10 Tips to Motivate Yourself to Exercise at 40+

Motivating yourself is an Art Form- so treat it like Art - Personalize it.
Be gentle & careful with yourself. 
At 40+, its more important to NOT do anything you may regret later (includes exercise).

Here are 10 ways to Motivate yourself when you are 40+ and don't want to Exercise.

1. Only Stretch. (Warm up and Stretch is better for Muscles)- maybe only one part- your Fingers, Hands, Toes, Back, Arms.

2. Only Warm up your Joints. you can sit and gently rotate Your Neck, Wrist, Elbows, Shoulder, Feet

3.Have a medicine ball, or weights & equipment in a visible place, so that you can see it many times a day and your mind stays in gear.

4. Buy a Swiss Ball- its great for the back, makes exercise easy, and there's no way you can not look at it. 

5. Look at that slinky  curve-fitting, reinforced Dress you bought.

6. If you don't have that dress in your closet, Shop. Now. Exercise later. First get motivated.

7. Get off Pinterest and just walk around for 10 minutes (with a watch) .

8. Buy Slimming Jewelry. Stuff that is so gorgeous, you can't look at what you don't have.  

9. Have a playlist of workout video - blogilates is one of my faves - Find the one with your problem spot and watch it to the end. or atleast half-way. She's easy on the eyes and her exercises gives inch loss- a great motivator in itself..

10. Have a playlist of music video that is workout related..
(like Geri's Its Raining Men)
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 I was motivated by below post to write an age-relevant, mind-related post- read that too- who knows what works for you?
 40 ways to motivate yourself -   Nicole Nichols, SparkPeople Blogger

See More: fitness, excuse busters, motivation,

We all have the days where we plan to work out and know that we should, but when it's time to lace up your shoes and go…You. Just. Don't. Wanna.

I have those days, too, but when I remind myself how GOOD exercise makes me feel, and how it will help me reach my goals, I generally suck it up and do it anyway. Getting started really is the hardest part. Once you get going, you're generally glad you did. And when it's over, you feel even better.

But some people have less willpower or dedication. Some give in to the temptation to skip exercise too easily. While that's fine once in a while, it can become a hard habit to break if you skip out on your workouts too often.

So recently, I polled members of SparkPeople.com, America's No. 1 fitness and healthy living community, asking what THEY do to motivate themselves when they don't feel like exercising. Let me tell you: These people are a creative bunch. The next time you feel less-than-enthusiastic about your upcoming exercise session, take their advice. Here are 40 things you can do (or think about) to get your workout motivation back—and get moving.

SparkPeople members answer: "When I don't feel like working out, I ___."

1. Do it anyway. (This was the most popular answer!)
2. Tell myself to go for 15 minutes. If I still feel bad or unmotivated, I can quit. I have yet to quit.
3. Look on Pinterest for motivation! (Check out Pinterest's Fitness section and followSparkPeople's Pinterest boards.)
4. Ask a friend along to the workout it helps us both with accountability.
5. Do a heavy house cleaning (vacuuming, moving furniture, scrubbing) so I have a reason to work out.
6. Watch a Crossfit video on YouTube. It always inspires me. Then I get it done.
7. Take a 10-minute brisk walk.
8. Take the dog for a long walk.
   
   
    
9. Force myself anyway and feel better for it.
10. Go to a yoga class. It gets me moving, and I always have fun!
11. I sit by myself for a few minutes and think about all the things I can't enjoy because of my poor health.
12. Sometimes I find myself doing it just to get my fitness minutes for the month. Proof that SparkPeople works!
13. Work out anyway…then bask in the awesomeness!
14. Find something new to do! If you run then go for a swim or a bike ride. Maybe you are getting bored with the same routine.
15. Complain about not feeling motivated, then go do it, since I don't like hearing myself complain.
    
    
     
16. I drag myself to the gym anyway. Before I realize it, an hour is passed and I'm glad I went.
17. Post about your lack of motivation on Facebook, and get chewed out.
18. Do it anyway because this is for me.
19. Try to force myself to just do something for 1 minute (jumping jacks, squats, etc.). But usually I tell myself I will be happier that I did it instead of mad at myself for not doing anything.
20. Put on my work out clothes, lace up my shoes and go for a walk. Once I'm out and moving I find my motivation.
21. Do a SparkPeople workout video! They are always great workouts and I love that they are not super hard and complicated!
22. Remember a time when I couldn't work out, and how sad I was when I was heavier, and how I don't want to feel sad again!
23. Listen to some music—something with energy that I like. It's funny how the right music can make you move even when you think you don't want to, and it usually provides a mood boost, too (which is probably why I didn't want to workout in the first place).
    
    
     
24. Put my feelings aside and use logic and reasoning. My feelings then change after a good workout.
25. Follow an "easy" DVD and tell myself I'll do just one part of it. I end up doing it all usually.
26. Put on my workout clothes!
27. Do a workout at home instead of going to the gym.
28. Remind myself why I started working out and how much better I feel and feel about myself when I am done!
    
    
     
29. Do it anyway, just not as long.
30. Remember how easy it is to loss fitness even after missing a few sessions.
31. Put on my workout clothes first thing in the morning. Once I'm in them there's no reason to not work out!
32. Remind myself of one of Gods promises in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
33. Think how good I feel after a workout! Nothing else gives me that same feeling!
34. Go bowling.
35. I go get my small weights and start toning up.
36. Do something light and slow, like yoga.
    
    
     
37. Start working out anyway, and then, I figure I've already started, so I may as well finish STRONG!
38. Put on dance music and move!
39. Call a friend to encourage me.
40. Think of all the people who can't and I go do it and am grateful that I CAN.

There are a lot of things in life that we should do but don't always feel like doing. 

