Bag of Tricks

I am so bad at sticking to exercise, but I think I’ve found a small motivation that works. I keep a jump rope on my kitchen counter. Every time I go into the kitchen, I have to use the rope enough to get my heart rate up. Not only is it a quick cardio burst but it also makes me think about grabbing a glass of water instead of a soda.
Amy Weinmeister
Hiram, Georgia

I think about how many people I whacked with my gym bag while I was on the subway. If I don’t go that day or night, I have to lug my gym bag with me again the next day. I exercise away all the dirty looks I got that morning. That does it for me.
Felicia Hudson
New York, New York

I sleep in my workout clothes, roll out of bed in the morning, and go straight to the gym. I don’t actually wake up until about 10 minutes into my workout, and by then I figure, What the heck, I might as well keep going!
Julie Vandercook
Snohomish, Washington

To Your Health

Three years ago, my doctor said, “Your sugar levels are elevated. To avoid becoming diabetic, eliminate refined sugar from your diet and start exercising.” That was motivation enough. Now I don’t feel well if I haven’t worked out at least three days a week.
Patricia Shoppell
Brielle, New Jersey

What motivates me to exercise is knowing that the Food and Drug Administration requires at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, just to lead a healthy lifestyle. I exercise not to lose weight but to keep my body functioning in the best way that it can.
Stacey Devers
Willoughby, Ohio

As sad as it is, my family’s medical history now motivates me. It was so easy before to think about how much I wanted to lose a few pounds…and then never do anything about it. My dad’s heart attack in October was a huge wake-up call for my entire family, and a few months later I started hitting the gym again. Now, when I’m trying to push myself to run that extra minute on the treadmill, I no longer think of how many calories I’m burning. Instead, I think about how much healthier I’m making my heart.
Jessica Rosenthal
Brighton, Massachusetts

Mirror, Mirror

What usually jump-starts a healthy lifestyle for me is an upsetting photograph of myself. All I need is one bad picture of double chins or a fat arm and I miraculously find my way back to the elliptical machine. And the great thing about exercise for me is that it also leads to healthier eating. (I don’t want to do all that work for nothing.)
Carrie Muhlstein
New York, New York

Put on a tight pair of jeans and look in a full-length mirror — it gets me every time.
Melissa Barnes
Ballwin, Missouri

Simple. I look at pictures of myself before I had the baby. It’s inspiration enough to get off the couch and get moving.
Bryn Mathison
Irvine, California

I keep in mind my last box of “skinny” clothes I refused to give up in our recent move.
Tiffny Weighall
Bainbridge Island, Washington

I’m older than most of the mothers in my son’s kindergarten class. I look at the other mothers in the auditorium at PTO meetings and in the parking lot when I pick him up and think to myself that I don’t want to look like the old, frumpy mom. And then I hit the gym.
Suzanne Lowry
Laurens, South Carolina