Have you seen this video on youtube -

This so easily demonstrates that motivation to exercise does not come from merely thinking that you should exercise. When exercise is made into something which is fun, you automatically exercise without even realizing that you are doing it.

Here the video shows a crowded foyer where there is a choice of elevator or stairs and everyone shuns the stairs for the elevator. Overnight the stairs are transformed to look like a piano keyboard. The next day the majority of people choose the stairs, and not only do they walk up and down the steps, they pretend to play the piano as well, hopping from key to key with great agility; they are having fun and getting a lot of exercise as a byproduct of their interest being piqued and their sense of fun tantalized.

I have written many articles on the importance of doing something which is fun in order to exercise. Children exercise all of the time; they just will NOT sit still. Their natural curiosity makes them move, wriggle, hop, skip and jump. I remember spending an entire summer holiday almost exclusively at the local swimming baths attempting different feats with my friends; touching the bottom, picking things up off the bottom, swimming though a tunnel made by friends legs, and so on.

That wasn't planned as compulsory exercise, but boy, we got a lot of exercise. We weren't counting calories or checking our pedometers every five minutes. We were having fun! Just watch this video and see the fun that this crowd is having here on their piano keyboard. Although I have written about the fact that having fun motivates exercise, mere words are never as powerful a motivator as a visual image. Pictures are more motivating than words. This is another thing which I have written about.

It is why a hypnotherapist will get you to picture yourself as you want to be, or the results which you want to achieve. For example, in golf the key is to picture the perfect shot or the perfect putt. Merely saying to yourself "get the ball in the hole" does not have as powerful an effect as visualizing it going into the cup. In visualizing, you are employing the senses of sight and sound, and feel as well, where as in self talk you are using only sound and will power.

I have just used golf as an example here. The same principle applies to everything which you would like to achieve. To visualize the desired end result is far more powerful than merely thinking about it. See yourself at your perfect weight, imagine yourself making a great speech or passing your driving test, and so on. Really picture what you want to happen in your life.

Where there is a conflict between your will power and your imagination your imagination wins. It is more powerful. This is fact. It is just how it is; its how your mind works. Once you know how your mind works you can far more easily achieve success in every area of your life.

Hypnosis is a natural state of relaxation. But it is not just relaxation; hypnosis provides easy access to your subconscious and creative mind, enabling you to more vividly see what you want to see and add greater intensity and power to your visualizations, effectively magnetizing what you want into your reality.

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in hypnosis mp3 downloads for success and well being.

With a degree in psychology and qualifications in hypnotherapy and NLP, Roseanna Leaton is one of the leading practitioners of self-improvement. You can get a free hypnosis mp3 from http://www.RoseannaLeaton.com and find your key to exercise motivation with our exercise motivation hypnosis mp3 .

Article Source: Having Fun Motivates Exercise

In this great article you can read 101 kicks in the butt to get you motivated, inspired or just out the door. Go run.

You have 100 reasons for losing motivation to run. But we can top 'em with tips, inspiring quotes, and more. Pick your fix. Repeat as necessary.

Examples:

• Create a blog
• Look to the past (inspired by others or your past accomplishments)
• Sign up now (really signing up for a race makes you that much more motivated)
• Good to go playlist
• Every mile you run burns 100 calories

Read all the reasons in this article from runnersworld.com : http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267--11733-0,00.html

Image Source : http://www.sxc.hu/photo/577647

What was revealed was some pretty interesting, yet expected, results. A whopping 83% of respondents said that a lack of motivation is what kept them from exercising regularly. The rest of the answers were equally split between not having enough time and not knowing what to do.

So with these results in mind it would only make sense to give you some added ways to get motivated to exercise on a regular basis.

1. Know the benefits of exercise.

Isn't true that you are more motivated to do things that you'll benefit from. The more you benefit, the more motivated you are. For example, if I told you I'd give you 5 dollars to take a 30-minute walk tomorrow morning, would you do it? Maybe, maybe not?

But what if I put $1 million on the table for taking a walk? You bet you would take that walk!

What you need to realize is that the benefits of exercise are even more compelling than a million bucks! What if you were a multi-millionaire but all of a sudden could no longer walk up a flight of stairs of fell ill due to poor lifestyle and lack of exercise?

You see, nothing matters more than your health and vitality - NOTHING!

Exercise keeps you young, strong, capable of performing your day to day tasks with ease, makes you feel more confident and happy, and much more!

So, it's simple...MOVE YOUR #SS!

2. Realize the consequences of not exercising

The consequences are many.

Lethargy, disappointment in yourself, being fat, being out of breath, unable to walk of stairs easily, sore joints and muscles, lack of flexibility, lack of strength, more susceptible to injury, difficulty shoveling snow, mowing the lawn, or gardening, sour outlook on life because of how you feel about yourself, inability to reach your full human potential, tough time fitting into clothes that make you feel sexy, feeling uncomfortable in social settings, depression, disease, premature death, etc... I could go on forever but I'm sure you get the point!

