It never fails. We know that exercise and fitness is good for us, and we often feel really good after participating in activity that gets our blood pumping and our limbs moving. So why on earth are we so unable to keep that good momentum going, keep doing what we know is good for us, and eventually get to the fitness levels we are seeking?

It’s a mystery why we go to such lengths to avoid that which is so obviously a good thing, but when you are looking for some prime motivation to exercise, consider some of the following:

1)      Find Personal Motivation To Exercise. See what means the most to you. Is it controlling your weight? Strengthening your bone structure? Enhancing your muscles? Reducing the risk of heart disease or cancer? These are excellent benefits designed to get you started, but they may not have the continued effect over the long haul. Having a goal in mind is a great way to get the ball rolling.

2)      Keep Your Goals Realistic. You’re not going to jump off the couch and go run a ten mile marathon. Start out simple, setting goals that you know that you can keep and slowly ramping them up over an extended period. Start with walking fifteen minutes, then thirty, then running fifteen minutes and walking fifteen, then running for thirty…..get it? Nothing blows motivation more than trying to do too much too soon and failing.

Fitness doesn’t come without effort, and sometimes we need a little push.

3)      Forget Exercise – Do What You Enjoy. For some reason, the word “exercise” is like Kryptonite to Superman….it dilutes our willpower almost exponentially. Find something fitness related that you can enjoy doing and go for it. It can be something as simple as a brisk walk around your neighborhood, having a dance contest with your kids, hide and seek in the park, taking your bike to the store instead of the car, or parking some distance away and walking to your office. Find out what excites you and make it a part of your fitness routine.

4)     Make It Work With Your Hectic Schedule. Life has a way of disrupting our routine. If you are waiting for a time to open up to get fit, chances are that you won’t do it at all. You need to carve out blocks of time devoted to fitness and stay with them, or incorporate fitness activities into things that are already a part of your life, such as riding a stationary bike while watching TV.

5)     Get Over Setbacks. You are going to fall short of your goals a time or twelve, but the secret is to not allow it to defeat you. Get back on the horse, get back in the game, pick your cliché’. Properly looked at, setbacks can often have a solid effect on re-energizing you when it comes to reaching your goals.

By looking at fitness from the point of view of what works for you, you stand a much greater chance of meeting those fitness goals.

LeaseQ is one of the leading providers of fitness equipment leasing and financing in the United States.