More Motivation + Less Exercise = Better Results!
Long work hours, tempting social gatherings, and one too many indulgent dinners with your other half: these are the main monsters that are destroying any desire to work out and be healthy. In fact, today's modern woman is no longer confined to the domestic household chores and the clich©d post-Christmas home workout DVD; we now lead busy, hectic lives with a schedule that leaves little room to consider our health and fitness regime. Whether it be the cause of one too many glasses of wine after a stressful day, or slumping on the sofa with a chocolate bar and evening television as sources of comfort, our motivation to stay fit and healthy has dwindled significantly.
However, for those of us with time constraints, there is hope. New research from Dr Michael Mosley claims you can make significant improvements to your health and fitness by performing a mere three minutes of intense cardiovascular exercise a week. Now this is not your stroll to work or walk in the park - Mosley expects us to be willing to go flat out for 20 seconds, with a few minutes gentle cycling or running, or whatever your preferred choice of exercise.
Too good to be true? Maybe. But the idea that HIT (High Interval Training) is better for you than mindless - and time consuming - sessions of meagre running has become a new phenomenon in the fitness world, not only for its promising results but also for its convenience and ability to fit into any busy time slot.
In a perfect world, everybody would love to fill their body with happy, healthy endorphins and get their heart pumping for hours on end each week. But when that dark cloud of demotivation leaves you feeling overcast and dreary, and that voice I the back of your head excuses it as €A bad day€ or €I'm too tired€, it can be hard for anyone to go for a morning jog or make their way to the gym after a day's work. However there are many ways to motivate yourself and give you that get-go attitude that you so crave!
Non-food incentives
Give yourself small goals to slowly but surely improve your health. Let's face it, you probably have not €earned€ that chocolate bar at night - nor do you need it! Instead of grabbing the first sugar-coated snack you see to give you that buzz, get an early night and tell yourself to lay off the sugary foods for a week and reward yourself with a new dress or manicure. That way, the better you present your body, the more likely you will want to make your body look and feel good. Ensure your rewards are non-food related so you can finally break the curse of the late night sugar cravings! Eventually, after mastering your self-control (and a few new outfits later), you will be able to increase your goals and get even fitter, for example, taking away the chocolate and going for a ten minute run every day after work. That way you can get even more excited for your rewards and know you've earned them!
Rally up support
According to research, simply having a friend, family member or significant other who is supportive of your goals will make it more likely for you to stick with your fitness plan. If there is nobody in your life who you feel fits the bill - go online! There are now a lot of sites offering a fitness plan for women, you can join with likeminded people wanting to get fit, plus they can message you whenever you feel ordering that takeaway and give you the motivation you need. With someone cheering you on at the side-lines, you will feel prouder and encouraged to exercise and stay healthy.
Make exercise fun, not a chore
Ever jumped for joy at the thought of going on a treadmill for two hours? Probably not, which is a reason why women find it difficult to motivate themselves to get active. Instead, make exercise something fun which you can squeeze into small periods of time even when you're up to your eyes in work. Do some squats or sprints in adverts when watching your favourite television program, or make a conscious effort to go for runs, visit your gym or join a fitness boot camp. Most of all do something you enjoy - making a habit of something you hate will only make exercise seem more like a boring task rather than a treat for your body.
For those of you who still don't have time to go to the gym, we have designed a simple, easy and effective way to burn some calories.
However, for those of us with time constraints, there is hope. New research from Dr Michael Mosley claims you can make significant improvements to your health and fitness by performing a mere three minutes of intense cardiovascular exercise a week. Now this is not your stroll to work or walk in the park - Mosley expects us to be willing to go flat out for 20 seconds, with a few minutes gentle cycling or running, or whatever your preferred choice of exercise.
Too good to be true? Maybe. But the idea that HIT (High Interval Training) is better for you than mindless - and time consuming - sessions of meagre running has become a new phenomenon in the fitness world, not only for its promising results but also for its convenience and ability to fit into any busy time slot.
In a perfect world, everybody would love to fill their body with happy, healthy endorphins and get their heart pumping for hours on end each week. But when that dark cloud of demotivation leaves you feeling overcast and dreary, and that voice I the back of your head excuses it as €A bad day€ or €I'm too tired€, it can be hard for anyone to go for a morning jog or make their way to the gym after a day's work. However there are many ways to motivate yourself and give you that get-go attitude that you so crave!
Non-food incentives
Give yourself small goals to slowly but surely improve your health. Let's face it, you probably have not €earned€ that chocolate bar at night - nor do you need it! Instead of grabbing the first sugar-coated snack you see to give you that buzz, get an early night and tell yourself to lay off the sugary foods for a week and reward yourself with a new dress or manicure. That way, the better you present your body, the more likely you will want to make your body look and feel good. Ensure your rewards are non-food related so you can finally break the curse of the late night sugar cravings! Eventually, after mastering your self-control (and a few new outfits later), you will be able to increase your goals and get even fitter, for example, taking away the chocolate and going for a ten minute run every day after work. That way you can get even more excited for your rewards and know you've earned them!
Rally up support
According to research, simply having a friend, family member or significant other who is supportive of your goals will make it more likely for you to stick with your fitness plan. If there is nobody in your life who you feel fits the bill - go online! There are now a lot of sites offering a fitness plan for women, you can join with likeminded people wanting to get fit, plus they can message you whenever you feel ordering that takeaway and give you the motivation you need. With someone cheering you on at the side-lines, you will feel prouder and encouraged to exercise and stay healthy.
Make exercise fun, not a chore
Ever jumped for joy at the thought of going on a treadmill for two hours? Probably not, which is a reason why women find it difficult to motivate themselves to get active. Instead, make exercise something fun which you can squeeze into small periods of time even when you're up to your eyes in work. Do some squats or sprints in adverts when watching your favourite television program, or make a conscious effort to go for runs, visit your gym or join a fitness boot camp. Most of all do something you enjoy - making a habit of something you hate will only make exercise seem more like a boring task rather than a treat for your body.
For those of you who still don't have time to go to the gym, we have designed a simple, easy and effective way to burn some calories.