Maybe you need to take a trip to a nursing home or amputation ward at a hospital to gain some perspective. Believe me; most of these people would do anything to be in your shoes. So lace them up and get moving!

3. Create as many WHY's as possible

Keep a piece of paper and pen handy for a couple of days. Jot down EVERY reason you can think of that you want to get healthy/get fit/lose weight through consistent exercise.

The reasons WHY you have, the more motivated you will feel. Your reasons WHY give you the energy and juice that will keep you rockin'! Having a goal without knowing WHY you want to achieve it is like spending $30,000 in university tuition without having a clue of what you want to do with your degree besides pay off your student loans!

So make a long, extensive list. This may not seem important, but it is critical to be able to read this list when your motivation to exercise is waning. It's a powerful way to quickly get "re-motivated"!

4. Exercise with a friend

Statistics reveal that people who exercise with a friend are more successful at exercising consistently. Basically, it comes down to having accountability. Most of us need something outside of ourselves to keep us going when you don't feel like working out.

Having an exercise partner enables you to keep each other accountable. Knowing that someone is waiting for you to exercise with them can be great motivation to show up and get it done!

5. Exercise first thing in the morning, every morning.

There is no better feeling than starting your day knowing that you've gotten your exercise out of the way. Plus, you'll feel much happier and better about yourself. Your metabolism will be revved and you will have a much more fruitful day - guaranteed!

Your body was made to be active on a daily basis, and when you are, all sorts of wonderful things happen. You even get healthy and fit!

People who exercise 6 to 7 days per week first thing in the morning are much more successful at exercising consistently than those who do the 2 or 3 day thing. It doesn't have to be a huge workout everyday. Get out there and take a 30-minute walk, do yoga, take your dog for a stroll, hit the gym, go for a run...just get your body moving in a way that gets your heart rate and muscles working!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/5-keys-that-will-unlock-the-door-to-exercise-motivation-351330.html

About the Author

Yuri Elkaim is a Certified Kinesiologist, Registered Holistic Nutritionist, former Professional Soccer Player, the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the University of Toronto men's soccer program, and regarded by many as Canada's leading Fitness expert. His trademarked Fitter U? program is the world's only 12-week body shaping fitness program for iPod/MP3 players, guaranteed to help you lose weight, burn fat, and feel great with only 3 workouts per week. Try it today only at http://www.myFitterU.com .

What are shin splints ?

[from wikipedia]
Shin splints is a general term used to refer to a painful condition in the shins. It is often caused by running or jumping or sprinting, and may be very slow to heal. A formal medical term for the condition is medial tibial stress syndrome.

Running and other strenuous lower limb activities, like basketball and other sports which include flexing the muscle, should be avoided until the pain subsides and is no longer elicited by activity. In conjunction with rest, anti-inflammatory treatments such as cold-packs and drugs, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (in particular, NSAID gel) may be suggested by a doctor or athletic trainer. Over-the-counter pain relievers can also be taken, though there is some controversy over their effectiveness.

I've found that ice and an ace bandage wrapped tightly around the shin tends to help.

Unfortunately, you need to be really careful and probably need to stop running until the pain goes away.

Don't worry though. You can do some cross-training. Bicycle, swim or something that doesn't stress your legs.

Don't give up. If you continue to run, you might get something more serious like stress fractures so take it easy. I've run through shin splints before but I never run hard when I get them (at the beginning of a long rest period). I also have been running for 30 years and pretty much know the limits of my body.

Be careful.

More articles :

• It Can Be More Then Just Shin Splints
• Shin splints - Wikipedia
• What are shin splints ?
• Shin Splints: A Simplified Clinical Classification
• Treating and Preventing Shin Splints
• Shin Splints and
  Shin Splints Treatment

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There are times where you need to mix it up a little. One thing people love about triathlon is that it is more difficult to get an overuse injury because generally you are training in three?disciplines (not to say you can't get injured). I love the break up and use of different muscles.

I have always loved biking (both road and mountain) and just last year I began to really enjoy tough long swim workouts.

Even if you don't have any desire to be a triathlete, which is ok, you might want to look at swimming and biking as a rest from running now and then. Swimming really works your upper body and you do tend to learn how to breathe better (out of necessity) and biking really works those quads and hamstrings.

Swimming is probably the more difficult to pick up as not everyone has easy access to a pool and well, it is challenging.

When learning how to swim properly, it's important to develop proper breathing rhythms that involve blowing bubbles when the face is down. Learn about the importance of balance and proper stroke mechanics in swimming with help from a professional endurance coach in this free video on swimming techniques.

Check out this video as it does a great job of introducing you to proper swimming techniques.

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So this is a good time to start your new exercise regime, right ? It's the first of the year and you are ready to take on the challenge. You want to be a runner or if you are a runner you want to get that elusive PR.

Let's issue a challenge. Make running a habit. ?It will only take 30 days and we'll over motivation, inspiration and thoughts over that same time frame.

Here are some steps to get you there.

