6 Ways To Get The Exercise High!

HELLO!! HAPPY HAPPY first Monday of 2016 :D
How are you?! How's 2016 treating you so far?! Are you ready to kick-start your most amazing and healthy year ever?! I am!! WOOO WHOOO :D And, if you're just now deciding to CRUSH a goal or two or three...lol...remember, to be kind to yourself! Also, be realistic!! ALL OF US are a work in progress, which means we get there a little at a time, not all at once! That's the key to forming good habits that will last a lifetime!!

Today's post are 6 ways to get the exercise high! Lets start 2016 going STRONG!! Read on...lace up...bliss out :D
Even if you're not the biggest fitness fan, new scientific findings can help you get into that exercise HAPPY zone and unlock body benefits you didn't even know you were missing! Being a happier exerciser won't just keep you coming back for more, it'll spur you to do more!! According to a study in The Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, sprinters in an upbeat mood performed significantly better than their nonpumped counterparts. "When we're happy, our tendency is to want to achieve something quickly," explains study author Marco Rathschlag, Ph.D., something like, say, an all-out sprint. Better yet, becoming someone who smiles on the treadmill is easier than you think ;)
The following are research-backed ways to look forward to exercising...

1. PRIME YOUR MIND
During your warm-up, recall a happy experience, crossing a finish line, or playing with puppies, and focus on it for 1 minute, Rathschlag suggests. That's the technique that turbocharged the sprinters in his study. Compared with the other racers who were told to think about something anxiety-inducing, or with those who were told to have "neutral" thoughts (they were instructed to imagine brushing their teeth), the happy thinkers not only ran faster but also felt happier during the sprint. "If you're in a good mood, that state can be transferred from your thoughts to your exercise," Rathschlag says.

2. EMBRACE THE EFFORT
If you're used to exercising to a reality show to get you through, you may want to switch your focus. When scientists at Harvard asked 2,250 people to rate their happiness as they were engaged in certain daily activities, including exercise, they found that the participants were happier when they were thinking specifically about what they were doing (as opposed to letting their mind wander), even if they were doing something they found unenjoyable. "Most activities are more pleasant if you're engaging in them rather than trying to escape from them, and exercise is no exception," says study author Daniel Gilbert, Ph.D. To test-drive this at the gym, think about your breathing pattern, your heart rate, even how your quads feel on that uphill or the tremble in your biceps as you rep. "If you can see these feelings as signs that you're making progress toward your goals, you'll be happier in the moment," says Caryn Carlson, Ph.D., a positive-psychology researcher at the University of Texas.

3. CUE SOME HAPPY TALK
A study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that talking to yourself during a tough workout not only enhances performance, but also makes the exercise seem easier, which in turn should increase your enjoyment. "The important thing is to choose a word or phrase that resonates with you," says study author Samuele Marcora, Ph.D. Participants in the study picked 4 phrases, such as "Dig deep," "I can do this," "Keep going," and "Be strong." 2 that were appropriate for the middle of the workout and 2 that were more applicable toward the end, to buoy them. You don't have to literally say these things out loud to feel a lift; simply thinking the phrases works too, Marcora says.

4. FINE-TUNE YOUR PLAYLIST
To have music, makes working out feel more energizing. Choose songs with a range of beats per minute that's comparable to the heart rate you're aiming to achieve, says Carl Foster, Ph.D., of the University at Wisconsin - La Crosse, who has conducted numerous studies on music and exercise. Go to SongBPM.com to get the BPM for your favorite gym jams!

5. BUILD IN MINI VICTORIES
Setting a new goal, or more than 1, for every workout, instead of having 1 huge goal like "lose weight" or "get better abs," can help you extract more joy from it. "Mini goals increase the rewards," Carlson says. So, try breaking up your workout into parts: Think of a long run as a 5K plus a 5K plus a 5K rather than 9.3 miles, and each time you hit 1 of those "finish lines," you'll boost your happiness and motivation!

6. FIND YOUR FLOW
Italian researchers determined that exercisers with a "harmonious" mind-set toward working out are able to get into the flow of it, while those who are more "obsessed" with it as an obligation, miss out on the mental benefits. "Flow can be defined as the complete absorption of oneself in the present moment," says study author Fabio Lucidi, Ph.D. To get in touch with your harmonious side, shift your perception of working out from "must" and "need" to "want" and "desire." Eventually, Lucidi says, you'll find the fun in fitness!

Make 2016 ridiculously amazing...give these technique tips a shot and turn your workout into your new HAPPY hour :D
Have a PRODUCTIVE couple of days!
SEE YOU right back here on Wednesday!!