5 Ways to STAY Motivated To Exercise! {+ product review}

 

 

So, on my last post, (Tuesday's) I talked about some relatively easy ways for just about anyone to get a good work out in., and one of our lovely readers asked for a post on exercise motivation.

 

So here we are!

 

Now, before I go any further, you're probably wondering why I am posting when it's Abigail's day to post, and my day is Tuesday. Wellllllllll....I'm gonna be on vacation at the beach (ohhhh yeah!) for a week starting this Monday, so won't be doing any blogging. (I'll miss you guys!)

 

So. I'm gonna see if hopefully she (or one of the other sweet APOC ladies I work with) can post for me then, and I'm getting in my post today so I won't miss anything.

 

And before I get to the motivation tips in written form, I wanted to share a couple Pinterest graphics I found.

 

(Haha, so I thought this one was cute. Of course you knew that exercise is far better than any plastic surgery, didn't you? *wink*)

 

 So. You've found out some practical ways that you can get moving and burn calories. But now...you're lacking motivation to actually go DO it. You'd rather just go flop on the couch and read, or do something else which doesn't require sweating.

 

Unfortunately, reading doesn't burn fat molecules, and it never will, as awesome as it may be.

If you're lacking motivation than most likely you need to take a look at the whole thing from a different perspective.

 

So here are a few things you can do to find motivation to exercise, and STAY motivated!

 

 

1. This is the simplest of all, but for many women it works better than anything else. Look at yourself in the mirror. Close the bathroom door and look at your entire body...without any clothing. (Yes, this would be weird to do for no reason, but if you're about to get a shower, well, you're already getting undressed, right?) Most gals in today's society will look at themselves in disdain. I'll admit, *I* do sometimes, too.

Basically every girl has something about her body which she doesn't like, and she's probably not being completely honest if she says that's not true. (Obviously, this isn't really ideal - we're supposed to be thankful for the way God fashioned us - no matter how we look.) You know your body better than anyone else here on earth. Therefore, you'll be the first to notice progress you make physically, with your fitness. Now, I'm not saying you should spend hours in front of the mirror, loathing your appearance (or admiring, for that matter) but as painful as it might be to do sometimes, to just take a quick glance, it might possibly spur you to go take that run or jump on the treadmill. And like I said - you'll be the first to notice your body changing for the better, when you actually start working out! The mirror is your best friend when it comes to accountability; it never lies about what it sees.

 

2. Set up fitness goals, and reward yourself when you accomplish them! Start small, so you won't disappoint yourself by not finishing things because they were too much for you at that present time. (Of course, if you're like me, are overly ambitious and like going BIG, than maybe you'll want to challenge yourself a bit more by setting higher goals - however, unless you're SUPER ambitious and are okay with dumping hours into your exercise routine I'd not recommend this) The rewards can be just as simple as the goals - or, they can be a big deal! I'm not a big fan of food rewards, unless they're healthy ones. But I do know some people who will reward themselves with a bar of chocolate, or maybe some ice cream, once in a while. *grins*

 

3. Stay accountable. Find a sibling, parent or friend who will be your work-out pal and keep you accountable. You can help each other in a reciprocal relationship of encouraging and edifying one another in your fitness endeavors. On most days, it's usually a lot more enjoyable to go exercise with a friend. Take walking for example - you can have a lot of awesome discussions when taking walks/hikes! Once, my best friend and I walked around our driveway...dozens upon dozens of times. We didn't intend to do so JUST for the sake of exercising; but we figured that if we were gonna have a long chat, it'd be better to get some body movement in at the same time!

Having somebody keep you focused can make all the difference - and spur you to keep going, even when you don't feel like it. Not to mention, you can be a help equally to the other person, too!

 

 

4.  Ask yourself: Why are you exercising? Are you trying to get in shape for an upcoming event? Do you want to lose weight, sleep better, increase your energy, gain strength, add muscle tone and flexibility, or do you just want to feel better about yourself?

