Jumpstart Your Fitness: Get motivated

I'll be totally honest -- if there's ever a good day to procrastinate on your fitness plan and "start tomorrow" I think today, Christmas Day, is the perfect day for that. But even if you plan on starting the physical exercise tomorrow, there's no reason you can't start getting motivated today. Motivation is key, it's paramount, to your success. And the more thoroughly you motivate yourself the easier it will be to stick to your plan once you get it going.

Here are some ideas taken from a survey of experts to amateurs, so one or a few of these might work for you:

• Use stickers on a calendar to track your workouts, or tape your goals up on the bathroom mirror or refrigerator. The idea is to keep a visual reinforcement of what you promised yourself.
• Join a club, any club, even one you might not normally think of yourself fitting into. It definitely won't be boring, you'll meet new people, and have others counting on you to be there.
• Make a commitment to a goal. Pick an event, like a 5k run or a weekend biking getaway. Once you make reservations, or pay deposits and entry fees, you'll be invested (literally!).
• Dance! Music is a great motivator in and of itself. If you're not in the mood to workout, the right tune can change your mind and get you moving in no time.
• Reward yourself with luxury. Try putting a dollar in a jar every time you go to the gym or get outside for that jog. At the end of the month go get your nails done, have a massage, or buy whatever pampering you don't get on a regular basis.

So today I am not going to worry about what I'm eating, or whether or not I worked out. I am giving myself permission to procrastinate! But I am going to think about what I'm gonna do tomorrow (and by tomorrow I don't mean next week or next month!) and I'm going to renew my focus and motivation to make sure I get off to a good start. Looking over this list of motivators, I think the whole "stickers on the calendar" thing works the best for me. It's addictive somehow, sticking little stickers on day after day -- it almost gets hard to take a day off my workout just because I want that fun little row of designs to go on uninterrupted! ...anyway...

Happy Holidays!