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Physical Activity Habits - Subscriber tips
SmartShape subscribers have no shortage of tips to stay motivated to exercise. Here are over 150 extra suggestions we received in our October Survey on physical actvity habits.Read the summary discussion What strategies do you CURRENTLY use to help keep yourself exercising regularly? - Because I hate exercise so much, I am afraid to slow down in case I stop altogether. Besides I have 2 kelpies.
- I have a 6 year old that asks to go for a ride every afternoon.
- Use a pedometer.
- Only way I get to listen to my music the volume and energy I enjoy.
- Wear my sneakers everyday, just in case I find time for another walk.
- I exercise because the dog needs a walk.
- Love the way I feel also use running as my stress release.
- Am a fitness professional.
- I feel much better and less cranky when i exercise regularly.
- Play an organised sport twice per week eg touch , oz tag.
- Reward myself for goals that I've achieved with treats like a sauna session,movie etc. (not food).
- Am a personal trainer..have to 'look the goods!'
- I stay in shape so my body and mind is always prepared for any situation.
- I go mental if I don't exercise. My children suffer!
- Dairy farmer..........walk and work all day ,.......7 days
- I enjoy how i feel when i finish.
- Addicted.
- Keep trim and loss some weight. always hoping to make it to my dream weight and shape.
- Move around on my lunch break as I sit down all day. I am a receptionist.
- Exercise & sport has always been an important part of my life & always will be.
- Why would I stop doing something I have done regularly since I was 9?
- Have goals. ie new outfit.
- Because I hate exercise so much, I am afraid to slow down in case I stop altogether.
- Besides I have 2 kelpies.
- Getting older and WANT to stay fit and healthy.
- I Have always done it since i was about 7.
- I have a 6 year old that asks to go for a ride every afternoon.
- Use a pedometer.
- If I don't exercise I will be very grumpy!
- Love variety, challenge, serotonin, feeling great etc addicted!
- It is part of my day and in my diary.
- Compete in triathlons.
- Work in a gym so it's always there! Have to look/be fit and healthy for my members so that's a pretty big incentive! Also teach boxing classes so use this as my own exercise session when I join in.
- I work as a group exercise instructor, so I HAVE to be there! BUT, having said that, I have often think of giving it up, but the above points I have ticked help me stay with it.
- Try a new type of exercise set goals.
- Only way I get to listen to my music the volume and energy I enjoy.
- I am a personal trainer and I train me. I teach aerobic cycling classes ( 7 a week on two occasions these are two classes in a row ) Cycle with a group ( 2 to 4 hours ) on weekends. Want a world masters time trail record at age 60 !
- I don't exercise.
- I havn't exersised as regularly, cause i recently had a baby.
- Think of how unfit I used to be, tell myself I'm still at that point, and train accordingly.
- Have goals to reach that are set at the begining of the year.
- Fit it in with kids activities.
- To improve with my sports
- Keep toned & fit.
- I live to train, and train to live. It is an intrinsic part of my life, and is my main priority.
- Have videos, and equipment such as fitball, skipping rope, dumbells etc on hand so that there are resources at hand even if I am watching TV I can be doing something.
- Also having these different things ensures that there is variety so I don't get bored. I am also blessed with having an indoor pool, so I swim a alot.
- Have to walk the dog.
- A picture on my bedroom mirror to remind me why i diet and train so hard.
- Heart health. smelling the fresh air. not giving a damn what crap-ass personal trainers try to convince you is 'wrong' with your self at gyms.
- Studying for Cert 3&4 in Fitness my body and self image needs to be a marketing tool to show others they can achieve.
- It's like medicine, you just have to take it.
- The fantastic "feel good" feeling after a step or pump class.
- As I am aging I think about how I am percieved by my work colleagues, potential employers, potential partners & how active I can remain if I were to have children & how would they percieve me if I were to be their role model.
- I just love it the endorphin surge is better than any painkiller i could take for my 2 spinal fusion ruined back, worn out joints from squash and hockey and my arthritic hips;better than any antidepressant if i feel low which isnt too often.
- Wear my sneakers everyday, just in case i find time for another walk.
- I also really enjoy exercise for stress relief and just as an outlet for lots of things.
- Plan overseas trekking trips and work towards fitness for the next year
- Set fitness goals to work towards.
- Its a conscious effort to maintain a healthy life balance.
- Sports specific ( Kickboxing Martial Arts Etc).
- I have a chronic illness. My lunges are deteriorating. Activity seems to slow the progression.
- I have a dog who needs/likes regular walks. And I don't drive, so I get where I need to on foot.
- Helps to have dogs that need exercise.
- I actually don't drive so i have to walk to get public transport.
- Have to walk the dog before it does something in the house that I have to clean up.
- Training for competition.
- Vary the exercise type to keep it interesting - include resistance work (weights) plus cardio.
- Seeing results.
- Fear!
- I do it for a job. I'm a health & fitness coach, and commit to regular exercise to maintain professional integrity - walk the walk as well as talk the talk.
- I remind myself how good I feel now compared to when I wasn't exercising.
