Little Ways to Motivate Yourself

We could all use motivation, and it doesn't have to come from others. Sometimes the best motivator is yourself! It's your body and mind that's at work anyway. So here are some ways to boost your ego.

• Buy sticky notes and write yourself notes and leave them all over. I personally keep a few around a mirror in my room. Things like "you are beautiful" "smile" "keep up the good work" and other positive sayings can change your mood/mindset.

• Is there a shirt or outfit you've got your eye on, but doesn't quite fit yet? If you're working on a fitness goal, buy that item and save it for when it does fit as a reward. It will also motivate you just by seeing it hanging in your home to stick to your goals.

• Get a jar. For every visit to the gym, or physical exercise/activity you do, put a dollar in the jar. Set a goal, like $100, and then use that money to treat yourself to something nice. *New shoes are always great*

• Are you a technology fanatic? Then download a fitness app such as My Fitness Pal, Lose It, Weight Watchers, or Nike Training Club. There are tons more, so find the one that suits you best! If you're a visual person, having an app to track your progress will be very beneficial. Also having a pedometer or heart rate monitor is another great way to use technology with your fitness plans. I personally love my Fitbit for daily use, and my Polar heart rate monitor for the gym! Seeing the stats really gets me going.

• Hide the scale! Yes I said it. While seeing the numbers go down feels great, it isn't so great for your psyche. Especially if you become a scale addict and weigh yourself too often. The number can fluctuate so much that in the end, it will only drive you nuts. Also, if your goal is to lose inches, seeing what you weigh in pounds will not benefit you. Instead, buy a body tape measurer and check your measurements every week or every other week. Use a notebook to log your progress.

Workouts You Can Do Anywhere!

No gym required! No excuses! Even a little bit of movement is better than none, so don't use "I work too much" as an excuse. You can do these few exercises even in the office!

Here are 5 exercises you can do anywhere at any time! Do as many reps/sets as you can. Start off slow if you're not a very active person and increase over time.

Step ups:

Find some stairs and with one leg at a time, step up onto the bottom step, after both legs are on it, step down one leg at a time. Do as many as you can in 1 minute intervals.

Chair Squats:

Stuck at a desk all day? Well get up. Now sit back down. Make sure you are pushing your butt out as you lower yourself to the chair. Use the muscles in your quads to take the stress off the knees. Do 3-5 sets of 10 reps.

Calf Raises:

While standing around (perhaps waiting by the water cooler or the copy/fax/printer machine) have your legs together with your feet forward, keep your legs straight and raise up onto your toes and come down without your heels touching the floor. Do as many reps as you can. You can also vary these by doing some sets with your feet pointed outward or inward.

Wall Sits:

Get your back against the wall and lower yourself so your legs are at a 90 degree angle. Keep your back up straight and tighten your core while using the strength in your legs to hold yourself up. Try to hold for 30-60 seconds. Do 3 sets.

Push Ups:

Probably best to do this on your lunch break and not just randomly in the office, but whatever floats your boat! Push ups are a great move (if done properly! I'm talking to you people with your butts in the air!) to work some of the largest muscles in your body. Push ups work not only your arms, but your back and core! Do 3 sets them in reps of 5-10 depending on your activity level.