your sport — running on Mondays, swimming on Tuesdays, hiking on Wednes-
days, and so on. Or you can vary your pace and terrain — walking fast and flat
one day, slow and hilly the next. Or you can try different equipment — using
weight machines one session and free weights the next. If you always use the
treadmill, expand your horizons by trying out the elliptical trainer or the rower.You can also pair activities that focus on different aspects of fitness. For
example, do yoga one day to work on your flexibility and engage your mind;
the next day run on the treadmill while watching Law & Order.Dress the Part
We’re not encouraging you to become a fitness-clothing junkie — or use the
lack of a new outfit as an excuse to skip a workout. But buying snazzy new
workout shorts or comfy new cross-trainers can really get you fired up
to work out. Plus, you feel like a workout pro, and you let your fellow exer-
cisers know you’re one of them.When Liz first started indoor rock climbing, she showed up in running shorts
and a t-shirt. She noticed that all the good climbers wore tank tops and long
sweat pants cut off at the bottom. Gradually, Liz conformed to the dress code
and found out a few things. For one, the “in” crowd was more accepting of
her because she looked serious about the sport. But more importantly, Liz
realized there’s actually a reason rock climbers dress that way: The long
sweats protect you from bumps and bruises. Cutting off the elastic at the
bottom lets you move your legs and feet more freely. And a sleeveless top
makes moving your arms easier.If you find yourself really digging a certain activity, research the gear and
equipment that you see everyone else wearing. A few choice items can put
you into the right frame of mind for your workouts.Keep Yourself Entertained
Combining exercise with life’s guilty pleasures can make your workout fly by.
Maybe you’ll enjoy your treadmill power walk more if you do it while watch-
ing reruns of Sex and the Cityor listening to the latest OutKast CD.These days, you have more opportunities than ever to keep yourself enter-
tained while you work out. Most gyms now have some sort of high-tech
entertainment system that gives you access to TV, radio, CDs, and even the
Internet. (We describe these systems in Chapter 9.)Chapter 27: Ten Ways to Stay Motivated 383