How to avoid being a quitter

50% stop exercising  after 6 months!

Did you know that around 50% of those who begins training quit after only 6 months! The main reasons for this are: lack of time, finding something else being more fun, don’t enjoy the exercise, injuries, finding the gym too far away, and don’t get any results.

Have fun exercising

If you don’t want to be a quitter you should take a look at the reasons above. What will make the difference for you in order to stick to your goal and lose the weight? The answer is quite simple. Have fun exercising! This will do the trick in the long run. Further more, if you enjoy your exercise you will not think of it as something you have to do. You will not be doing something else with your time, since you enjoy what you are doing. If you have fun while exercising, you will get results.

What is fun for you?

Ask yourself:

• What is more important than my health?
• Am I having fun exercising?
• What type of exercise do I enjoy?
• What am I good at?

It may be more fun doing something that you are good at. For example, if you are good at dancing you might enjoy this type of activity more. But also remember that you don’t have to be good at something to enjoy it so listen to yourself.

Are your goals realistic?

Don’t push yourself too hard. Unrealistic goals can take out the joy from it all and make your exercise boring. You can also put yourself in danger and injure yourself if you don’t find a training level that works for you.

Can’t you find or afford any training activity?

If you don’t have any gym nearby or you don’t have the money, you might want to consider other alternatives. For example:

• Power walking or “Nordic walking” is great since you can do it anywhere and it won’t cost you a dime (except for the walking poles needed for the Nordic walk). Walk whenever you want. Walk by yourself or gather some friends/relatives and walk around your neighborhood. You will find it great just being outdoors.

• Jogging is another effective alternative, but remember to listen to your body and don’t overdo the exercise and start slow.

• Other ways to lose weight without any cost is to move your body more everyday as often as you can. Be creative and find new ways of doing things. Walk to your nearby shop. If you take the train or bus to work then jump off one stop earlier and walk the rest of the way. Take the bike to your work and enjoy the fresh air and the fact that you are outdoors. Play around with your kids/grand children. Clean up your house more often and feel the good sensation of having a great home environment.

• You could learn some basic Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, Zumba or other fitness movements through a DVD at home. Remember to take your time learning and do the movements thoroughly.  It’s cheap and you can do it whenever you want. Yoga for example, relaxes your muscles as well as your mind. Don’t be fooled by the slow moves. Yoga can also help you to lose weight! If you are stressed it’s more difficult to lose weight, since stress slows your metabolism and makes you want to eat more food, especially more junk food.

• If you want something more up-tempo, then by all means turn up your CD/mp3 player at home and start dancing! Close the door and dance around by yourself for 20 minutes. You can do it directly after you come home from work to release any thoughts that are dragging you down. This will give you a kick of sensation with renewed energy and at the same time you will burn calories.

Find ways to move your body more often. Use your imagination. You will enjoy the benefits. Remember to have fun and don’t let anything stop you from reaching your goals, whether it is to feel healthy or to lose weight.