Seven Simple Tips for a Successful Exercise Routine

Maybe your New Year’s resolution was to lose some extra weight. Maybe you just want to get back in shape and tone your body. Or maybe you feel the warmth coming back as spring approaches and you’re just dying to get outside! Either way, you won’t want to miss these simple tips to keep you on track to being healthy! We’re seven weeks into the 2013, so we came up with seven simple tips to keeping a successful exercise routine throughout the entire year.

1. Be Consistent

If you take away only one piece of information from this article, let this be it. When it comes to losing weight, getting in shape, or staying healthy, the key is consistency. Come up with a routine and stick to it, even if it’s just a weekly jog around the block. The only way to ensure success is to be dedicated to your workout schedule.

2. Exercise in Segments

Break up your workout throughout the day. Try exercising for 30 minutes of exercise in the morning, 10 minutes before lunch, and then 20 minutes in the evening. This will give you more flexibility in your schedule as well as making work out sessions more bearable.

3. Gradually Build Up Your Routine

It’s always best to start a new exercise routine slowly and gradually add more into your routine over time. This will reduce soreness and risk of injury. Start with a 10 minute workout and add 5 minutes each week until you’ve reached your goal.

4. Workout with a Friend

This is a great way to help boost your confidence when starting a new exercise routine. Finding the right person will help you stay on track with your workouts and keep you motivated to follow through.

5. Do Something You Enjoy

Let’s face it – starting a new workout routine isn’t easy, so why not get active doing something you love? Dancing, swimming, bicycling, your favorite outdoor sport, you name it! All these things and more are excellent ways to move your body and get yourself feeling good AND have fun doing it.

6. Focus on Goals and Reward Yourself

Set aside realistic goals and reward yourself for reaching them! This can be as simple as doing your routine every day for a month or walking a certain amount of steps in a single day (a pedometer will help with that). Make sure you reward yourself with something healthful, like a nutritious treat or a new piece of workout equipment.

7. Drink Plenty of Water and Eat Right

All that exercise won’t help if you don’t have the right fuel – and in fact can have negative effects. Take some time to evaluate your diet. You may need to add more protein and non-wheat carbohydrates to help your body stay energized and repair itself from the workout.

That’s all for now. Stay motivated and don’t give up. It gets much easier after a couple solid weeks of consistent, well planned exercise.