Physical activity is essential for maintaining good physical and mental health. Whether it's to reduce sedentary behavior (nearly 40% of adults spend more than 7 hours a day sitting or lying down (excluding sleep), and 50% spend between 3 and 7 hours a day in these positions[1]) or to feel good about your body, the important thing is to stick with it!
However, it can be difficult to stay motivated all year round, so here are a few tips to help you stay on track:
❤️Find an activity you enjoy [2]: this is the best way to feel like doing it and stay motivated! Do something you enjoy so that it doesn't feel like a chore or an obligation, but something you do for fun. Walking, running, swimming, climbing, dancing, CrossFit... Try lots of different things to find what inspires you.
👫Find a workout buddy: this could be a friend, family member, colleague, or even a coach. Having someone to share your progress and challenges with, who can give you a boost when you need it, can be a great way to stay motivated.
🎯Set achievable goals to stay motivated over time [3]: it's important to set measurable and achievable goals. For example: go running twice a week, do 30 minutes of exercise every day, go for a walk at lunchtime, etc.
💪Challenge yourself: stay motivated with challenges! They will give you an extra reason to exercise and a concrete goal to achieve. For example: participate in a 10K race, go on a 20K hike, hold a plank for 1 minute, etc.
🏃♀️Exercise outside your daily routine: trying new physical activities or new places can help you stay motivated. Go running in a new park, try an outdoor sport, take a trial class at a gym, etc.
🏆Reward your efforts: when you achieve your goals or when you've done your best, don't forget to reward yourself! It can be something simple, like a massage or a good book, but it will help you feel good and motivate you to keep going.
👌Don't be too hard on yourself: it's important to give yourself time to recover and achieve your goals. If you're too hard on yourself, you risk becoming discouraged and losing your motivation.
You now have all the keys to staying motivated all year long and getting regular exercise. Remember that exercise is important for your physical and mental health, so take care of yourself and have fun!
SOURCES :
[1] Etude de santé sur l’environnement, la biosurveillance, l’activité physique et la nutrition (ESTEBAN 2014-2016). Volet Nutrition. Chapitre Activité physique et sédentarité. Santé Publique France. Septembre 2017. Pp 58.
[2] Maltagliati, Silvio, et al. “Why People Should Run after Positive Affective Experiences Instead of Health Benefits.” Journal of Sport and Health Science, vol. 13, no. 4, July 2024, pp. 445–50
[3] Spiteri K, Broom D, Bekhet AH, de Caro JX, Laventure B, Grafton K. Barriers and Motivators of Physical Activity Participation in Middle-aged and Older-adults - A Systematic Review. J Aging Phys Act. 1 sept 2019;27(4):929‑44.