Motivation to Exercise

How to motivate yourself? 

Every beginning is hard so do not give up. Here are few tips on how to motivate yourself to exercise.

1. Try different kinds of exercise. You must find out which type of exercise you enjoy the most.
2. Set days, hours and the type of exercise. This way it will be easier to coordinate your exercise with other obligations.
3. Start slowly. Choose your own pace and intensity and do not compare yourself to others.
4. Take care of the suitable equipment. This is the only way that you will enjoy exercising.
5. Find and write a motivational quote and put it somewhere in your room where you can see it all the time.
6. Set realistic goals. Do not set goals that are too high in the beginning but do that gradually. Goals should be effective, measurable and set with a date.
7. Think about the results that regular exercise will bring. Apart from feeling good, having a toned body, better condition, more energy, you will also have better health.
8. Buy a sports watch and keep track of time, intensity, amount of exercise, burned calories and your progress. Over time you will notice progress and this will give you motivation to continue. 
9. Listen to your favorite music, which will make you feel good. By listening to music you will also lose track of time and therefore will not hate exercising.
10. Get an exercise buddy. 
11. Do not overreact and do not forget to rest.

xoxo Katja

10 things that help you relax

1. Take care of your plants. Working in the garden decreases chances of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Buy some room plants and take care of them if you cannot have them outside.

2. Breathe properly. Sit down, close your eyes, be still and breathe deeply. Put your hands on your stomach and breathe in 5-10 times. You can do this in the office or on the bus - whenever you feel tension.

3. Laugh. Laughing makes us breathe with full lungs which relaxes the body, and also increases formation of endorphin - hormone of happiness, which will make you feel nice and relaxed.

4. Stretch. Sit on the floor, stretch and spread your legs and breathe in while your arms are above your head. Slowly exhale and bring your upper body towards the floor. Stay in this position for a few seconds and repeat the exercise.

5. Listen to the music. Music is integral part of our lives and it impacts on our feelings. While you are doing chores listen to the music that you like - this way you will have more energy to work.

6. Be organized. Think again about your daily activities. Do you really have to do everything? Remove everything for which you do not have time and takes you too much time.

7. Eat according to the ''Zen way''. Some foods have a positive effect on your mood. Bananas have serotonin which gives you a sense of satisfaction.

8. Exercise. If you walk 40 minutes daily you will do  a lot for your body.

9. Get a massage. A massage improves your blood circulation and increases lung capacity, improves sleep quality and condition of your skin.

10. Regenerate. At night, the body regenerates all processes, so sleep is the best way to relax and feel better on a long term.

xoxo K.