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Seven ways to stay motivated on the treadmill

January 21, 2013

Home treadmills are the perfect way to achieve a cardio workout that will get you on your way to better overall health. TRUE Fitness has a line of cardio fitness equipment that makes exercising both simple and enjoyable. Their durable equipment provides you with a smooth workout that’s easy on your joints and will provide you with comfortable workouts for years to come.

However, once you start breaking a sweat and fatigue begins to set in, it can be easy to simply reduce your speed and decrease the incline to make your cardio workout a bit easier. In doing so, you won’t be getting the best possible workout from your treadmill and the time and energy you set aside to exercise won’t be worthwhile. Here are a few ways to keep up that motivation so you end your workout feeling satisfied and more fit:

Keep yourself entertained
Some people prefer a playlist full of tunes to get them psyched about their workout. This can help keep you occupied on the task at hand and prevent your mind from thinking about how tired you are. If you don’t prefer music, try running in front of a TV while your favorite movie or TV show is playing. You could even schedule your workouts around the shows you want to watch. This is a great way to get your mind off of the intense workout and make the time pass faster.

Remember your goals
When you’re in the middle of running on the treadmill, don’t let your goals slip away. Remember the reason why you’re working out in the first place. Is it to be healthier? To lose weight? To have more energy? No matter what the reason, keeping this in mind can be a great motivator. You could even opt to write it down and have it in sight while you’re exercising. This way, you’ll always be reminded of how important your workouts are to you.

Grab a friend
It’s often easier to workout when you know your friend is breaking a sweat right next to you. As you walk or run, you’ll have some company to pass the time. Having a constant support system is a great way to stay motivated and ensure that you won’t miss a workout.

Log your progress
Each time you workout, write down what you did and how many calories you burned during your workout. Seeing your progress with your own two eyes can help prove to yourself that the hard work you’re putting into exercising is worth the effort.Treadmill Reviews suggested writing down how you felt after each workout. Reminding yourself how healthy and happy you feel after exercising can give you the encouragement you need to get through a tough workout.

Get halfway there
Instead of looking at your workout as a big chunk of time, Active suggested just focusing on getting to the halfway mark. By breaking it up into two parts, exercising can seem less daunting, and this approach can help you plan for the second half of your workout.

Get new workout clothes
Sometimes, simply purchasing new clothes or shoes to wear during your workout can motivate you. Runner’s World said two-time Olympian Shane Culpepper gets a new pair of shoes to break in when she wants to get excited about running again.

Think in terms of calories burned
According to Runner’s World, running just one mile burns about 100 calories. Get yourself motivated to run three miles by thinking of the exercise as burning off the few slices of pizza you had the night before. When you think of it like this, you can tell yourself that you’re making progress and continue to keep up the good work.