Motivation is a mental muscle

What if I told you that getting motivated is not much different from going to the gym and hitting the weights? You may be thinking to yourself that there is a big difference between a weight rack and getting motivated. In fact, if you’re like most people, you probably assume that you already motivated enough.

I’m really not surprised if this is your mindset because this is the conventional wisdom. The understanding that most people have is that if you resolved to show up somewhere for eight hours in a day, maybe by punching a clock and putting in the time so you can get paid every two weeks, you are motivated enough.

Well, the problem is, that’s not motivation. That is obligation, not motivation. You just basically set up an appointment and you show up. Big deal. Where is the victory in that? Motivation is required for success because anything worthwhile in life is going to come with all sorts of challenges.

For the knight in shining armor to walk away with the princess and the chest full of gold, he has to slay the dragon first. The dragon surrounds the princess and the chest full of gold. That dragon is the challenge. Well, the same set-up applies to your life.

Whether you’re studying to become a medical doctor, a lawyer, or you’re trying to reach the top of the corporate ladder at your place of work, you are going to be confronted by dragons in many different forms. The question is, are you willing to do whatever it takes for however long it takes to slay that dragon?

This is a problem because most people do not want to be challenged. Most people are so afraid of coming up short that they don’t even try. I’m telling you, motivation is a mental muscle. You have to put yourself in a situation where you are forced to be motivated. You must use it. That’s how it gets stronger.

Now, at first you will probably fail. Welcome to the club. You think you were able to lift 300 lbs the first time you showed at the gym? Of course not. But the more you use your mental muscle, the stronger it gets. The more you challenge it, the more capable it becomes. The more you put stress on it, the more it grows.

Physical muscles get sore quick-especially if you have just put a tremendous amount of stress and pressure on them the first time. You simply are not used to it. Your muscles seem to be crying out for relief. It’s too tempting to give in and take the easy way out. This is the worst thing you can do. The best option is to just keep stressing your muscles out. Don’t underestimate your personal ability to physically adapt to whatever punishment you put yourself through. You can do it. In fact, most people hitting the weight rack the first time work through their sore muscles fairly quickly. The secret is not to give in and stop. Just keep going and keep at it.

If this is the truth with your physical muscles, this is also the truth with your mental muscles. To figure out how to do this the right way so you can achieve success on a systematic and methodical level, click here.

3 Breathing Exercises to Boost Your Energy

Breathing is one of your most critical bodily functions. The simple act of breathing can have a substantial impact on both your emotional and physiological states. Conscious breathing exercises can help to rebalance your mind and body and boost your energy levels. Practicing the following mindful breathing exercises can re-energize, re-focus, and reconnect you.

Deep Breathing Exercises

Practicing deep breathing throughout the day can not only relax you but can help you to release the stress that builds up throughout the day. Start by placing your tongue so that it is touching the roof of your pallet. Take a deep breath, slowly inhaling through your nose. Count to six, and hold your breath to the count of three, then exhale through your mouth for a count of six. Repeat for seven to 12 cycles.

Bellows Breathing Exercises

Also known as the Breath of Fire, the bellows breathing exercise can help to calm your mind and relax you. Start by clearing your nose of any mucus. Sit with your back straight and your mouth closed. Place your tongue on the roof of your pallet. Begin to rapidly and forcefully breath through your nose for 12 breaths, ending in a long deep inhale and exhale. Rest while breathing normally, then repeat the process seven times.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

This breathing exercise is known to help lower blood pressure, alleviate depression, and reduce mood swings, all of which can contribute to low energy and fatigue. Clear your nose of mucus and sit comfortably with your back straight. Close your mouth and touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Place your pointer finger on your right hand over your right nostril and deeply inhale through your left nostril. Count to six, then hold your breath for a count of three.

Place your left pointer finger over your left nostril and exhale through your right nostril for a count of six. Hold your breath for a count of three. Keep your pointer finger over your left nostril and inhale deeply for a count of six. Hold your breath for a count of three, then place your right pointer finger over your right nostril and exhale through your left nostril for a count of six. Repeat the process for three to five minutes, alternating your breathing through each nostril.

You can practice these three breathing exercises interchangeably as needed. Practicing these breathing exercises on a regular basis will help to increase your energy and vitality.

5 Exercises To Maintain Your Mental Toughness

What do we mean exactly when we say “mental toughness?” What is the association between physical exercise and the resilience of your mind? The body and the mind are closely related and one certainly affects the other.

Mental toughness is a measure of your ability to bounce back from setbacks. If you don’t take care of your body you will lack essential cognitive skills such as creativity, the ability to focus and memory recall.

