Instant Motivation

Instant Motivation
Overcome any obstacle on your path to fitness

By The Editors of Prevention Health Books for Women

Workout boredom, plateaus, and injuries can all sidetrack your fitness training. But with the right inspiration, you can work through those barriers. When obstacles threaten to keep you from working out, try some of these quick and easy motivational tips to stay on track. These instant motivators will rekindle your passion for working out--the greatest motivator of all.

You're Too Tired to Exercise

Make a Date
Set up a standing date with a friend whose fitness level matches yours--your mutual motivation lulls will cancel each other out. Research shows that having a dedicated workout partner makes you more likely to stick with an exercise program.


Have a Snack
When you run low on fuel, the extra energy demands of exercise lead your body to decide, "She's overdoing it--we need to conserve some fuel by slowing down her metabolism," says Michele Olson, PhD, professor of health and human performance at Auburn University in Montgomery, AL. That's the last thing you want, so have a protein-and-complex-carbohydrate snack, like a hard-boiled egg and a slice of whole wheat toast, 2 hours before you plan to work out.
Put on Your Shoes Think baby steps--if you truly don't feel like you can get out the door, just put on your workout clothes. If that feels good, throw on some sneakers. Even if you stay in the house, the clothes will give you an increased range of motion, so you'll probably put more energy into your chores.


Pump More Iron
As a mineral that helps convert food to energy, iron is essential to keeping energy levels high. But dieting, avoiding meat, and having heavy menstrual periods can put you at risk for low iron. Iron supplements are sometimes risky, so make sure your diet includes 18 mg of iron every day--choose lean meats or legumes, leafy greens, and whole grains. Don't forget citrus fruit and other juice with vitamin C, which improves iron absorption from plant foods.


Fuel up Early
Eating the bulk of your calories in the early part of the day will give you the energy you need to make it through daytime workouts. Many women on weight loss plans find it easier to eat less during the day and more at night--exactly the opposite plan for optimal energy and weight loss.


Wet Your Whistle
Dehydration can seriously drag your energy down. Research shows that even when you drink eight glasses of water a day, 45 minutes of exercise can put you into a dehydrated state. Don't rely on thirst as a measure of need--to prevent exercise fatigue, take a sip of water every 15 to 20 minutes while you work out.

Revive an Old Workout Routine

Make It Fun
"Try to link exercise with happiness, social activity, and escape," suggests Peg Jordan, PhD, RN, author of The Fitness Instinct. "Free yourself up to think of movement as your birthright every hour on the hour." Join an African dance class, or try inline skating. Instead of dreading sweat, think of it as calories pleasantly leaking from your body.


Pile on the Rewards
Women tend to save rewards for distant, huge goals, like a 20-pound weight loss or three lost dress sizes, says Howard Rankin, PhD, psychological advisor to the national Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) organization in Hilton Head, SC. Rather than make goals destination-oriented, make them behavior-oriented. Set a goal to work out three times this week, and when you achieve it, give yourself a nonfood reward, like a glossy magazine or new nail polish--little indulgences you wouldn't ordinarily give yourself.


Borrow a Dog or a Toddler
"There's nothing like chasing after a 3-year-old to keep you running without even realizing it," says Susan Bartlett, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore.


Try Intervals
Interval-style exercise--Spinning classes, for example--raises your metabolism both during and after the exercise. Steady activity--say, 30 minutes on a treadmill--burns about 6 to 8 calories per minute. A brief, 30- to 60-second burst of intense interval activity burns about 10 calories per minute and stimulates your muscles to burn 20 to 30% more calories within the same workout.
Make a Mix Tape Listening to music eases exercise in three ways: It distracts you from fatigue, it encourages coordination, and it relaxes your muscles to encourage bloodflow. If music doesn't work, try a book on tape. "Anything pleasurable you can link to exercise will help motivate you," says Rankin.


Cover All Your Bases
Do you include each of the triumvirate--cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility--in your workouts each week? A combination of all three keeps your metabolism burning high, your energy level up, and your body injury-free. "It's best to have a variety of plans so you can do something 5 out of 7 days a week," says Olson.


Create an Exercise Menu
Get to know your rhythms, and have an exercise plan for each mood. Feeling low? Go for a walk in the park. Keyed up from work? Take a high-energy class. Missing your kids? Bundle them into the car and head for the local soccer field.


Check Out a New Video
The library's lending period is a great built-in change period. Use one video for 2 weeks, return it, and try a new one. Your muscles will benefit from the variety.

Your Workout Isn't Working

Change Anything
Change the intensity, frequency, or duration of your exercise at least once a month--try a harder step class, add one more walk a week, or pause your video and do 5 extra minutes of lunges and jumping jacks. This level of variety challenges your muscles to keep "learning" and meeting new challenges so they can burn more calories and fat, Olson says.


