Staying motivated while we’re stuck at home is not easy. Without anything to look forward to, we let the days go by and forget to get ourselves up and moving. The days seem to mesh together and before we know it, we haven’t done anything for our health all week.
Set a goal
A great way to get out of the cycle is to set goals. Some goals can look like taking a 20-minute walk around the neighborhood five times a week or doing three online workout classes every other day. Write out the goal and put it somewhere that you can remember like on your bathroom mirror or refrigerator. Sometimes, we forget about the goal we made weeks ago so by writing it out you can stick to it.
Have an accountability partner
When we tell someone we are going to do something, we are more likely to follow through than if we just tell it to ourselves. Whether it be your spouse, child, grandchild or friend, ask them to hold you accountable. Let them ask you every few days if you have stuck to your goal. That way, you know someone is watching you and making sure you do it.
Do an activity you love
If you love to dance but can’t go to dance classes, find a way to dance in your home. Try to move a few chairs aside, create a mini dancefloor and put on a dance video to move to. If you love the ocean but can’t go to the beach, find a way to enjoy time in a pool and wade around to get you moving. You will be sure to engage in some activity if its something you really like to do.
Reward yourself
A great way to make sure you get moving is to reward yourself after. If you just went on a long walk, let yourself watch your favorite movie or television show after. Give yourself a break after following through with a workout. Giving yourself a reward will motivate you more and make it more fun to do it again the next time around.
Overall, staying healthy is important for living. It gives us more energy, clarity and makes us happier. While these are great to think about, sometimes it’s not enough to get us off our chair. By setting goals, telling someone to keep us accountable, doing something we love and rewarding ourselves after, we can push ourselves to stay active.