What you are is what makes your life happy or unhappy.

Every once a while what I think of as "My Life" tries its best to get away from me.

In general, as it whooshes round and around, I whiz alongside, enjoying the ride. Its completely ridiculous not to enjoy the ride, just because one can't control it.

A lot of freedom arises out of enjoying what one cant control or influence. Not that I don't try to - I so do- I want everything just so- But they won't be just so, actually a lot of it turns out to be against everything I would like in my life.

Take my kids for instance...

I would like them to be socially acceptable, polite and dignified in a few public appearances and I will carefully school them beforehand. They will invariably do something silly. 

The two options that I then have is  1.to laugh at it or 2.get stressed about how it looks. And I opt out of stress always. 

Quite simply put, I ask myself about any given 'unhappy" situation- is there a positive ways of looking at it.

 And 100% of the time, there is at least one positive out of the most negative-looking situation. If you look hard enough, there are dozens of positive, "happy" outcomes.

Even in a harmful situation, I try my best to fix it, but if I absolutely can't control it, I opt out of worrying about it.

I just go through it.
One can't be scared of being in painful situations and still be happy.
If you conquer the fear of pain, or of embarrassment, there is precious little that will cause unhappiness.
Its like you are drinking from the fount of happiness.

There are people with all the assets to make life happy trying to make others miserable.
That, itself, underlines the misery they have in their hearts. The only way they can think of themselves positively is if someone else is put in a negative light. It seems they cannot enjoy life for itself.

How imbecilic!

Life!
Life is so rich with experiences, people, nature - every day is a wonder.

Every day there is something new. Every day has the hand of God in it. Every day is beautiful.

So many things are changed for the better because you are in the situation you are. So many people around you are benefited to the better. Because you are what you are.

"Its a wonderful life". Truly.

Enjoy what you are today.

It is a paradox, however, that when you enjoy yourself, others will not join in.
Perhaps the way to deal is that when one understands each day to be a gift of God, one can believe the Giver understands how you live it. This is the only peace that can be had. 

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Lessons in a Garden: Weeding for Life

A couple of days ago, there was quite a bit of rain.
I was waiting for this, and before the ground got rock hard again (Indian summer!), I got down on my hands and knees and began to weed.
As I struggled to pull out the nasties suffocating the flower bed, I thought of the "weeds" in my head.

People who give advice or "good seed" sometimes leave seeds of weeds mixed in. Leave them be, and they'll be rampant all over your head.


As I weeded, I learnt me a few life lessons.


1. The ground needs to be moist
If your ground is hard, you can't pull them out. You can't be fixed in your thoughts, or fixated on your feelings. When something happens to put you in a flexible mindset,  you're ready to pull it off. Sometimes, it can be a chance meeting with a friend, or something you read, or something you're doing.
I do it best when I'm "organizing" or clearing things up, even if its just my computer.


2. Locate your weeds
Weeds overgrow your plants- if you aren't really careful, you could pull out the plants that you bought, planted, nurtured, even saw some flowers on. Be careful to put aside the positive uplifting words that even mean, spiteful people give away. Don't pull out your relationships, only the things in them that pull you down.


3. Pulling weeds takes force.You cannot remove negative, rooted thoughts without spending time, energy, and pressure. Expect some mind-churning - this isn't a cakewalk.

4. Weeds Network at a shallow level
Have you ever seen a weed, all by itself, digging down into the bedrock? NO! Weeds need other weeds to network. 1 thought of 1 person, connected to what another person said, and before you know it, the things you're reaching for, can hardly be seen.

5. Bugs live under Weeds.
If you thought the weeds were the worst part? I had ants bite my toes and hands before I scooted for protective gear. I thought it wouldn't be a big deal- the weeds were hardly there a few weeks. Until you start pulling out their negative words, people dont turn back and bite you.

6. Sometimes you can't do it all at the first try.
Some roots are too hard, or you've used up all energy, or legs hurt- whatever it is that stops you.Go back and pull that negative thoughts/words again when you're feeling better.

Don't give up- there's a whole garden waiting for your touch.
And if you didn't get it- Weeding is Power.

Women, what does it takes to be an Achiever? March 8

A few years ago,  while I was at a Doctor's visit, he asked me what I did.
I gave a very self-effacing, non-achieving answer "Housewife".

He pounced on my mood, and said didn't that mean I was keeping home, cooking, shopping and care-giving to 2 pre-schoolers ( apart from 100 or so odds & ends.).
He said, that was the work of 4 different people at least!

My eyes popped open! I was astounded by my "work"!

Celebrate your achievements

That day I realized I was an Achiever in his book.


And I started writing it in mine.

Over the next year,

I began planning to do the things I thought I had no time to do: restarting an exercise routine, making time for online support groups and a half dozen other small things in very cold StLouis.

So, what if I cooked 2 dishes instead of 3 or had a messier house? I was empowering myself, working on me. 
I found the focus and drive which had faded away, from the sheer physical exertion of  being strength and comfort to 2 preschoolers.
I went on to start over a new business with products I had been making for myself.

My life has never been the same since that Doctor visit.
I needed that person's perspective to validate myself, to pick myself up.

And I give it to you today.
Standing up as a woman, Valuing what you are doing, right now,  is what it takes to make you an Achiever.

Men, do a favor to the women in your life: your wife, your mother, your family, your friends.
Take a few minutes to appreciate the work which cannot be translated into Economics, but which has the greatest value of all- that of Love.
Have a blessed day.

Feast of color for today's bleak weather :Flowers in Bloom

What can be better than this outrageous "burst of color".
I have long admired Meredith Haley Sonson work- and thought it was just right to look at- considering how bleak today is!
Check it out- they are completely "awakening"
http://haleysonson.com/