Photo: mike fischer / Flickr

If you haven’t made it to the gym in a while, once you start exercising again you’ll find yourself wondering why you left it so long – because you feel and look a whole lot better. Exercise is a major boost to your quality of life on the whole. You have more energy and zest, you feel stronger and fitter ‑ simply because you are. To break the habit of procrastination, which can lead to a depressing state of inactivity, takes minimal effort. Forget the exercise routine. Get out there and start having fun.

Keep it fun

Remember that exercise is about getting out there to have fun, so have fun with it! By keeping it interesting, you won’t allow exercise to become a chore. On that note, don’t allow exercise to become too routine ‑ when things become ‘known’ it’s easy to stop paying attention. If you get bored quickly, a good way to go is to opt for a ‘no routine’ programme.

Shake it up

Work out an exercise programme for each new week. Keep it challenging by setting goals ‑it may help to start your workout first thing in the morning. Usually, if you do it later, you’ll find it’s easy to cancel, which could result in further procrastination.

Don’t just head to the gym when you can do a variety of things. You could go walking, rollerblading, swimming, dancing, mountain biking or running on any given day. Besides, depending on where you live and the time of year, you could also go skiing, snowboarding or play softball with friends.

To start with, consider doing things that you are relatively good at as this will create a feeling of inner confidence. Whatever you choose to do, it’s important that you enjoy it.

Focus on your technique

Don’t go for volume; rather keep your mind focused on your technique. When you’re exercising correctly, you won’t need to do as many repetitions.

Breathing through your nose will keep you in check as it’s hard to over-extend yourself when you breathe this way. Concentrate on your breath while you monitor how you are moving and performing.

Keep your body guessing. By using fresh ways to stimulate your muscles, you have to keep adapting, which will keep you interested – and keen to carry on.

Tags: exercise, health