By Denise Piercy

Let’s face it; we all want to be a better version of ourselves. We make ourselves promises to do better tomorrow. 

“Tomorrow, I’m going to eat better.” 

“Tomorrow I’m going to exercise.” 

“Tomorrow, I’m going to be nicer to people and more patient.”  

Haven’t we all thought these things? I know I do. I think it is pretty easy to start some of these promises we make to ourselves. The difficult part is keeping at it. Any type of exercise is good for our bodies. Whether it be walking, running, lifting weights, tennis or stand up paddle boarding. Staying on a fitness routine is most difficult for most of us. Our busy lives exhaust us and constantly give us a myriad of reasons for not exercising today. I run and lift weights. But if that is not what you like to do, you can interchange any activity that you enjoy. I would say that I exercise because I know it is good for me but that is not my main motivation. That is the key! What is your motivation?  

Mine is mostly social. I run because I get to see my best friend. We talk the entire time we run together. We miss our conversations the most when we are unable to meet up to run. I guess we could meet for coffee but then we would lose the physical benefits of the run. The byproduct of this is exercise, of course. We feel better when we run, and are more patient and have less anxiety. With these reasons, you would think that it would be easy to continue. However, when the alarm goes off at 5:30 a.m., all I want to do is keep sleeping in my cozy bed!  But wait, I cannot do that; my best friend is on her to meet me to run. I can’t leave her waiting, so I muster up the energy to get out of bed.  And I am always happy I did every single time. I cannot say I have ever regretted getting out of bed to run.  I have found this is paramount to continue any exercise program. Have a partner who is counting on you to be there. 

Another really good motivator is having a specific goal event. It’s easy with running and walking because there is an event or two in our area each weekend. Studying for a test and then taking the test is like training for an event and then taking the test when you finish that 5k or any distance event. You are truly set up for success when you and your partner or partners choose a goal event together. You get to train together and have a good time together, too!  If I know I have my friend meeting me and we have to get in the miles for our “test” in eight weeks, I know I won’t miss my workout. Find your favorite activity and grab a partner that keeps you accountable. See you out there! ◆