Q:  “I NEED MOTIVATION! So, because of this, here is a bold suggestion or maybe you can direct me.  I need a healthy but competitive motivational contest (healthy being the objective word) perhaps an Indiana “Biggest Loser”…Is there are group of people out there who want motivation and a little bit of healthy competition? I just need more than me, and I know there are viewers out there that would join this fight if they had another person in the same fight…Any suggestions??”

A:  Finding the motivation to exercise can be difficult and is often something we continually have to work on.  Healthy competition is a great way to stay motivated and keep track of your accomplishments.  Many of us have seen TV shows and other programs that show serious results when people are placed in a competition that expects results.  Although some programs aren’t formatted to fit into everyday-life situations, there are many that provide great tools to get a competition going among co-workers, friends, or even just with yourself.

Here are some of my favorites:

Shape Up the Nation  www.shapeupthenation.com

Weight Loss Wars  www.weightlosswars.com

Weigh Ins  www.weighins.com

Other social sites and forums like SparkPeople.com and INShape Indiana’s www.wereinshape.com are also great places to share your story and communicate with others.

Other ideas:

Sign up for local race and train with a friend. 

Pick up your old high-school sport by taking a few lessons and joining a local league.

You’ll find that even the tiniest bit of healthy competition can be a great motivator.  You don’t have to be on a TV show or travel to a weight-loss camp either.  Just find a few friends who want to get healthy and make it something you work towards together!