New to excercise?

A good friend of mine summarized his feelings about exercise pretty succinctly: "Its great for someone else, anyone else, just not me." This is the same guy that sent me this cartoon:

He knows exercise is what he needs.

Here are some tips to get and stay motivated on your exercise plan:

Be realistic
People new to exercise sometimes choose goals that are too ambitious. By setting big goals, it is easy to get overwhelmed. For example, rather than setting a goal of an hour a day, perhaps commit to doing 20-30 minutes 3 times a week while you are settling into a new routine.

Keep track of your progress
There are a ton of free apps that make it easy. But you can also just write down what you do each exercise session.

Don't expect perfection
A huge pitfall is the "all or nothing" thinking. If you miss a workout, NO WORRIES! Just pickup where you left off.

Don't compare yourself to others
I used to be aware that I was NOT aware of my size. So much so, I had asked my spouse to let me know if I was bigger, smaller or the same size of random people that we would see in public. It is SO easy to get discouraged when you get to the gym and see all of these buff people doing their thing. Trust me - leave it alone. It doesn't matter.

Get support
Share your plans with a few people: spouse, close friends, family - whoever. They will certainly offer words of encouragement. You can also join online groups and will find LOTS of encouraging people there. You can also do what I am doing - start blogging about how it is going for you and the things you learn along the way. I have gotten a LOT of encouragement from TOTAL strangers! Thank you to all of you that have sent me words of encouragement or have founds some encouragement in my blog.

Find the fun in it
There are SO many activities you can choose from - try them until you find one you find fun. My mother (who would shoot me if I said her age in a public blog) has found a class that she simply loves. We talk 3-4 times a week - and every call includes a recap of her last class workout. She is having a BLAST!

Break it up
Exercise (like calories) is cumulative. That means that if you only have time for 5 minutes worth of activity, it still counts! Grab the time when you can - with confidence - that every little thing adds up!

Forget the past
Some people have never had success with things that are "athletic". No worries - you are just exercising not qualifying for the Olympics. Leave any past memories where they belong - in the past. Focus on the new you.

Make it convenient
You don't have to get to a gym to work out. If you have cable TV, chances are there are exercise channels - some even on demand. And don't forget, there is ALWAYS the brisk walk for a good filler workout. Even if the weather is crappy (it actually burns more calories if the weather is crappy and you slog through it).

If you have any tips that work for you - please share!