Up Frequency First
By increasing frequency, you'll automatically spend more time burning calories and add another workout time to your schedule. Start with one extra 10-minute walk or weight session per week, and after it becomes a habit, increase the time or the intensity.


Check Your Expectations
"Within three workouts, the heart already becomes more efficient," says Olson. Congratulate yourself for running upstairs without losing your breath; celebrate when your thighs no longer rub together. Changes in weight, fat percentage, and muscle development may take a little bit longer, sometimes up to 2 months.


Return to the 1950s
Open the garage door manually, switch the channels on the TV without the remote, and wash your car (and dishes) by hand. Hang your wash outside instead of throwing it into the dryer. It's estimated that in the past 25 years, laborsaving devices have decreased the number of calories we burn by 800 per day--that's 1.5 pounds per week.


Invest in a Trainer
A certified personal trainer can fine-tune your workout for extra results without wasted time and effort. Find a trainer you like, and then schedule follow-up visits four times a year--those dates will give you built-in goals to strive for. One hour of training costs $50 to $70--buddy up with a friend to share the cost.

Hit the Weights--Right Now
Now that she's nearing 40, Olson dedicates 70% of her efforts to resistance training. She says many women over 40 could benefit from starting with weight training even before they start cardio--a stronger woman is less likely to be injured in a step class or while walking. Weight training develops the strength of the all-important core muscles in the trunk, lower back, and hip area, making your body better equipped for cardiovascular challenges. To start, substitute strength training for at least one of your regular workouts.


Move at Every Chance
Women may unconsciously avoid extra lifestyle activity if they've already worked out, thinking, "I got my exercise for the day." Forget that type of reasoning. Instead, take all opportunities to challenge your muscles. At the grocery store, grab a basket instead of a cart. Move firewood by hand instead of using a wheelbarrow. Help your college-age nephew move into his dorm.

Bounce Back from Injury

See a Doctor
Sometimes injuries like broken toes or shin splints tempt us to avoid the doctor out of the mistaken belief that "nothing can be done." This isn't the time for self-healing--get to the doctor.


Request a Scorecard
While you're at the doctor's office anyway, have her do some blood work--your earlier weight loss efforts may have resulted in a drop in your cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood-sugar levels, says Jenna Anding, PhD, RD, assistant professor of nutrition at the Texas Cooperative Extension in College Station. Even if your injury tempers your weight loss rate, you can draw motivation from this hard evidence of how your health has already improved. If your doctor can't squeeze in a quick blood check during your visit, schedule an annual physical exam before you leave the office and you can look forward to having these measurements taken.


Get a Referral
Your primary physician may tell you just to rest and "stay off it" for a while; in that case, ask your doctor if a physical therapist can help. She can give you appropriate stretches, show you alternative weight exercises, or introduce you to a new activity, like yoga, that could help your injury heal sooner and may even help prevent a recurrence.


Learn from Mistakes
Injuries are our body's way of telling us we're doing something wrong--and better to learn your mistakes sooner rather than later. Trying other activities will challenge and shock your body, and you'll get faster results. After you've healed, you'll jump ahead even faster.
Reclaim Control Instead of getting stuck in the "poor me" mind-set, focus on something you still have total control over: your eating. Now is an excellent time to evaluate your eating habits and look at ways you can minimize this minor roadblock, says Anding.

When Nothing Works
Few things are more frustrating than doing all the right things and getting none of the expected results. If you feel like you're not getting anywhere, ask yourself these questions.


Are You Weight Training?
Many women hold off on weight training until they lose some weight because they think cardiovascular workouts are faster at burning calories. But depending on how intensely you work out with weights, your metabolism can stay elevated for as long as 48 hours afterward.


Are You on Medication?
Some prescription drugs, such as antidepressants, hormone replacements, and steroids, list weight gain as a possible side effect. Check with your doctor to see if your medications may be to blame.


Are You Getting Enough Sleep?
Sleep not only gives you energy, but it also protects your body's muscle-building and fat-burning efficiency. Trade Leno in for an extra hour of sleep and help your body adjust to an earlier bedtime with a soothing shower, a cup of warm milk, and low lights.


Are You Eating Breakfast?
Your hectic morning schedule could be robbing you of your easiest metabolic rewards. When you skip breakfast, your metabolism slows by 5%--definitely enough to keep the last 10 pounds clinging on.

Are You Already at a Good Weight?
Excited by the initial results of your weight loss plan, you may have readjusted your goal downward to a more ambitious weight, a goal that may now be frustrating you. Ask yourself if you really need to keep losing or if you're just fixated on a number. Sometimes a plateau is actually a good, comfortable weight.