Finding and keeping the motivation we need to exercise is one of the must difficult elements of maintaining our health and fitness. Motivation is what provides meaning for all of our huffing and puffing. Face it, we know that we need to do it and that it is, putting aside some injuries, good for us. Problem is that this knowledge is not enough to get many, if not most people, to maintain a regular exercise program or fitness routine.
The fact is that motivation needs to come to us in many forms. If the desire to be slim was enough, tons of people would be off the couch and out the door for a jog. Often our commitment to the “grind” of our exercise regime needs something special for us to find renewal and get energized.
Many times the motivation needed to exercise can be found in an upcoming obligation or event. How many pounds or kilos have been lost with the goal of fitting into that perfect wedding gown? If all those pounds lost before going to a class reunion were added up, no doubt the numbers would be mind boggling.
Sometimes a calendar or the time of year can be the motivational trigger that drives us past the aches and pains, straight to the joy of fitness. Mountains of weight have been lost as folks pursue the goal setting motivation of the infamous New Year’s Resolution. Later in the year, one’s fear of being seen in a swimming suit makes that weight training program at the fitness club, our new best friend!
Many times the most difficult hurdle we face to getting ourselves moving is an emotional one. If someone is battling the blues, finding the motivation to get on with an exercise routine can be the equivalent to a gift from the Goddess of Hope. Regular exercise is a stress reliever and depression fighter that packs enormous strength when it is on our side in that battle against the blues.
So, how do we get going down a path that is so good for us? What makes us or helps us take that first step or stride in our walking or jogging plan? As noted before, this motivation can come from a number of sources and here we are going to suggest that you look to gadgets.
We call attention to gadgets as the means to exercise motivation because of their simplicity and low cost, in most cases. We are not talking “equipment” here. Clearly a bright, shiny treadmill can provide the motivation someone needs, but at a cost that may be too steep for many. In recent years, the motivation provided by watching the steps and miles roll up on a simple pedometer, has helped thousands shed weight and get fit. That’s an excellent example of gadget motivation.
Music flowing through the ear buds of an iPod has provided the distraction needed to make the miles fly by on a daily run. Over the years simple jogging watches have timed many a walk or run in support of our goals to lose weight or help relive our stress.
Number one on our list is the exercise journal. Keeping track of our success just might be the most powerful motivator of all time. Gadgets can tell us how many calories we burned during our efforts and seeing those numbers written on the page or on our computer screen, provides the great motivator, satisfaction.
If cost is no factor, todays gadgets can get very sophisticated. There are GPS tracking devices to record time, distance and pace information that can be loaded straight into a journal kept on your computer. One shoe company markets a shoe that carries a sensor to gather the information and then transmit it to data collection devices. The motivation of recording and reviewing this information can go a long way to keeping a fitness program on track day after day.
There is nothing wrong with turning to the jump-start that a simple gadget like device or journal can provide. Find your motivation wherever you can when it comes to your health and fitness.
Tags: Self Improvement
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