Music

It is finally summer and that’s usually when I run around the mountain here in Montreal. I haven’t been exercising in a while so my body and stamina are a bit out of shape. Today I’m going to share with you how I get motivated and get back into shape using cardio.

Music – I’m pretty sure everyone enjoys music, and it makes a huge difference in motivation when it comes to exercising. I recommend songs that have a high BPM (beats per minute), which is a technical term for how fast the song’s beat is. This will get you in the running/jogging mood even if you are really tired/lazy. I have playlists that I make on iTunes prior to running in order to gain the maximum amount of motivation from the music.

Clothing – This one should be a little bit more obvious. I like to wear a white plain T-shirt and gym shorts and my running shoes. Shoes really make a difference, I am currently using Nike shox. I tried my friend’s Saucony shoes and they were much better for running, because they offered more cushioning.

Buddy system – Having a buddy for exercise really helps out. When you are not in the mood the buddy could be, and vice versa. This will really keep you motivated and eventually get you in great shape. The only warning I have here is make sure that you and your buddy have similar goals in mind or else this can be worse than not even having a buddy.

Markers – According to all the treadmills I have used over the years, to burn the most fat you must change up the speed of your run. Most fat loss cycles are about three to four minutes of running then followed by a minute or two of walking. So when I go out running around the mountain I use markers to try to imitate those fat loss routines. I use audiovisual markers such as waiting for the next song to start, or passing a specific tree or traffic sign to make me start running. When I don’t feel like running I use this method the most and it actually works; believe it or not. Below is an example of a traffic sign that I would usually use as a marker.