- I am an aerobics instructor therefore I have to turn up for my classes but I also do extra for my own training.
- As an asthmatic the benefits of exercise are that it keeps my condition under control. The fitter I am the less problems I have with my asthma.
- Get my husband to bug me if I don't attend one of my sessions!
- I am a personal traiiner! i do workout but also get a lot of exercise working out with clients. which is nice.
- When I first started exercising, I used to keep to a routine. Now I work in the industry as a group fitness leader and a lot of my motivation comes from my participants. I also try to keep it fun for both myself and those in my classes.
- Set challenges for myself and look for variety both in and out of the gym - eg "come and try" activities (kayaking, rowing, rock climbing, surfing, etc).
- Training to compete.
- Its the most amazing feeling.
- To keep my weight maintained.
- Exercise because dog needs walk.
What would boost your confidence that you would be exercising regularly in six months?- The ability to do things like lifting, carrying or walking distances with relative ease considering my age, as compared to others of the same age. consistently finding a good degree of endurance in activities like step classes or pump classes in the gym I'm not easily tired and find I think a little better or clearer.
- I'd like to be able to push myself like I used to - I'm not as fit because of a knee injury. Would like to have more confidence that this won't happen again.
- Weight loss!!!!!
- Increased fitness as a result of my current exercise.
- Making sure I'm part of a team sport.
- Think of all the positive outcomes that could come your way just for being in top shape.
- Knowing what the best exercises are and why they are good for me. Seeing results.
- Not necessarily weight loss but toning and strength would also help my confidence and motivation to exercise.
- Self esteem, Body shape
- Not reading or looking at magazines, especially fitness magazines. Although the better fitness magazines give me ideas and keep me informed, the models often have very low body fat (5-10%). I often compare my body with those pictured and subsequently feel inferior and fat. Intellectually I know that I have a body that many women covet and I should be pleased but I feel like there is more I could do, I should look leaner. This is sad, I know, but true. I am small and fit; I can only imagine how less fit people must feel when looking at the magazines. I exercise for myself which includes both my body and my mind.
- Probably the fact that with some commitment one could lose some of that accumulated weight.
- To know it will still be fun.
- Thinner and toned legs.
- I am always looking to better myself, it is very important to me to look as good as I can and exercise is the only way for me to achieve this.
- Can't seem to get motivated but very unhappy with weight gain.
- My confidence couldn't be boosted any higher - I'm THAT certain.
- Knowing that what I am doing will help me develop functional strength, and reduce my body fat to a slightly below average level.
- Having the time...
- A reward system works for me. I have got to the place where if I exercise regularly at the gym at least 2/3 times a week then I treat myself to a kayak on the lake on weekends which I just love. Nature allows me to reflect on what is important. It reflects God's beauty to me, and makes me smile to think I'm loved so much that someone would just lay out all this richness before me to enjoy. To enjoy this to it's fullest I need to be fit. So round the circle of motivation goes.
- A training partner, more routine - less travel for work
- Weight loss or weight maintenance.
- Seeing the results in regards to improved fitness, exercise becoming easier and of course feeling more energetic and happy and my clothes fitting better due to reduced body fat!!
- I would like to see more positive media attention paid to the benefits of exercising sensibly on a regular basis. Perhaps ads on TV telling us how much and often beneficial exercise should be done.
- Its just fun being out doing something and through sport I have made so many friends and when you do something well I feel I have like a sense of accomplishment.
- Weight loss.
- Results.
- I have done it most of my life and if I don't presume I would get fat.yuk!!
- Looking better than I do now (I know that is SOOO shallow of me). I exercise like crazy, but unfortunately eat like crazy too, and I know that I have to make changes to my diet if I wish to achieve my goal of losing some of these kilos!
- To see and feel results.
- Sydney to gong ride on 7 Nov in under 2 hrs 45min.
- Keep healthy, think of the benefits of exercising and thinking of the fact that I can eat more when I exercise. I love my food and don't like to cut down on the intake!!! Exercise is fun...
- Seeing results especially weight loss being able to afford a personal trainer regularly
- Having all the clothes in my wardrobe fitting again. Being able to close those pairs of jeans that currently will not go over the tops of my thighs.
- I just feel so great I don't want to stop.
- That I'm NOT going to get sick or hurt myself, which unfortunately tends to happen quite often and derails my exercise routine! I am an inveterate Calamity Jane, however, so I doubt very much it could be done!
- Positive comments from external sources ie. Friends, fellow exercisers etc.
- Doing well at the goals I've set
- Getting older and not wanting to be a slob!
- Constant education on the fabulous benefits of exercise empowers one to forge ahead. Theres nothing stopping you besides you in doing anything you have ever dreamed of. Plan your work, work your plan.
- Well I see it as positive time for oneself as I am normally consumed with all types of errands. So after an exercise session I have a shower and feel ready for the day ahead. It also helps with weight management and a positive nature.
- Someone to train and workout with.
- A gym closer to my house. More dedicated friends to work with as after about 3 months they drop out and get bored of exercising.
