I’m not talking about pros that train to win gold medals and such. I’m talking about regular people like you and me that lose interest in going to the gym once or twice a week. Reasons like “I’ve just came from work, I’m too tired” shouldn’t be accepted therefore I have (only) four easy ways to go train.

A competition

Find a competition you can attend. For example if you like playing tennis, find a veterans championship. If it’s outside of town and you have to pay for transportation and accommodation it would be even better, you’re even more motivated. If you’re motivated you’ll remember to practice and you’ll do it better.

Make a bet

It’s like setting a deadline or goals. If you want to lose weight and you decide to lose 20 pounds in 3 months you may not be able to be that motivated and could give in when you see the first pizza. But what if you make a bet with your best friend or better with someone you don’t like or have a direct competition with? You get double motivation!

Training and health, connect them together

If you are aware of the fact that you train for a better health and physical condition then it’s great. You will be motivated by looking better and obviously, feeling better. Let’s take cardio exercises. If you are aware that it helps burn the fats which leads to a lower cholesterol level and then to a healthier heart, you’re on the right track.

Training partners

Training with a partner is a extremely motivational at first, but have you noticed that the same old buddy each time, leads to some sort of monotony? Best friends and family are not the best to train with because they tend to allow “cheating” (those abs exercises for example?). Try to find a new partner each month. It will keep you from getting close and falling in the comfort trap.

These are just four easy tips for staying motivated when it comes to training. Hope they helped and if you know more, go ahead and comment bellow.

picture by schoolbookdepository

Have you been thinking about starting a new exercise program but do not know where to start? Have you just started a new program and do not know where to go from there? The following few tips should be taken into consideration before and during your new exercise program!

1. See a doctor before. This is crucially important. You should tell your doctor about your plan to start exercising so that your blood pressure, your lungs and your heart can be monitored! You might even need a specialized plan when considering your condition. This is where a trainer will come in handy.
2. Go slow. We all want to lose that 20 pounds in one week. We all want to see changes right away and we might either take too much on at once or get discouraged and stop. I suggest planning each routine and taking note of your weight every week. That way, you can see the pounds going down on paper though you might not be able to see the changes on your body.
3. Go with someone. I am sure either your boyfriend, girlfriend, friend or family member wouldn’t mind getting in shape with you! Going with a friend is a great motivating factor. Not only will you keep each other on track, it will make the experience that much more enjoyable!
4. Eat right. There is not much point in working out when you eat fast food three times a day! Though exercising would be better than nothing
5. Go even on holidays. Some people tend to slack off when holidays or days off come around! Even if you are traveling…your hotel could have a gym where you could work out or a simple jog every morning could be just right.
6. Spice up your routine. Doing the same thing can get boring, so have a few routine workouts planned, and alternate them!

The hardest part of any exercise program is starting it and then maintaining it. These tips are a good guideline to get yourself into gear to start and keep exercising. Your physical and mental health will benefit from the efforts you put out so Get Exercising!

[photo by tisfitness]

You thought that training, no matter how hard or in any conditions, is good? You have it wrong because your body will not think the same and you may end up exposing yourself to accidents. You should also understand that without a proper diet, fitness is nothing and you are not going to get the results you want. Here are our tips for better fitness.

1. Adapt the program to your needs. You can browse the web for fitness programs and rest assured you’ll find a lot, but keep in mind that those are general training ideas which you should improve just by making it very personal.
2. Too much of a good thing is never good. Think wisely because too much training is not going to give you any healthy benefits but more stress to your muscles. Don’t stay longer than 90 minutes at the gym and try not to exceed 4 days a week, because you will end up exhausted and set yourself up for accidents.
3. Change routine. How would you react to eating exactly the same thing every day? The same can happen with your exercise. If you have a good program and alternate group muscles, cardio exercises and maybe swimming you’re going to be much more motivated. Another reason is that our body has a very good memory, and will not improve much because it already knows what you’re going to.
4. Secret revealed for six-pack abs. Sit-ups, crunches, lifting legs are all good but for strengthening your ab muscles. Those kind of exercise are not going to take the fat away because you need to change your diet and to start some cardio training on the thread-mill. This is only way to lose fat.
5. Stretching is good. Everyone stretches even if it’s involuntarily. In theory it’s said that when you stretch your muscles gain flexibility and mobility so you should do it not only before you start training but even at home. My advice: don’t stretch for more than 7-10 seconds if you’re young and still growing, otherwise try not to stay longer than 30 seconds. Benefits of stretching are better mental health, less painful menstruation for women and less accidents if you do it before training.
6. Cardio is good, but diversify. If you are more or less over-weight then I am sure your first pick was cardio exercise, which in fact is good, but you should think that the biggest “factory” that is going to consume fats are your muscles. Why do you need those fats “eaten”, because this is how you lose weight. Cardio training will not get you muscles, therefore you should include weights in your program.
7. Proper breathing helps. Many will say that I have an addiction with breathing because I always advise to breath properly, but I do not. Breathing is extremely important to concentrate and for bringing oxygen to your blood, so you should do it the right way, if not each and every minute, then at least when you train.
8. Protect your heart. No one will give you any medals or build you a statue if you will run on the thread-mill hundreds of miles in just a few hours. Our heart is not designed to run full speed for a long long time, therefore make sure you take breaks when you’re training and make sure your not lifting excessive weights. Remember you’re going to the gym to train not to win the marathon.
9. Remember your friends. How can this be called advice you ask? If you are going to train every day just to lose those 5lbs that you want gone, I am almost sure there will be less time for going out, fun or for meeting friends. They may feel neglected and hurt which you don’t want. Remember to make time for a coffee with your best friend or a movie with your beloved. Why not get a friend with you at the gym, this way you can talk while you exercise.

These are a few tips that will make you achieve what you thought of. Hope they help.

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