Motivating yourself to exercise at home

But it is possible to stay on track with your workout routine and resist temptation at home.

Consider the advice of some people who work out at home - people with real lives, real jobs, and really busy schedules, just like you. The insights they shared are invaluable and can motivate you to work out at home, even if you don’t feel like it.

Love your routine The most important motivating factor is to find a routine you’re actually going to enjoy doing at home. All of us have different things we love to do - dancing, aerobics, weight lifting - find yours.

Technology makes it easier. There are now various types of exercise equipment including home gyms, DVDs and phone apps that bring the best fitness trainers into your home, often at little to no cost. Go ahead, turn your living room into a fitness studio.

Schedule it! Having a scheduled workout plan helps you prioritise exercise by carving out time on your calendar and then planning your days and weeks around your scheduled workout. This assists you in ending the cycle of procrastination that you may be locked into. Remember to place your schedule in a highly visible location if you are still into paper.

If not, enter it on your smart phone for the muchneeded reminder.

Arrange the floor plan for your workout plan The complex part about an at-home workout is that your home is not a gym. You have to carve out a workout space keeping in mind that different types of workouts require varying amounts of space. Do not wait until the day of your scheduled workout, this will use up time, a commodity few of us have to waste. Therefore, you may require setting up a mini gym in your guest bedroom or simply moving the coffee table over three inches to fit a yoga mat. Whatever you have to move/set up/dismantle, do it well before your scheduled workout, so there are no barriers or excuses.

Looking the part Today gym wear is more attractive than ever, people even wear them as casual clothing.

Studies have shown that wearing workout gear can systematically influence a person to exercise.

When you put on well-fitting fitness apparel you can see your body and the progress you have made after weeks of exercise. This gives a boost to your self-image and in turn motivates you to exercise more frequently to maintain or attain your ultimate body image goals.

Go public with it Going public should be done after you have completed a challenging workout. Sharing your progress and achievement with your peers can be motivating. Having positive affirmations and encouragement from your loved ones often provides the motivation needed to continue your fitness journey.

Reward yourself Reward yourself for your victories. You may have completed your workout for the entire week and decided to treat yourself to a girls’ night out at your favourite eatery. That is ok. Everything must be done with balance in mind. While the ideal treat may be health food, our bodies have cravings and giving in to the craving is not a bad thing, once balance or moderation is applied.

Note, however, that cravings can gets out of control causing you slide back into bad habits, so be careful. If food is not your thing, treat yourself to a new pair of sneakers or something like that if you completed all your workouts for a month.