I'll be the first to admit that running on the treadmill for the sake of losing that extra 15 pounds doesn't hold my attention span for much longer than a month. Sure, at first when you're upset that you've gained that weight, you're motivated to get in the gym and run it off. But after a month or so, that motivation dies down. Then, it has to be something deeper than wanting to do it for weight loss. Although it can be a great motivator, I've met very few people who keep that as their main goal without gaining weight back at some point.Fitness needs to become part of our lifestyle. That's when the changes in our bodies occur, because it becomes a part of us. For some of us, exercising doesn't come easily and we don't inherently love the idea of going for a long run on a hot summer day. So find something you'd enjoy to do. Maybe it's something you have yet to discover. Try cycling, biking, swimming, running, speed walking, rowing, or hiking.
One of the best ways to keep us motivated is to have something to train for. One of my nearby neighborhoods is having a 1k, 5k, and 10k run on Memorial Day. So now I'm motivated to get in better cardiovascular shape so I can do well on the 10k. It's a lot more fun training for that than telling myself I have to go running or else I'll gain 5 pounds! That doesn't work for very long, now does it :)
My challenge for all of you is to get online and find a race in your hometown. It can even be a 1k, which is only .63 miles, not even a full mile! You can do that! You could walk it if you have to! Or if you're feeling up to it try the 5k or 10k. Just have something to look forward to, something you're committed to. It will be a fun experience instead of looking at it as your "workout" for the day. Train for it the rest of this month, or set it for a later date if you feel like it will take you some more time to train. Don't worry about what time you get. Just do it for fun! Make exercising enjoyable and you'll do it forever!
Let me know if you've signed up for the race, and once you completed it. I want to hear how it went!
Here's a question. If I can't run because of my knees is it really lame to speed walk in a race??
ReplyDeleteIt's not lame! People do it all the time. There are even those who start off running, but end up walking anyways.
ReplyDeleteIt's only in our minds that we think of running as the ultimate exercise. Our bodies don't care what we're doing to get our heart rates up. It just knows to burn calories once it's up.
Grab a friend to walk it with you. Then it'd be a lot more fun and you guys can feel lame together :)
Thanks for your comment!