9781422286951

MOTIVATION Goals are good motivation to start and continue exercising, but there are other ways you can motivate yourself as well. Motivation is the de- sire and the willpower to keep yourself going. The more motivation you can give yourself, the better! Working out with a friend can make exercise more fun and safer, and give you a reason to keep going. If you promise a friend you’ll ex- ercise with him, you’re more motivated to actually do it and keep your promise. You can’t back out at the last minute without worrying you’re letting your friend down. And you’ll feel good that you’re helping to motivate someone else to also get healthy. You have more exercise options with a friend too, especially with equipment like medicine balls, which you can gently throw back and forth. Plus, you and your friend can keep an eye on each other while working out. If you’re working out with weights, having a friend along as a spotter to support you if also a great idea. Here are a few more secrets to getting and staying motivated to exercise: • Keep any exercise equipment you have out and visible. Put your floor mat and exercise ball somewhere you can see them all the time. They’ll remind you to work out. Then there’s no excuse for forgetting! • Make working out part of your schedule. If you have after-school activities on Monday and Wednesday but not on the rest of the days of the week, plan on working out on Tuesdays and Thurs- days after school. You’ll have to consciously think about doing it for a few weeks, but then it will become a habit. Taking a shower or brushing your teeth are activities that probably don’t take a lot of thought; they’re just habit—and the same can be true of your workout too. • Change it up to make it fun. You might get bored of the same old workout routine week after week. Once you notice yourself

Making a Plan to Strengthen Your Core

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