Finding the Power: Effective Workouts and Rock-Solid Motivation

Why do many people abandon their fitness plans? The answer is simple: Working out is difficult. At least, it seems overly difficult to many, and they allow their self-doubt to take over. But exercise can be highly manageable, even enjoyable. You just need efficient techniques for maintaining your fitness routine. In other words, stick to the following pieces of advice and bid your flab farewell.

Few exercises burn as many calories, work as many muscles, and strengthen the cardiovascular system like running. And running is great for taking in scenery, breathing fresh air, and spending time with friends and relatives who also run.

The secret to running is the slow build. If your plan is to instantly start running several miles daily, you're bound to be overwhelmed, and you might injure yourself. Thus, start by jogging – or just walking – on a treadmill. Gradually, day by day, increase your speed and the length of time you spend on the machine. When you feel up to a jog of, say, a half mile out on the road, give it a try. Now that you're outdoors, do the same thing you did on that treadmill – slowly and in small increments increase the length and intensity of your runs.

Another secret to running is consistency. Run four or five times a week no matter the weather, your mood, or anything else. Run, run, run – accept no excuses.

Completing as many repetitions of as many exercises as you possibly can each day is not a good way to build muscle. Rather, it's a good way to hurt yourself. Always exercise rationally. That is, perform a maximum of an hour of exercise per session, and only four or five sessions per week. Allow your body to rest and recuperate after rigorous routines. Additionally, make sure that your weight-resistance exercises are targeting the body parts that most need toning.

Exercise is critical to a healthy lifestyle, but you won't achieve the body you're seeking through exercise alone. You must watch what you eat. So take the following dietary tips to heart:

• Eat seven or eight small "meals" every day, rather than three large ones.

• Load up on fruits and vegetables.

• Go light on carbohydrates.

• Consume protein in the form of lean meats, Greek yogurt, and almond butter.

• Bake and broil your meats – don't fry.

• Stay hydrated by drinking a minimum of eight glasses of water every day.

You can also nourish yourself with bodybuilding supplements. Nutritional supplements – which can come in the form of powders, capsules, or bars – build muscle and bone mass and fill in any nutritional gaps in your diet, among many other benefits.

As with many aspects of life, to succeed at a fitness program you must be in the right frame of mind. You have to believe in yourself and your abilities; as often as possible, envision the results of your diet and your workouts.

Fortunately, there are ways to increase your levels of confidence and motivation. Different strategies work better for different people, so some experimentation might be in order to discover what works best for you. Some of the most potent methods of motivation-boosting include the following:

• Meet regularly, or speak on the phone, with someone you admire, a person who can offer sincere words of encouragement and talk you through your fitness obstacles.

• Read books or peruse websites offering tips on how to stay engaged when it comes to exercise.

• All around your workout station, display pictures of models or celebrities with super-toned physiques.

• Hang photos of how you used to look, or how you look now, to steel your resolve.

• You could even hang a picture of someone you don't like, such as an obnoxious classmate or coworker. When you see that person's face, it might inspire you to work out harder. That's because you'll imagine how, in the future, you'll be able to show off the results of your work to that individual.

As a final note, always bear in mind that today is a new day, a fresh start. Happily, it's never too late to start eating right and working out.