actively lose a minimum of four lbs a month, for three months. Then after you have done well for four months, chose a new short term goal.

Aside from weigh loss, we should actually want to exercise for our own health and vitality. however we can cancel so much of this out by the way we eat. I always felt weird taking orders for people when I was a teenager at burger king. Some people would order a double whopper with cheese, french fries and a diet soda. Now it could of been tat they truly enjoy the taste of a diet soda, but most do not. Well it's also the same with grocery shopping. I personally am guilty of this one. I will spend extra money on on organic items, and yet throw in a 1/2 gallon of ice cream in the same shopping trip.

Think of your exercise in the same manner. If you are going to work out, run, jog, lift weights, whatever your fitness approach is, and end your day with a daily handful of cookies then all that "to your health" mindset isn't reaching its full potential.

I am NOT against indulging in tasty foods every once in a while. As a matter of fact, if you take away my ice cream, I might just bite. But having it daily, and having it every few days or once a week, is the difference.

Now the last tip for making your workout schedule last is to find help. We all heard of the patenter of friend that takes those 4 am jogs with us. Well I am here to tell you, I am not even that reliable. I can't even commit to someone like that, let alone ask someone to be that committed for me. I am a mother, of 2 and although I want o schedule in a time for exercise, things happen. You cant always stop everything and say "its time to exercise" So the kind of help I am writing about, is just having a real person to share your progress, thoughts, and struggles with. Your spouse, best friend, sibling, Parent...anyone you can communicate to.

For example, lets say you have had it with exercise, you sick of waking up sore and tired, nd you decide you want to throw in the towel, thats when you go to whom ever you feel most comfortable and talk to them, let them inspire you, cheer you on, and get you pumped back up. they don't need to be running the track with you, they just need to be there for you!