5 Simple Ways Procrastinators Can Improve Their Fitness Levels

Photo credit: Gary Bembridge CC BY 2.0

Staying active is the key to being healthy and living a long life, but being fit takes time and motivation. The single greatest challenge to staying fit and healthy is finding ways to stay motivated to counter your procrastination.

If you struggle with motivation, then a great place to start is to write down your goal, identify your compelling reason WHY you want it, and then reconnect with your compelling reason as often as it takes to keep you motivated and reaching your goals.

We all suffer from procrastination on some level, but there are some action steps you can take today to help you move forward and on the road to better health and fitness.

Fitness

Being physically active can produce long term health benefits. Staying active can help you have stronger muscles and bones, improve mood, boost energy, control weight, manage blood pressure, and stave off cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. Also, when we workout, our body releases a cascade of hormones and chemicals that signal our cells to grow stronger.

The health benefits of a good workout are endless, so what’s stopping you from working out?

Procrastination

Procrastination is the art of putting off tasks you should be doing and replacing them with activities you would rather be doing. The most common reason that people don’t workout is because of procrastination.

“I will do it later” is the hallmark reply. Life is full of distractions and if you let life distract you, then it will.

The best way not to get distracted is to never put off until tomorrow what you can do right now. Here are a few tips to help you on your way to being fit today.

5 Simple Tips

Tip #1: Just do it!

Simple, but effective. The easiest way to do something is just to do it. When you think about doing something, the mind can come up with all kinds of reasons and excuses why you shouldn’t.

Improving your fitness levels is as easy as just getting up and moving around. Once you start to move around, you will start to build up momentum and energy, which will help to motivate you to workout for the long term. The best thing is to go into autopilot mode and just go workout!

Tip #2: Make it fun!

Anything we make hard we eventually stop doing. The trick to keeping active and fit is to have fun with it.

Find an activity you enjoy. With all the different options we have in fitness today, there is absolutely something for everyone. Try dancing to some music, jumping on a trampoline, swimming or simply go for a nature walk with your dog.

Find a physical activity that you enjoy and allow yourself to have fun doing it, that’s all there is to it.

Tip #3: Breathe more!

Most people that procrastinate say that they lack the energy to motivate themselves. Oxygen is a catalyst for creating energy. The more oxygen we have in our blood stream, the more energy we have at the same time.

So, try this… relax and breathe normally, and then slowly start to increase your breathing rate. This technique is called the breath of fire, which is a rhythmic breath with equal emphasis on the inhale and exhale to get your blood moving and give you extra energy for working out.

Tip #4: Find a workout partner!

Staying fit and motivated can be greatly helped by having someone to workout with. A workout partner can make your exercise routine more fun, enjoyable and effective.

The key to picking a good partner is to find someone that is not a procrastinator and someone that works out regularly; they can motivate you to do the same.

Having a friend to workout with is also helpful in keeping you accountable, because it’s much more difficult to skip a workout when someone is waiting for you.

Tip #5: Join a class!

An exercise class is an ideal way to motivate yourself to workout and stay fit. In a class setting you will find like-minded people that are there for one reason…to workout! And meeting these people and interacting with them outside of class can help keep you motivated.

There is no better place to stay motivated and to get fit than a gym or workout class. The right setting can do wonders for procrastination.

Bottom Line

Overthinking workouts is where trouble begins. These tips are simple, but effective. They can help anyone who wants to motivate themselves to be fit and definitely much healthier.

Take the first step and begin to create a consistent exercise routine today! A regular exercise routine is the key to improving your fitness levels and decreasing your procrastination habits at the same time.

Remember, just do it!