I regularly go running and have done so for decades. It’s a great way to maintain fitness and health. I like the feeling of breathing deeply to get the oxygen into my blood and have it pumped at an elevated rate around the body. And then dripping sweat all helping to detox and revitalise the system.

It had been a while since I met my animal friends in the forest. So it was time to go for a run.

But it can require some motivation to actually get outside to run and to keep running. There is always the urge to take a walking break or turn back before having covered much distance. So we can use some psychological tricks to keep us moving. Here are some tips for motivation:

• Have a distance goal in mind. I use kilometers and may aim to run say 6 kms. Use a GPS App to monitor the distance (or your trusty time piece) so that you know how far you have run and how much further there is to reach your goal.
• Run uphill on the way out so that the return half is easier and you will look more like a fitness ninja on the return leg.
• Go via different routes so there are different things to see, not the same old stuff every time.
• Pick targets along the way to reach before easing off the pace such as telegraph poles, hotties waiting for you around the corner, or trees etc.
• Look forward to a great view during the run and take a photo to show off later on social media.
• Bear in mind that the first 10 minutes is often the worst part where your body may have odd aches and pains as you warm up or you feel exhausted already until you enter the Forest Gump Mode.
• Keep a diary of your runs so you don’t forget when your last run was and are well aware of when you ought to get out and run again.
• If you don’t feel like going for a run, just do it! Grudgingly put on your running gear, get outside and go. Turn back in 5 minutes time if you really don’t want to run (but of course you won’t).
• Look outside the window, it’s a great day and you are stuck indoors breathing stale air missing out on fresh experiences. Get outside and run!

So hopefully those tips are of some help. Maybe you are thinking that I missed some off the list such as running with a buddy, or listening to energising music? Well these can help, but I like to run by myself since I can run at whatever pace I feel like at the time, also I don’t need music in my ears, I want to hear the dog that is about to bite my leg, or the eco-car about to mow me down etc.

OK, so what shall we do now? How about going for a run?!