Ever wondered what the secret to a long and healthy life is? Well, it is actually just a combination of a balanced diet and proper exercise. By staying active, you reap multiple benefits aside from a longer lifespan. Regular exercise keeps your entire body, including your mind, in tip-top shape. In addition to making you look lean and fit, it helps reduce your risk of several serious diseases and enables you to sleep better. It is also a great way to socialize, especially if you join a fitness community and meet fellow fitness enthusiasts. 
However, if you have lived a sedentary lifestyle all your life, it might be difficult to integrate exercise into your regular routine. Interested in starting your fitness journey but don’t know where to start? Check out our tips below on how to make exercise a part of your daily routine.

Be More Self-Compassionate

Have you ever found yourself scrolling on social media and felt frustrated about your current body? It is easy to feel demotivated about getting into physical fitness, especially if your current daily routine is far from your favorite fitness influencer’s daily Instagram stories. But you have to remember that it does not happen overnight, so be kind to yourself. Studies have found that having self-compassion will help you stick to your exercise routine. If you feel down because you have not fully followed your workout plan or missed an exercise session, simply forgive yourself and correct your ways. Being kinder to yourself will lessen the risk of getting stuck and totally abandoning your exercise routine. So next time you find yourself in a rut, do not beat yourself up. Get up and get moving!

Join a Fitness Community

The thought of exercise can be quite daunting, especially if you are not used to it. It may sound like a very tiring activity or even a punishment, but it does not have to be that way. Integrating exercise into your life can be more fun if you join a fitness community by signing up for a gym membership. Fitness enthusiasts from Gymnation UAE explain that signing up for fitness classes is a great way to reach your fitness goal and meet like-minded people. When you are surrounded by people with the same goals, you become more motivated. 
After all, exercise is a social activity. Not only will you be able to finally get your dream body, but you will also make new friends who can encourage and support you. The good thing about being part of a fitness community is that you will not be stuck with just one or two repetitive classes; most gyms have multiple classes that you can sign up for. This way, you will not get bored quickly and will have more chances of meeting new friends.

Get a Fitness Tracker

You are now living in the digital world so take advantage of what it has to offer. One way of making sure you stick to your fitness routine is by installing a fitness tracker into your mobile device or by purchasing a fitness band and other wearable devices. It is easy to feel lost and uninterested if you do not see immediate results with your current fitness activity. If you want to be motivated, then you can try using a fitness tracker. A fitness tracker will help track your current progress and shows how well you are doing with your current workout plan. When you know where you currently are and how close you are to achieving your fitness goal, then you will be more motivated to keep on pushing through. 

Play Fitness-Oriented Video Games

Exercise does not have to be dull and boring. Another way of incorporating exercise into your daily routine is by playing fitness games. Recent studies have found that playing interactive fitness video games is a great way of making exercise as enjoyable and rewarding at the same time. Whether it is dancing, virtual tennis, or something else, you will surely see it as a fun way of staying fit without leaving the comforts of your home. 
You will also get a chance to meet like-minded people who are into fitness gaming. The fitness gaming community will also provide opportunities for you to join gaming tournaments and have a healthy competition with other players. Healthy competitions among your friends or other players from all over the world are also a good thing as this will drive you to do better and improve your exercise performance. 
To stay fit and healthy, you need to integrate exercise into your regular routine. Although it may be difficult at first there are plenty of proven ways to stay committed to your workout plan; it is just a matter of discipline and patience. In the long run, being physically active can surely provide you with multiple health benefits that go beyond the physical advantages, improving your mental and emotional wellbeing as well.

WRITTEN BY

Daria Brown