Always keep in mind 1 Corinthians 6:19 - "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" Our bodies are gifts from the Heavenly Father, and not to be treated carelessly! If you are follower and child of the King of Kings, than you need to act like one - and yes, taking care of your body is one of the ways we can do this!

My greatest, and sole reason to work out and stay in shape is because I pray that I honor YHWH with my physical body. When somebody asks me why I love to run so much, why I only eat things which are healthful to my system, I respond, "Because I want to take care of the temple God gave me." Since it's not even mine to begin with, only a loaned vessel, and housing the Holy Ghost, it's my duty to make sure it reflects its Owner! I want to be able to do anything that He might want me to do; and what if His will includes mission work or some other task which will require sufficient physical strength? I guarantee you, Jesus was not physically weak or flabby!

 

 

5. Get pinning - again. Now, I'll warn you - with the area of exercise motivation comes some immodest imagery, on Pinterest and Google. (probably most other sites, too) I searched "exercise motivation" on Pinterest and found the graphics I included in this post. There are numerous other inspiring quotes to do with this topic, and some of them can really get you wanting to work out - this very instant, wherever you might be. Just be forewarned, with the good comes some bad sprinkled here and there, and please know that I am in no way endorsing any photos of bikini-clad women in running shoes! (ew!)

 

 

I could go on with more things that inspire and motivate me personally on working out, but I think these should be sufficient for now. Do y'all have a need for MORE motivation? If so, I'd be okay doing a "part two" post; but personally I think there's a treasure chest full of motivation right in these five tips. If you're having a rough day, and not feeling up to getting outside and taking a jog, or doing anything physical for that matter, just try dwelling on 1 Cor. 6:19 for a bit. That should get you thinking - and hopefully, doing!

 

Oh yeah. And turning on some of your favorite energetic music usually helps.

-

 

 

 

Now once again on to the other half of today's post.

 

I was sent this set of sample perfumes from Bajmy some time ago and I'd never gotten to doing the review here.

 

The all-natural perfume oils came adorably packaged, and very professional looking. I thought the little cardboard fold-box was a great idea!

 

Oh, and the little green bag - perf.

 

 

Of course, the best thing was what was in the little green bag!

 

 

I was sent the Prim set. This featured samples of Bajmy's La Lu, Padma, and Natural Mystic perfume oils. I like how each was marked clearly - I'm sure I'd get them mixed up right away otherwise.

 

The scents are all very similar to each other, but if you really get a whiff of each, there is a slight difference.

La Lu is more light and flowery, even though it doesn't remind me of any flower in particular that I can think of.

Natural Mystic is probably my favorite of the three; with its deep, spicy, incense-y, almost woodsy scent. It's the most potent of the three I think.

Padma is more in-between, not as light as La Lu and not as heavy as Natural Mystic. It has a pleasant smell too, and almost has tinges of citrus to it...almost. I can't distinguish what other scents are combined, in this one. Maybe some sort of spice oil like with Natural Mystic.

 

Overall, all of the perfumes are pretty long-lasting and they apply well. As stated previously, I can't distinguish actual notes of fragrance within them, for the most part. I do know that they smell nice, so I really don't care if I can't tell what exact different fragrance oils were added.

 

Each perfume is composed of jojoba oil and other natural ingredients, and is crafted by hand by Trish, owner of Bajmy's shop.

 

 

Check out the shop here if you've not yet - you can get the same sample packet I was sent here for just $12! Three different luscious oils, and in sample sizes so that even if you don't care for one, you didn't purchase a whole lot of it to begin with so it's not much of a loss! There are also other bath and body products and different varieties of perfumes besides just this set. So go give the shop a look!

 

Hope y'all are having a very blessed summer so far - I am! And thank you Trish for letting me review these lovely fragrances!

 

Note: I was sent these products from Bajmy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions remain mine and mine alone.