Jogging has a range of health benefits, and it is an activity that be quite easily incorporated into anyone’s lifestyle. All you need is a little bit of time and some running shoes. That’s it, the rest is just all about putting one foot in front of the other, and here are some ways to avoid the mundane chore feeling that regular exercise can quite often bring.
Don’t Ignore It
Firstly, don’t try to pretend that the last run you went on felt like a chore and put you off want to go again for a while. The fact is that everyone who exercises regularly has days, or weeks, or months where their regular exercise routine, whatever that is, feels like a chore and becomes incredibly mundane. The only thing that keeps people lacing up those running shoes is goals.
Set Achievable Goals
A goal should not be a destination at the top of a mountain. Perhaps you can have an overarching goal that will take a long time to achieve, and that’s fine, but you should never make an end goal that is a destination, for two reasons – firstly, if you have an end-goal then once you achieve it you have nothing more to work towards and can feel lost or disempowered. Secondly, if you have a far-off end-goal that feels like a mountain, then climbing after that goal will feel almost unachievable.
Instead, you need to have a series of goals driven by an overarching motivation. Make small goals that keep in line with your overarching goal, motivation, dream, but keep the small goals achievable, realistic, and tangible. If you really want to lose weight, get fit, and be able to enjoy running regularly, then having a goal of running a half-marathon at the end of a year gives you something real and tangible to hang onto and work towards. When you know where you’re heading, it’s so much easier to figure out how to get there.
Run and Learn
Podcasts are a great way to keep your runs interesting and keep your interest. If you listen to a podcast episodic series or informative talks, then you are much more likely to look forward to your next run so you can listen to the next episode. This can be a great way to give your brain a break from everything else you have going on in your life and learn about something new, or listen to something entertaining while also getting your daily dose of exercise in. Jogging should be all about taking some time out of the day to do something beneficial for yourself, so why not couple that with an entertaining podcast – there are so many great ones to choose from!
Gratitude
A lot of people talk about gratitude and positivity, and most of the time it makes sense. We should complain less, and be grateful for all the small but special things in our life. We should be glad every morning that we wake up, because one day we won’t. And we should be so grateful that we have the ability to throw on a pair of running shoes and get out into the open and run through the city streets, because one day we won’t be able to.
For many other people around the world, having the freedom to do that is a dream. So instead of whining and grumbling about ‘having’ to go for a run, switch your mindset and look at it from the other angle, that today you have been given the gift of being able to get out there and go for a run. Accept that gift and enjoy yourself.
So get your shoes on and get out there while you can. Enjoy the time to yourself, and work towards your fitness goals.