Have you had bad days when everything seemed to go wrong? You decide to go for a walk and in no time you notice that something in you is changing - you feel lighter, you are able to see things from a different perspective and concerns diminish.

1. Walking to achieve Optimal Mental Strength

Walking at a constant, steady pace promotes wonderful changes in your brain. Many studies encourage walking less than thirty minutes a day to reduce certain mental problems, avoid depression and enhance the quality of your life.

The simple constant and regular movement during this half hour sets our heart “in motion”. You will flood your body with oxygen and in particular your brain. Walking releases tension and will help to bring those calm brain waves into play! These allow us to attain that level of consciousness which allows us to be more receptive to the world.

2. Smile, a wonderful Therapeutic Exercise

You might surprise yourself and even fail to believe when you smile it is therapeutic and will fill you with positivity. Simply smiling will make a real difference to your mental state. You only need to smile and your brain sends you back a torrent of endorphins.

It is as if you reconnect or regain a perspective on reality. This will allow you to disconnect from everyday stress. For this reason, do not hesitate to smile every day. When you feel exhausted, just smile in the mirror. See yourself and perceive what is happening inside of you.

3. Deep breaths 3 times a day

Stress leads to unbalanced and accelerated breathing and prevents the brain from getting the right amount of oxygen that it requires. In addition, any situation of stress or anxiety releases cortisol, which is a hormone that in high doses can negatively impact your mind and body.

To avoid problems with stress be sure to participate in deep breathing exercises.

· Three times a day practice your deep breathing for 15 minutes

· When you breathe in count for 5 seconds. Hold your breath for 7 seconds and then exhale for 8 seconds

· Keep doing these deep breathing exercises and you will see great improvement

4. Stretches in the Morning

Morning stretches will help you to maintain your mental strength as you learn to “relax” your body. In other words, it will provide your body with relaxation, elasticity, resistance and more.

Get up a little earlier in the morning and start with some gentle stretching exercises. They should focus on your neck area, shoulders, hips and lower back.

5. Lifting Weights

You will find it very therapeutic to participate in simple resistance exercises. The aim with these exercises is to reduce anxiety. To release negative emotions such as worry, apprehension and fear spend around 10 to 15 minutes each day lifting weights.

This moderate intensity resistance exercise will not only allow you to gain stronger muscles, but will also help you better channel rage, frustration, anxiety and other negative emotions. When you use all five of these simple exercises you will have more agile mental strength day after day! In addition, you will be prepared to face daily challenges.

3 Safe Tips For Abdominal Exercises For The Obese

Everyone wants the tight ab look that we see on movie stars and athletes. When people think of how to get tight abs they almost always think of sit ups or crunches. That is only half of the equation though.

The truth is that no matter how strong your abdominal muscles are, if they're covered by a layer of fat no one will see them. To get great abs you need to combine exercises that will tone your abdominal muscles as well as help you increase your heart rate and lose fat. If your are obese you will have added challenges, but there are some abdominal exercises for obese people that can help.

It's important to keep in mind that your abdominal area consists of several different muscle groups. You have lower muscles, upper muscles, and oblique (side) muscles. To get a really hot midsection you'll need to do different exercises so that you are targeting all these areas.

If you are really overweight it may be difficult to get down on the floor and work your abs. Not to worry, though, there are easy ab workouts that you can do standing up, you won't lose any effectiveness but you will save a lot of wear and tear on your back and knees.

Here are some ideas of standing ab exercises that you can try today, just make sure you talk to your doctor first to make sure it's ok:

1. The first standing ab exercise you can try is to stand with your feet shoulder width apart, raise your arms straight above your head, slowly lower your arms while simultaneously raising one of your knees, keep your leg and arms at a 90 degree angle, put that leg down while raising your arms back up and alternate the same thing with the other leg. Do at least 30 sets on each side.

2. Stand with your legs shoulder width apart, take a step forward with one leg, carefully lift the leg that is forward a few inches off the floor, slowly make circles using just your foot - try to keep the leg still and straight, make 20 circles in one direction then (using the same foot) circle 20 times in the other direction, than alternate with the other leg.

3. Stand with your legs shoulder width apart, hold a 10 to 20 pound dumbbell in each hand, slowly lean to one side keeping your legs straight - this move should only involve your obliques (side abdominal) muscles, after you've completed 20 reps on one side, do the other side.

It's not that easy to learn how to do an exercise just by reading an article, but these standing abdominal exercises I've listed above will give you an idea of where to start. Just remember that even if you are very overweight, there are still abdominal exercises for obese people that can help you tone those all important ab muscles.

Talk to your doctor before you start any exercise plan and if possible find yourself a personal trainer so that they can watch you and make sure you are using the proper form, otherwise you may injure yourself and that will only slow down your weight loss efforts.