Finding the Motivation to Get Fit

The start of a new year always brings out the resolutionists who use it as a motivator to try to get in shape and lose weight. Why people have to wait until January to begin exercising is rather disconcerting, as any day of the year is a good time to begin a fitness training program. The key is your motivation. If you are not ready to begin exercising today, then you will not last much past the second week of January either.

So what does it take to begin exercising? Maybe you have never worked out a day in your life. For those starting out, the best option is to find a safe place around your neighborhood and simply walk briskly for 30 minutes a day. You should always strive to keep building the intensity as you progress through your daily workouts. Tackling a hill as you walk, maybe twice a week, to increase the effort. Picking up the pace by jogging a little will help. You should always be striving for improvement. You should know that simply walking the same pace each day will not help build your body up.

There are lots of people who like going to a gym. There is a benefit to having so much fitness equipment at your disposal. Your motivation can increase by working out with other people. Your fitness goals can be achieved with the help of a fitness trainer. Typically you meet once or twice a week and they develop a fitness plan for you to follow. They show you how to perform the exercises and they monitor your progress. You can attend exercise classes. Popular gym classes include total body fitness, Pilates, yoga and indoor cycling. Sports such as basketball, racquetball and swimming are also available for cross-training. If you have the interest and money then a fitness gym can be a great place to begin your fitness workout program.

If you prefer solitude to working out then there are numerous home fitness options available. The television is littered with commercials extolling the virtues of all kinds of equipment for home exercise. Until you decide what your fitness goals look like then it is best to stay simple. For people just starting out a decent exercise DVD is a good place to start. You want to make sure you are concentrating on cardiovascular activities as well as muscle training. Purchasing home fitness equipment is not necessarily important as you can derive as much benefit by doing those old-fashioned exercises like push-ups, sit-ups and other muscle building and cardiovascular exercises that you learned in gym class. The DVD will help you get started. But remember you need a full-body workout.

The main thing is that motivation is what getting fit is all about. If you want to be in shape, lose weight, and/or achieve your goals of being fit, then you simply have to get out there and get moving. If you are not motivated then purchasing expensive fitness equipment or joining a cool gym will not do much good.