Top Ten Ways to Inspire People to Get Fit
 
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Jan. 20, 2004 –Are you struggling to come up with new ways to inspire friends and family members to become more active? The fact is, most people know they should exercise—they just need a little extra motivation to get started. Here are ACE’s top 10 ways you can inspire people to get fit.

1. Be a role model. Do others see you enjoying the benefits of being active? Set an example by inviting friends to walk with you or take an exercise class after work.
   
   
2. Make fitness fun. Some people prefer to play games rather than exercise. Make the idea of exercising a game in itself and offer rewards for participation or meeting certain goals.
   
   
3. Be both active and productive. Show friends and family that it’s possible to be both active and productive by doing activities that accomplish a task while also using some energy, such as walking the dog to the store to buy a newspaper, mowing the lawn, biking to work or walking to school.
   
   
4. Make workouts short and sweet. Who says exercise has to take up a lot of time? Knock out this excuse by showing others how easy it is to exercise in short blocks of time spread throughout the day.
   
   
5. Extol the benefits. Research shows that people who exercise live longer, healthier lives than those who don’t. In fact, exercise is the closest thing you’ll find to the fountain of youth.
   
   
6. Train for a charity event together. Get fit and raise money for a good cause. For some, it’s easier to be motivated to exercise if it’s done for a larger cause.
   
   
7. Set short-term goals. Encourage friends to reward themselves by setting—and achieving—short-term fitness goals.
   
   
8. Offer to be a workout partner. If someone knows you’re counting on them, they’re more likely to show up for workouts.
   
   
9. Use inspirational music. Nothing perks up a workout faster than upbeat music. Research shows that listening to one’s favorite music while exercising makes it easier to exercise longer and more intensely while making workouts more enjoyable.
   
   
10. Don’t preach, lecture or nag. The worst thing you can do is shame someone into exercising. Instead, create opportunities to exercise and make it as fun and enjoyable as possible.

About ACE
The American Council on Exercise (ACE) is a nonprofit organization committed to promoting active, healthy lifestyles and their positive effects on the mind, body and spirit. ACE pledges to enable all segments of society to enjoy the benefits of physical activity and to protect the public against unqualified fitness professionals and unsafe or ineffective fitness products, programs and trends. ACE accomplishes this mission by setting certification and continuing education standards for fitness instructors and through ongoing public education regarding scientifically sound health and fitness practices. For more information on ACE and its programs, call (800) 825-3636 or log onto the ACE Web site at www.acefitness.org.