Don’t like to exercise? 5 ways to get motivated.

I don’t like exercising. Never have, never will.  Here are 5 insights that guide my exercise habits:

1. 30 minutes is all it takes. I am never so busy that I don’t have 30 minutes to exercise. There are so many excuses of why not to exercise–too busy, too tired, too late. I have to keep reminding myself that it only takes 30 minutes to stay a Fat-Burning Machine.
   So ask yourself, “Do I really not have 30 minutes in your day for myself?” Of course you do—and it will keep your fat burning switch in the “on” position.

2. Always exercise with a goal in mind. It is really hard to exercise just for the sake of exercising. If you have that sort of dedication and motivation, you are better than most. I need a goal to get going. For me, the goal was planning and training for my next race.
   So ask yourself, “What achievement am I working toward?” Give yourself a goal and a timeframe so that you can be accountable to training for it and enjoying the feeling of achieving it.

3. Have fun with exercise. Who took the fun out of exercise? Gale taught me that as long as it’s at least 30 minutes, it doesn’t really matter what you do for exercise.  All sorts of activities count as exercise–walking, skiing, biking, swimming, golfing (no carts!), tennis, soccer, basketball, etc. I don’t feel limited to exercises I can only do in the gym! I try to make my exercise as social as I can and do a variety of activities–hikes with my wife Marcela, golf with my friends, and triathlons in cool destination locations.
   So ask yourself, “Am I having fun with my fitness?” If not, start finding ways to enjoy and celebrate your fitness effort.

4. Never exercise so hard that it makes you hungry. Many people eat before or after they work out, and end up eating/drinking more calories than they burn. What is the point? By keeping my exercise duration between 30 and 45 minutes, I can work out comfortably and not need or want any food or drinks to stay a Fat-Burning Machine.
   So ask yourself, “Am I exercising so hard and long that it makes me hungry?” If so, shorten your workouts so that you can turn-on your fat-burning machine without having to add fuel to it!

5. Mix-up your exercise and workouts. I’ve found that it’s easy to get stuck in a rut by doing the same exercise routine and workout over and over. I know how to do it and I know how it should feel before, during and after. But there is actually a reason that workouts get easier as I do them–my body adapts. I have to do different workouts and use different muscles different ways to have the maximum impact. In our book Become a Fat-Burning Machine, Gale gives a variety of exercises to keep your body guessing!
   So ask yourself, “Am I stuck in a workout rut” If so, develop four or five different routines so that you can switch it up and achieve the best results.

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