5 ways to stay motivated to exercise this holiday season



During the last few months I have been interviewing clients to try to understand how they stay motivated to exercise and how they regain their motivation when they lose it. Vintage Fitness and the Sheridan Elder Research Centre in Oakville are planning an extensive research study this January to uncover these motivations. A few tips about motivation from interviews so far:

1. Join a group: some clients feel accountable and motivated when they have joined an exercise group such as a walking group or group exercise class

2. Treat it like an appointment: It is too easy to make excuses or prioritize things over your exercise plan—write your sessions down in your agenda at the beginning of the week just like you would a medical appointment

3. Make exercise goals: Without something to aim for it is easy to stray off track—work with a personal trainer or write your own SMART (specific, measureable, attainable and time-bound) exercise goals

4. Plan for lapses: Don’t expect to keep to a plan perfectly especially over the holiday season—notice when you are getting off track early and get back to the plan without beating yourself up about it within two weeks.

5. Keep it fun: You will never stick with an exercise plan if it is as fun to you as a trip to the dentist—think about what activities you love and create an exercise plan around them.

If you are interested in learning more about personal training to set and achieve goals and would like a tester session and a massage in the comfort of your home why not put a Vintage Fitness personal training and massage gift certificate on your list for Santa

Good Luck

Erin Billowits

Vintage Fitness

Serving all of the Great Toronto Area including Downtown, North York, East York, Unionville, Brampton, Oakville, Mississauga, Burlington