(05-05-2015, 06:28 PM)Aya Wrote: discipline and dedicationThese are the key words right here. When you're paying money for a gym membership it's way easier to get yourself up and out there even if you're not the most disciplined type. Gotta get that money's worth, right? For a lot of people without that incentive, excuses become increasingly compelling and procrastination more and more commonplace. It's very important to develop the discipline to be able to force yourself into a workout even if you're not feeling it, and push yourself enough that you continue to get benefiting returns.
I'm not sure if you're out of shape and looking to make some changes or if you're just looking to stay fit, but either way, anyone physically capable of doing it really benefits from at least 30 minutes of cardio a day. Jogging, biking, aerobics - anything to get you moving and breathing. In fact that's probably the best way to open for your "real" workout if you're looking to get into strength training or anything more serious.
Don't be afraid to start slow and work your way up. You want to test your limits and steadily improve, but not at the risk of hurting yourself and resetting everything back to zero. (ask me how i know!! shin splints suck >:I)
Compete with yourself; record your progress in a fitness log, and try to do a little bit better each time. The sense of accomplishment you get when you push past a plateau is absolutely exhilarating, and it's that feeling that's going to keep you going. Having immediate, visual proof in the form of an ongoing log makes it way more visceral.
ed: oh, I just spotted your edit. Oops. I wanted to keep things general in case you were just starting to work out, but since you're active a lot of this stuff is a no-brainer. I'll try and get more specific when I have time tomorrow.
