Ways to stay motivated in your workouts.

The new guidelines for physical activity for ages 18-64 is at least150 minutes/week according to the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. That's equivalent to 30 minutes for 5 days a week. However, many people find it hard to stay motivated to exercise or performing physical activity on a daily basis. Scheduling 30 minutes of your day aside to workout shouldn't be a problem for anyone, no excuses. Here's a short list of little things I feel can help those stay motivated to exercise and reaching their fitness goals.

1. Notebook and pen - If you don`t have one, go to your local store and buy one. Bring this with you whenever you go to the gym or exercising and log in your workout routines and progress in it. Its a great way to keep track of your exercises as well as your repetitions and sets. A good way to prepare yourself  is to write down knowing what exercises your going to do that day prior to the workout. This notebook acts as an agenda for your workouts, and is a great little tool to help motivate you to reach your goals faster by jotting it down.

2. Mp3 player/ music gadget - Nothing feels better than listening to music while working out. I'm not talking about slow music, or the lame Justin Bieber crap (unless you like this type of music). I'm talking about hardcore music that help you get in your comfort zone and motivate you to lift more. I use a combination of trance, techno, and rap musics to get myself pumped up for my exercises. Find songs that get you in your groove and gets you focused on yourself and your lifts. Listening to music is also a great way to avoid distractions from others in the gym.

3. Workout partner - Getting a friend to work out with you is great because they can act as a motivator for you. They can help support and spot you on your lifts, provide guidance and fitness tips, and make it more fun and challenging. If you have a friend with the same or similar fitness level as you, a little competition wouldn't hurt as well. Plus, there are also many exercises that you can do in pairs as well.