Learn to Love Exercise

We all know how vital exercise is to our wellbeing, and the most important step to becoming fit and healthy is to learn to love exercise! Follow these steps and get inspired to get moving!

Small steps
Each and every day, look for as many ways as possible to become more active. Start by simply walking more. Choose stairs instead of escalators, park further away from shops or restaurants, or if you use public transport, walk to the next bus stop to burn calories and save money!

If you reframe your attitude toward exercise, you will never again be disappointed because a lift is not working or because you can’t find a parking space. When you incorporate fitness into your daily life, it becomes a habit that you get into and enjoy. These activities also cost you little and will become part of your everyday approach to your fitness. Various fitness bands and pedometers are available, and it can be very motivating to see how many steps you can achieve each day!

Be realistic
We are all guilty of coming up with amazing new exercise routines, deciding to run for miles every day, or go to the gym five times each week, only to lapse after a few weeks of good intentions! In many cases, this causes people to give up completely on their exercise regime.

Think realistically about what you can achieve alongside your working and/or family life. It’s better to exercise twice a week, every week, than to exercise solidly for 14 days and then stop!

Find an exercise buddy
Having a motivated exercise partner not only makes fitness more fun, it also makes you accountable to each other, and less likely to change your mind at the last minute.

Use your brain
Visualising exercise encourages our body to respond and show signs of increased conditioning and muscle toning. You can also use your mind to get excited about your fitness plans. Visualise excitement before exercise and imagine the feeling of achievement and health that you experience after a workout. You’ll be itching to get going!

Think happy
Connect exercise with a strong feeling of pleasure and enjoyment by inducing a feeling of happiness as you exercise. A good way to strengthen this feeling is to focus on a happy memory and reconnect strongly with those feelings as you are exercising. This will anchor the happy, positive feelings to your exercise workouts. Always create a very positive mental state each time you exercise, as this will help you to develop a passion for physical activity.

The video below can help you become more mindful in your every day life, helping you to become more present whilst eating:

Do what you love!
If you are bored by the gym, or hate going on your bike in bad weather, you simply won’t stick to your exercise plan. If you are competitive, choose tennis, squash or badminton. If you love being part of a team, check for local football or netball teams to join. If you love music, then dancing is a great choice.

Self hypnosis technique – learn to love exercise

Go to a quiet room where there are no distractions. Get into a comfortable position, close your eyes, and focus your attention on your breathing. Begin to breathe very slowly and deeply – in through your nose and out through your mouth. Become more relaxed with each breath, and allow your mind to become very still and centred.

Visualise yourself working out at the gym, practising yoga, playing tennis, cycling, jogging, doing aerobics, dancing or whatever works for you. As you see yourself doing one or more activities, connect with a feeling of great pleasure and enjoyment. Make the visualisation clear, using all five senses to create a realistic mental image. Take a little time to do this, and let your imagination go.

After you have visualised, repeat the following affirmations to yourself in the present tense. Say them silently or out loud and draw the words deep inside you when you say them.

I love to exercise and keep fit.

I love being fit and healthy.

Every aspect of your mind, body and spirit is resonating with positive energy now. Connect with a strong feeling of love as you repeat the affirmations. Take a moment to enjoy this feeling and to accept every new belief as a reality.