1. Teach your body that it is time to exercise. Pick a time that you feel you can exercise at every day and stick with that time. Your body will learn and there will be no excuses. When you don't have a scheduled time then it is too easy to get up and say "I'll run after work" and after a bad day you just can't do it. If you schedule your time like a meeting you force yourself to be accountable.
2. Start small and don't overdue it. If you have never run before don't go running 6 miles on your first day. No need for over-training. The goal is to make running a habit so start small and incremental improvements.
3. See progress and improve. Once you feel your body easily adapting to your running, then look at improving your times or increasing your distance.
4. Have fun. You body will never adapt if you don't find the running pleasurable. We know it isn't going to be fun the first week or so, but if you are taking it easy and doing it all correctly then try and enjoy your new habit. Believe me, you do get to a point where it is not only fun but it is addicting.
5. Mix up your routes and how you run. Don't do the same route every day because you WILL get bored. Pick different routes to mix it up. Try and not run at the same pace (once you get comfortable). Experiment with running intervals, or trying to use fartleks. Basically, vary your pace and don't run the same pace all the time. If you are out on the road, pick a light pole and pick up the pace until you reach that pole, then run slower and do it again with a few light poles down the road. Vary your pace will make it fun, different and in the long run really help you.
6. Get your gear out the day before. When you see it before you workout it will be hard to ignore.
7. Vary your workouts. Running puts a lot of pressure on your legs. Cross-Train. On your easy days try swimming, biking, aerobics class or something different than running that use different muscles. You will not only rest your running legs, but maintain your fitness.
8. Commit yourself by sharing your new found love of running to the world. Ok, you might not want to share with the world, but tell a friend or family member. If you are on facebook, myspace or twitter share with your friends.
9. Think of running as a priority not an after thought.
10. Log your activity as this will show you how you are doing. This will?vilify your achievements and motivate you to continue going.
11. Don't let that little voice in your head convince you to sit on the couch instead of run. Run when you think you are too tired. You will feel better. Of course if you really are physically too tired then take that as a sign, but don't let the mental voice take over.
12. If your legs are sore or you just can't seem to run, then walk. No problem with walking.
13. Rest. Resting will help you improve your strength and endurance. Trust me. Take 1 day off or if you want do something like strength training.

Happy Running !

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So you are now starting out a new running program and you think to yourself that in order to be a runner you need to run and run a lot. Now, one misconception about running is that running every day is going to make you a better runner. You might think that will if I continue to run then I can only improve, build up your strength and speed, but really you are only hurting yourself.

The most important day in any running progam is rest. Rest days are as important as training days. Why ? They give your legs and muscles time to recover so you can run again. Your muscles will actually build in strength as your rest.

When you pick up a running book you may read something about?over-training. Rest days are necessary because without them you are at risk of over-training injuries. You may develop shin splints or stress fractures which are common overuse injuries because you are putting too much stress on your body. You body has no time to recover. Once you start to show symptoms of these over-training injuries you then risk more time off until you are fully healed.

So, how many rest days do you need ? That can all depend, but normally at least one full rest day off and maybe an easy day. If you run a long run on Sunday then maybe you run easy on Monday and then take Friday off as your rest day, but really it is all up to you.

Remember, rest days are just as important as your other days of running.

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Once you learn you can do it then you need to establish a routine. A routine that you can do consistently. That little subconscious voice may be encouraging you with bad habits. So you need to fight that voice to eliminate those times where you want to pig out or just lie on the couch and be a couch potato.

The easiest way to stay motivated is look for support and encouragement from others. Hang out with people who share your fondness for running, triathlon, or fitness. A great way to do this if you don't know people around you is to join a social community like twitter where you can find tons of people who are willing to share their experiences and knowledge with you.

Once you teach your body your new routine it becomes easier every day.

After three weeks you body will expect to continue the routine.

What kind of exercise did you do today ?

You can achieve anything you want. There are days when you think you are running slow, but really you are running so that just doesn't count. I am in belief that anyone can go faster and farther if you just train and have the desire to do so.

If you want to run under 4 hours in a marathon or under 30 minutes for a 5k, then just say you will do it and make it your ultimate goal to do. You can do anything you set your mind to doing.

There are days you will have to fight that inside voice but when you complete your exercise you will be better for it. That inner voice is there to try and kick your butt. Turn it around and kick that voice out of your head.

Need some motivational video's ? Check this out.

Your second day of the new year is a great time to reflect on what you are trying to achieve. If you are a beginning runner then maybe you want to run your first race (a 5k is a great option) or if you are an intermediate runner a different race distance and if you are experienced then maybe it is to achieve that ultimate PR in your chosen A race.

Remember that running is fun. If you are not having fun then you won't want to run. Always take the time to enjoy what you are doing. If you are running outside then enjoy what you can of the scenes you are passing by. If you are on a treadmill then imagine running outside and think of the places you want to run.

Maybe take the time to create a virtual race in your head.

We know that there are days where running is not fun or pleasurable but it is those days that you have the most fun that can pull you through those tough days.

If you are starting up for the first time or getting back into it, remember that it does take time to get back into it and the first few days or weeks will be less than pleasurable, but keep up with it and you will soon be running like the wind.