4 Steps to Motivation: Doing What Feels Good
Although summer is just around the corner and you are probably beginning to think about your swimsuit body, chances are your health and fitness routines have suffered since implementing them at the beginning of the year. We often get fired up about doing something good for ourselves but the motivation simply doesn’t last – especially through the colder winter months. It’s important to focus on health and fitness year round, but actually doing it requires constant motivation.
How about doing what feels good, instead of what you think you need to do? The four steps of TEAR (Time Out, Exercise, Adjust and Reward) might be just the ticket.
Time Out
What feels good at the end of a hard day at work? Taking the time to do something calm and peaceful. For many of us, that means watching TV, going out to eat or having a drink at the local watering hole. But are any of those things healthy? You may think they make you feel good, but the guilt and disappointment you experience when you step on the scales the next day tend to wipe out that short-lived pleasure.
When you need a Time Out moment, do something that is good for you, such as slipping into an infrared body wrap via FIT Bodywrap®. This gives you an hour to relax while melting away stress, toxins, pain and fat. It feels good while you’re doing it and makes you feel even better as it helps you achieve your health and fitness goals.
Exercise
We all know the importance of regular exercise. It makes us physically fit and even signals our brains to release endorphins that can make exercise addictive over time.
Getting started is the hardest part. If you are out of shape, even a few minutes on the treadmill or in a Zumba class can feel like sheer torture. Stick with it. As it becomes easier, it will feel good.
If you have difficulty moving around or experience chronic pain, another option is passive exercise, such as that provided by an infrared session. Intense sweating causes the body to burn calories and this makes it an ideal alternative to traditional forms of exercise.
Adjust
Very few people can perform the same routines over and over again without getting bored. Doing the same exercises every day also affects the ability of your muscles to be challenged and subsequently become stronger. It’s always a good idea to mix things up. If you usually walk three miles a day, try swimming. If you spend a lot of time lifting weights at the gym, take a dance class.
Why not add a weekly infrared body wrap to your routine for a change of pace? Whatever activity interests you is a good alternative to your regular workout and will make you feel good about yourself, both mentally and physically.
Reward
It’s easier to stay on track if you reward yourself occasionally! The idea is to not lose control, such as devouring an entire chocolate cake in one sitting or completely giving up on exercise for months at a time. But little things can make a big difference. An ice cream cone once a week isn’t going to wreck your diet. Taking a weekend off from exercise to do something fun with your family isn’t a setback in your physical fitness goal and, in fact, it could actually be helpful to give your muscles a break.
A FIT Bodywrap® session could be viewed as a reward, too. Some people experience instant weight loss results, and that’s definitely a motivational reward. But taking an hour to soften your skin, detox and improve circulation is another way a body wrap could reward your fitness efforts.
As human beings, it’s our nature to want to do what feels good. By reshaping your daily life and focusing on TEAR, as well as incorporating regular FIT Bodywrap® sessions, which use infrared heat that may lead to increased endorphin production, you are sure to get back on track and stay motivated to become healthy and FIT.