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Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano

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Fitness 

How to Stay Motivated with Your Fitness Routine

You’ve vowed to start that new exercise plan on Monday. That’s an important first step, but how do you make sure you can keep it going? 

“Exercising is beneficial to your overall health,” says Sujatha Subramanian, M.D., a family medicine physician on the medical staff at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano. “But the most common problem for people is staying motivated—to stay on top of exercise with a busy lifestyle.” Dr. Subramanian offers the following tips to help you stay motivated. 

1. Remember what matters. Exercising improves cholesterol and lipid levels, lowers blood sugar levels and blood pressure, and especially for older women, weight-bearing exercise is important for helping to prevent osteoporosis, she says. 

Remembering the importance of your health—and what you want to be able to accomplish in your life—can keep you on track. 

2. Be wary of goals. Most people want to lose weight when they start a program, she explains. “But they get de-motivated when they don’t see the scale move or they haven’t lost inches,” she says. “Don’t set too many goals at first. Just get into a program.” 

3. Make it fun. “Once you start enjoying it, you’re less likely to give it up,” Dr. Subramanian says. So, choose activities and sports you like. Don’t like running? That’s fine. Swim or bike instead. Play racquetball, join a soccer league or take dance lessons.  

4. Find a friend. Having a workout buddy can make exercise more fun. Take a walk with a colleague at lunchtime, Dr. Subramanian suggests. Or go to the gym with your spouse. Four-footed friends who expect a daily walk can be a great motivator too. 

5. Mix it up. “I tell my patients to not make fitness regimens repetitive because that can get really boring,” she notes. “Alternate between aerobic exercise and doing weights, for example.” 

6. Relieve stress. Stress may be at the root of weight problems, Dr. Subramanian says. This can cause you to overeat in addition to a number of other health problems. Consider yoga, meditation, tai chi or other methods to keep stress at bay, she says. 

Baylor Plano’s dietitians provide nutrition education on a variety of topics. Learn more about our nutrition services. For a referral to a physician on the Baylor Plano medical staff, click here.