Sticking to an Exercise Program: 12Tips to Achieve Exercise Success

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Sticking to an exercise routine is challenging for just about everyone, which is why it is vital to have evidence-based exercise motivation tips and adherence strategies that are proven effective in developing long-term exercise habits. Regular exercise reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, depression, anxiety and obesity. 

The most commonly expressed reasons for not participating in exercise are lack of time (due to family or work obligations), lack of motivation, caregiving responsibilities, lack of a safe environment to exercise and lack of social support. Interestingly, most individuals who drop out of an exercise program do so within the first six months of starting the exercise program. To counter this exercise drop-out phenomenon, research on this topic indicates that health and exercise professionals ought to target the self-efficacy behaviors of the person starting an exercise program to help them adopt a long-term exercise program.

1.Set Realistic Health and Fitness Goals: Establish achievable and realistic fitness goals that align with your abilities, health and lifestyle. Consider posting them somewhere in your house, like a nightstand, as positive reminders for yourself. Break down your short-term (~three month) goals into smaller, achievable short-term (two to three week) targets to keep yourself motivated and on track.

2.Start Slow: Gradually advance into your exercise routine to avoid injury, allowing your body to adapt to the new physical-activity demands.

3.Mix It Up: Prevent boredom by diversifying your workouts with different sections, including cardiorespiratory, muscular strength, flexibility and mind/body exercises.

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4.Track Your Progress: Keep a record of your fitness achievements and improvements to stay motivated and to track your journey to optimal health. 

5.Reward Yourself: Establish a non-food reward system (e.g., watching a movie, reading a new book or spending more time doing a hobby) for reaching fitness and health milestone goals to reinforce your positive exercise habits and sustain your fitness motivation.

6. Seek out the Support of Significant Others: Let friends and family know your exercise goals so that they can encourage and support you in achieving them. 

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7.Find a Workout Buddy: For some workouts, find a workout buddy. Partnering with someone can provide accountability and make exercising more enjoyable. It helps if your workout buddy is at about the same fitness level as you. 

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8. Monitor Your Body Signals: Pay attention to your body's internal signals (e.g., energetic, tired or sore) and adjust your workouts accordingly to prevent overexertion and injury.like heart rate sensors,GPS smart sport watch

9. Fine Tune Your Dietary Pattern: Match your physical training demands with a health-promoting dietary pattern for optimal performance and exercise recovery. Note, you can’t out-exercise a bad diet. 

10.Use Technology: Utilize fitness apps, wearables or online platforms to monitor your progress and gain insight into how to improve your workouts.

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11.Make It a Habit: Consistency is key. Stick with your exercise routine until it becomes a habit that you naturally incorporate into your daily life.

12. Stay Positive: Maintain a positive mindset, focus on the health benefits of exercise and don’t let any setbacks keep you from your long-term journey of succeeding with your exercise goals.


Post time: Aug-09-2024