The Olympic spirit might have propelled you to the gym to shed those winter kilos, but what happens when external motivating factors dwindle, and your self-motivation needs a pick me up? The most beneficial way to lose weight is to make it a total mind and body experience – and making it fun, affordable and fierce will keep you hitting the pavement and smiling when you hit those scales! Here are a few great ways to make losing weight seem like a walk in the park.
Go, team, go!
Reinvent yourself by joining a team exercise or sporting group. Oz-tag is a brilliant option for those of you who enjoy footy, but don’t exactly want to bear the full brunt of a tackle! With velcro tags on both hips, the objective is to dodge your opposing team members with both tags unremoved, in the effort to score a try. Other exciting team workouts can include rock-climbing and roller blading sessions, as well as dancing, walking and running groups. Why not come up with a name, attendance sheet, or even donate $2 a session to your charity of choice – that way, there is a sense of positive citizenship and the implicit drive to not only help yourself, but the whole community.
Brunch buddies
If you’re lucky enough to live near a beach, lake, or scenic walking path, commit to a solid session of physical activity within this beautiful environment before choosing a great café to reward your sweat session. This is a great activity to do as a duo, so is perfect as a weekend training option for couples. You will also see other people out and about who are likeminded, and start to feel connected with this ‘weekend fitness culture’, which is so pervasive in our modern society.
Techno-logic
For those of you with that lingering, unused gym contract draining your account each week – stop wasting your money and get back to that treadmill! It is alarming that many individuals experience dwindling motivation once they become gym regulars, because of the monotony that the same equipment can bring. Make sure you frequently update your iPod play lists in order to reignite the original motivation that propelled you to the gym in the first place. High, upbeat tunes will increase your mental alertness and help you to avoid focusing on how tired you are or how hard you’re breathing.
There are no better ways to lose weight than those that ignite a sense of community, team spirit, or self-motivation. You will slowly but surely be on the way to a new you, and at an affordable price and reasonable commitment plan; you will be enjoying exercise more than you ever thought possible!
Sarah Paige is a freelance writer who loves looking up new weight loss tips on the internet. She used The Biggest Loser Club to shed her baby pounds.
