You probably know that you start to exercise and lose weight. We’ve been told over and over again that the best way to lose weight is to combine exercise with a balanced diet. And yet, many of us still struggle to workout as often as we should – if at all. Why?

Telling yourself to exercise and lose weight is easier said than done for many people because of the focus on long-term results. It’s hard to get out of bed at 5:30 to do a workout for days on end when it can take weeks to see a difference in how your clothes fit. What’s the solution?

How to motivate yourself to exercise and lose weight

Forget, for a moment, about losing weight. You know, logically, that weight loss will most likely be an end result, but you’ve already proven that far off results aren’t enough to get you exercising today. Focus, instead, on short term results. What are the immediate benefits of exercising? Some benefits of exercise you’ll see before weight loss include:

• Better night’s sleep
• Stress relief
• Improved mood
• Increased mental focus
• Sense of accomplishment

To take this a step further, find an exercise that you actually enjoy. Fun physical activities do exist, and finding them will help you stay motivated to exercise and lose weight simply because you’re enjoying the process. Some examples of exercises you might enjoy may include:

• Dancing
• Water aerobics class
• Any exercise class with friends
• Daily walks with your spouse
• Bike riding
• Joining a community sports league
• Playing outside with children
• Walking your dog
• Kickboxing
• Martial arts class
• Swimming

Find an activity that gets you moving to replace some of your sedentary free time. A few hours playing instead of watching TV is the perfect way to exercise and lose weight.