Stay Motivated All Year With These Easy Fitness Tips

MISSION, KS--(Marketwire - Dec 8, 2011) - (Family Features) In 2012, millions of people will make a vow to lose weight or start a fitness plan, but many will lose the motivation it takes to sustain a fit and active lifestyle within just a few weeks. With the right tools and support though, finding motivation to stay fit can be a snap.

Father, New York Times Best-Selling Author, and "Extra" TV host Mario Lopez finds his motivation to stay fit using the techniques of his personal trainer, Jimmy Peña. Now, Peña wants to help people keep their fitness vows using the same techniques by offering these simple tips to maintain motivation all year long:

Start Small - If you haven't been active in a long time, don't stress your muscles by doing too much too fast. Start slowly by taking the stairs or squeezing in a 20-minute jog on your lunch break.

Build Up Endurance - Track your progress and continue to build upon your exercise activities -- whether you're running or jogging a route, walking a path, biking, swimming or weight training -- to push yourself a little farther each week.

Grab a Partner - "You can improve exercise performance by having a partner who pushes you to your limits. But if you prefer to workout solo, the built-in audio trainer in the new MOTOACTV from Motorola can provide motivation. It's like having a personal trainer right in your ear," says Peña.

The new device tracks fitness stats including time, distance, heart rate and even calories burned. Then, upload your workout to www.motoactv.com to analyze the performance data tracked by the device -- and challenge your friends to beat your latest stats. "A little competition can be a big motivator," explains Peña.

Mix it Up - It's important to make a fitness schedule and stick to it, but that doesn't mean doing the same routine over and over. To stay motivated, try changing your workout. From walking to running to cycling, you can always find a new activity to challenge yourself -- and you can bring MOTOACTV with you. Sweat-proof and rain-resistant, this device also features a scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass display. You can wear it on your wrist, clip it to your shirt, or purchase a mount to attach it to your bike during an outdoor ride, making it easy to change up your activities to keep you interested (sold separately).

Turn Up the Volume - "Music is key for most of my clients. When they're running out of steam, the right song can help put them on track to meet their fitness goals," says Peña. Creating playlists of different music that keeps you motivated for different types of activities can really help keep you going. Remember to refresh playlists, as you can quickly tire of the same music.

"MOTOACTV is a personal trainer and a DJ all at the same time," says Lopez. "It tracks all the data I need -- from pace, heart rate, distance, miles logged, and it plays all my favorite music. It even knows the music I perform to best, which I have never seen before."

In addition, users can stay tangle-free, since the device allows you to enjoy a completely wireless workout via stereo Bluetooth enabled headphones, sold separately.

For more information on the new MOTOACTV from Motorola, visit www.motoactv.com.

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