If It Doesn't Challenge You It Doesn't Change You

If it doesn’t challenge you it doesn’t change you – I’ve always been fascinated by how much harder a person works when they have a tough personal trainer pushing them to do their best. With this in mind, whenever I feel myself slacking during my workout and wanting to take the easy route, I pretend Jillian Michaels is my trainer. I literally imagine her shouting at me, telling me to “Work harder!…Do 5 more reps!…Faster, faster!…Keep going!”. This has the effect of instantly making me work harder. Try this little trick yourself (with a trainer of your choice) the next time you need extra motivation to increase the intensity of your workout…it works!

I Did is Much Stronger Than I Will

I recently found a way to make myself work out every day: First I decided to commit to working out every day by just starting very small. On day 1 I was only motivated to workout for 2 minutes (Yes, I know, sounds too little right?). But EVERY DAY thereafter I decided that my absolute minimum would be 2 minutes. No matter how demotivated I felt, I was determined to do my 2 minutes. This goal was so small that it was almost impossible not to do it. By day 3 or 4 I had doubled it to 4 minutes. One week later I felt very comfortable to do 15 minutes, because it was beginning to feel like a HABIT. If on any day I did not feel like working out I would make myself do my minimum of two minutes. By week 2, I was doing 30-45 minutes EVERY DAY. Now it's over a month since I started this new way of staying motivated and I now workout for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes daily (on my elliptical, spin bike, plus YouTube workout videos).
Working out daily has now become my habit, it would seem as strange to me to not work out as it would to not brush my teeth. If you find yourself saying "I will do my workout" and then find yourself procrastinating, but you really want to say "I DID my workout today" consider starting off with a ridiculously short time of just two minutes, but make sure you do those two minutes EVERY DAY. Within a few weeks to a month you'll find this has become a habit that you'll enjoy and be proud of, which in turn will motivate you to want to exercise for even longer.

You're Only One Workout Away From A Good Mood

Every completed workout, even a short one, has a corresponding good feeling attached to it.

Fight For What You Want

If you don’t fight for what you want, don’t cry for what you lost.

Expand Your Comfort Zone

 We avoid exercise because it’s not comfortable, but if we expand our comfort zone a little at a time, we can make exercise something we’re comfortable with, after a little repetition. -Zen Habits

Just Do A Little...Just Start

Working Out Can Have A Massively Positive Effect On Your Life

As well as helping you lose weight and get fit, working out will give you an instant boost of self-esteem and confidence that can have a massively positive impact on other areas of your life. When you're feeling unmotivated to work out, make a mental list of 10 ways you'd feel better, and how your life would improve, if you did some exercise today. 

Remind Yourself of Your Goals Frequently

Thought I'd put some previous gifs together to form a single picture...feel free to share it on your blog or website.

You Don't Have To Do It Perfectly

Even though you think you'll do really badly in your next workout, do it anyway. An imperfect workout is always better than no workout.

Just Keep Going

Don't expect to achieve all your fitness and weight loss goals overnight. You will take many steps forward and many steps backward, but if you stick with it and never give up, you will gradually get stronger, fitter and slimmer.

Don't Feel Like Working Out? Do It Anyway

When you don't feel like working out....

1. Do it anyway
2. Put on dance music and move!
3. Do it anyway, just not as long.
4. Remind yourself why you started 
5. Put on your workout clothes
6. Look at your before pictures
7. Read some motivational quotes
8. Focus on the rewards
9. Read weight loss/fitness success stories
10. Focus on how good you'll feel once you're done

Sweat Is Magic

Sweat is magic, cover yourself in it daily to grant your weight loss and fitness wishes.

I love these words and have found them to be true in my own life. I don't feel I've had a proper workout until I am drenched in sweat. It's like my measure of how hard I'm working...if I'm not sweating, I work harder until I do.

Get Sweaty and Do It Often

I recently took the decision to work out (on my elliptical) till I sweat for 30 minutes EVERY DAY. I used to try to workout 3-5 days per week but found it hard to get back into it after my days off, and often a whole week or more would pass before I would return to exercise again. Now daily, sweaty exercise, is a NON-NEGOTIABLE deal I've made with myself...and it's beginning to pay off.

You'll Be Rewarded For Your Hard Work

Trust the process...change takes time. You'll be rewarded in the future for all your hard work. 

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Find Exercise You Enjoy

Fitness needs to be perceived as fun and games or we subconsciously avoid it. -Alan Thicke

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Move Your Body

Find an activity you love and do it for the joy of it, not just to lose weight...make it a part of your lifestyle.

Exercise Makes Your Heart Stronger

Exercise makes your heart stronger and a healthy heart helps you exercise for longer.

30 Minutes A Day To Shed The Pounds

Adults who exercise for shorter bursts of time can lose as much weight as those who work out for up to twice as long, a study has suggested. The University of Copenhagen study concluded that sweating for half the time was “enough to turn the tide” for obesity. The research, published in the American Journal of Physiology, found those who ran, rowed, or cycled for 30 minutes a day lost an average 8lb over a three month period. Read more...

Try This Fitness Formula

Try this formula:

1. Be positive...Speak to yourself positively about your ability to lose weight.
2. Eat more veg...Vegetables are very low in calories and are highly nutritious.
3. Exercise regularly...Do exercise you love, if you love it you'll do it regularly.

Office Fitness Dual Purpose Walking Treadmill

I bought this treadmill from Amazon and it arrived today, whoppeeeee!!! It has to be one of the best purchases I've ever made. It's cheaper than an ordinary treadmill at £150 (British Pounds) and I am literally walking on it now as I type this text. It is designed just for walking and reaches a top speed of 4 miles per hour. I rarely write reviews on Amazon but as soon as I have finished writing this post I'll go over to Amazon to write a glowing review.
I spend a lot of time (most of my waking hours) on the computer because I work from home and in the last year I've noticed the detrimental affects of a sedentary lifestyle on my back and on my weight. I knew that if I could combine work with exercise I'd be onto a winner....and this nifty product is the key to my new non-sedentary lifestyle.
If you want to be more active while spending a lot of time on your computer or sitting down I'd highly recommend that you buy this product.
Here is the link on Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Office-Fitness-Purpose-Walking-Treadmill/dp/B0094WTGAK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1354222029&sr=8-3


Product Description 
The Office Fitness Walking Treadmill offers a dual role at home or in the office. In it's traditional setting, designed to be used with handrail for a steady and effective indoor walking workout using the smooth, efficient and quiet 500w electric motor that offers a marked contrast to cheaper non-motorised models. In an office setting, treadmill usage as seen as increasingly effective alternative to being sedentary when combined with either a standing desk ( see Office Fitness Sit-Stand Electric Desk) or Laptop Stand. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19910888

Walking rather than prolonged sitting offers significant health benefits; considerable weight loss ( 200kCals/hr at 4mph), disease prevention, cardiovascular improvements. Studies show that walking can increase blood flow to the brain, helping improve your memory by as much as 15 percent in a six-month period. At the same time, walking on a treadmill promotes healthy restorative sleep patterns, which in turn decreases your stress levels.

Multi-function display ( Speed, Time, Distance and Calories Burned). The Office Fitness Dual mode is a purpose buit walking treadmill ( not a running machine), maximum speed 4mph which equates to a brisk walk requiring full arm swing. As with all Office Fitness products comes with one year warranty