- Buy a new sports top from time to time as you get excited and want to wear it - meaning you must go and exercise to show off the new top.
- A further reduction in body fat. I'm currently down to 5% in preparation for a pre-run to competing in an amateur bodybuilding contest next year.
- Having someone that was as motivated as myself to train with!
- To actually see the scales go down - they have plateaued now for the last 3 months - but I have since lost a size!!
- I use to be obese ten years ago; no way do I want to go back to what I was.
- The more I exercise and have it as part of my daily life, the better I feel. I feel best when I am exercising regularly and constantly setting myself goals. Achieving goals and setting new ones is challenging but it is also a huge motivation for me to continue exercising.
- Body shaping occurred - toning of arms, reduced waist!
- Seeing results (ie. seeing myself with muscles etc).
- Probably external commitment - a buddy and some results
- Realize that it has nothing to do with how you look - don't succumb to peer pressure of fitting a certain ideal or changing anything physically. Just concentrate on heart health. It's an investment to your future health. There *is* something which you can do - park further away, stroll in the park, run with your dog, garden, just get out there!
- More results.
- I would like to have a regular trainings partner that trains with me on the same level as I am. As I do personal training I like push myself a bit more with free weights but can't do that unless someone experienced in weight training spots me and trains with me.
- A regular programme in place.
- Continue to change the routine and never get bored with what I am doing. Challenge myself regularly.
- Working out in a place that is friendly and a non judgemental environment.
- A total life overhaul with less demands on my time.
- Other peoples perception of me as an individual, I want my friends, colleagues, partner, children to see me as a role model for each of them individually.
- Seeing the results.
- Having a goal that can be reached in those 6 months that is going to be tough but reachable.
- I am very confident that I will be exercising in the next 6 months but I use to tell myself I hate exercise. That is really not the case when you find something you enjoy. Try lots of things and regularly alternate the exercise you do.
- Having a new set of knees - have just had an accident off a chair lift and realise what my MCL's really do, without me thinking about it!!!
- 1) To see results in fitness and weight loss/toning up. 2) Knowing the release of endorphins will make me feel good about myself, will also make me exercise regularly.
- Exercise needs to be more than just getting fit, as that will not keep you interested forever. You need something that is fun, you are comfortable with and where you have support from others. Exercise needs to be a life style change, not just a short term goal. Exercise needs to be a habit.
- People commenting on how fit you are and how good you look.
- Being well enough to continue with every day lifestyle demands. Illness has not beaten me yet and until it does I will continue to exercise
- No Injuries or problems will boost confidence and that or illness will only stop me
- Seeing the results and feeling better about myself.
- It helps to have a mate to exercise with.
- Previously weighing in at 98kg I dropped 42kg over 2 years through eating well and exercising. I have recently had two major knee surgeries throughout 2004 and have put on about 8kgs over this time but am slowly getting through rehab and am now back to a light exercise routine which will lead to me increasing my cardio to a fat-burning zone over the next few months.
- Being 30 again!! Looking on the outside like I feel on the inside. Having more time to do what I really need to do, which is more than I do now - good heavy weights program is what I crave, but unable to do due to lack of time, facility hours etc.
- Have a buddy to do exercise with....perhaps have a club that would do just that, maybe meet somewhere central and do 1hrs walk or so (just like how there is mother group etc.).
- It's overwhelming, trying to lose 100plus pounds..like, why bother? But something deep inside, won't let me give up. Don't want the surgery; want to do it the right way, even if it does take longer. I just never give up.
- No matter how disinclined I am to work out, I remind myself how much better I feel afterwards, and also take the pressure off by saying, "Well, just do half an hour, and if you still feel bad, you can quit." I pretty much never quit after half an hour, as by then I'm feeling much better and want to keep going. Pressuring yourself seems to really hinder the process.
- A mental picture of how I will look if I don't exercise.
- Always seeing results (at least every couple of months-I take girth measurements)
- An exercise buddy.
- Results...
- I feel confident when I feel toned and my body feels good. Feeling great about the way your body looks is great for self confidence. And I always feel good straight after a workout.
- Compliments I get from people around me that what I'm doing are obviously working.
- Seeing measurable results on a regular basis.
- Having people commenting on how good I look.
- If I could lose the body fat around the mid section. I eat right 5 to 6 days a week, run 3km plus 3 to 4 times a week on the thread mill and I weight train.
- That I don't get an injury - however, seeing all the injuries around me I'm determined to do something active depending on which bit breaks first!
- Not being so tired in the mornings!!! Ding ding, if I exercised I wouldn't be tired.
- Feedback from others when they notice changes; receiving compliments; reaching goals and monitoring self-improvement; succeeding at a new activity
- Feeling like a valued member of my crew (I row) and not wanting to let the others down. Being naturally competitive. Achieving fitness, weight or body composition milestones.
- Knowing that I will have an upcoming surf trip and I must be fit!
- Having a makeover!!!
Wooooo, that's a lot of good advice! Thanks guys!Read the summary discussion Top | Subscribe |
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