Great, you’ve learned about exercise and proper nutrition, you’re convinced about the positive effects, so how do you keep motivated. Staying motivated is one of the biggest problems that arise for both new and regular fitness persons. Use the following points to help you achieve your goals.
- Set Achievable Goals: Even if you do want to look like Arnold, start with a more reasonable and achievable goal. At first start with a goal you know you can meet. Make that goal and feel good about it, then set another. Reward yourself each time you reach your goal with some thing you like.
- Visualize Your Success: On days you find it hard to start your program, imagine how you look and/or feel on meeting your next goal. Picture yourself having made that achievement and then get to work. Alternatively visualize how you may look if you don’t keep up the good work.
- Monitor Your Progress: Keep a daily diary or log of your activities and progress. This will not only show a record of your success, but also serve as a reminder of all your efforts so far, don’t let them go to waste.
- Work-Out with A Partner: There is nothing like having some peer pressure to help keep you going. Find some one who is fun to be with and has their own fitness goals. Together you can enjoy some quality time and help motivate each other. Someone whom is fitter than yourself will generally be more motivational as you will try and keep up with them. Like wise somebody, who is not as fit as you, will give you a chance to excel, as you know that the other person will try and keep up.
- Watch TV or Video: Watch the news, your favorite soaps, sports or Eastenders to help pass the time and make even more efficient use of it whilst training.
- Play Your Favorite Music: Listening to music while you workout can help keep it interesting, relaxing and fun. If you don’t like the music they play at your gym, buy a personal stereo and play your own music at your own volume.
- Get Some Focus Reminders: Place a special picture, note or object where it will serve as a reminder of your promise and commitment to get and stay fit for living. A photograph of your family, a photo of how you used to look, good or bad, whatever makes you work.
- Don’t Push Too Hard &; Stay Hydrated: Unless your training for some athletic activity that requires otherwise, don’t work your self harder than necessary. If it hurts or is even uncomfortable then stop and do something different. Proper exercise does not require pain. Keep a water bottle handy, and take regular intakes of fluid, a dehydrated body, can not function properly.
- Dress Comfortably:Don’t worry so much about how you look, but more about how you feel. Dress in loose fitting, comfortable clothes that are made for working out. If you decide to wear a tracksuit keep shorts and T-shirt underneath, so you can take the tracksuit of when you get hot.
- Wear Comfy Shoes: Take care of your feet. Wear comfortable shoes that can breathe and offer support. You may want to consider a special pair of shoes you’ve set aside just for exercising. Wearing sports socks will also reduce the risk of blisters.
- Workout on A Set Schedule: You get up, you dress, you eat, you work, etc. Makes sure you program in your exercise time with as much concern as you do these other basic necessities. Manage the 168 hours well each week, and it will be easy to fit in some quality training time, because your life depends upon it.
- Start Today: RIGHT NOW!
Write down a list on a piece of paper all the reasons you have for not being able to do any form of exercise. Using the same list overcome all of these reasons to find out if it is only yourself that is preventing you from a healthier lifestyle.
- Don’t Feel Guilty: So you missed one workout, okay maybe it was a weeks worth, STOP feeling guilty or stressed out, relax don’t be hard on yourself, just back up one paragraph and Start Today, then read the next paragraph.
- Do Something: Every little helps, going to the gym three times rather than twice a week
is 50 % more, add that to walking around the office a bit more, or walking
to the train station for work, will all help your long term goal. If you can’t workout three times a week, then set a goal to do it only once or twice, achieve that goal and feel good about it.
- Review Your Priorities:Take time out to look at your daily activities and priorities. Are they what
you want? Is improved quality of life one of them? How badly do you want or need them?
- Create Variety in Your Program: Something about the spice of life…it’s too true. Variety in your fitness
program not only keeps it interesting and fun but also stresses different
muscles giving you a more rounded workout. If you walk around the block each day, try going the other way or simply on the other side of the street.
- Practice Positive Self Thinking: Your exercise time, is time for you. So double the benefit and use that time to strengthen your psyche as well as your muscles. Think about your strong personal attributes, how they have helped you in the past and how they will help you in the future. A healthy mind helps you achieve a healthy body.
- Play A Video Game: If it works for you, do it. Sit down on the exercise bike and cycle away
whilst trying to beat the highest score on the Nintendo.
- Use Equipment That Is Easy to Use: There’s nothing harder, then uncomfortable, ugly, poorly maintained
equipment to hinder your motivation. Buy equipment that is best for you, and easy for you to use. Make sure it is comfortable, wear your workout clothes and give the equipment a good try out before you buy, don’t clog out the garage with uncomfortable bikes and rowers. Locate it somewhere that is nice to be and make sure you keep it clean and in good working order.
- Problem Solve: Try using this time to solve some problem at work or at home. Sometimes the change in scenery will help you find an answer that previously escaped you. Take your phone out with you from the office, and walk around the block.
- Get the support from Friends and Family: People, who care about you will help support your goals, tell people what
you are doing, and as the more people who know, the more support you should get.
- Do a class:With a number of various classes around you can easily find one suited to
your own fitness requirements. Make sure that the instructor is qualified,
and before the class starts, tell the instructor that you are new, so that
this way they can monitor you.
- Pick a role model:Aim to achieve the fitness body of your favourite role model, you may not
achieve the same body as them, but at least you will improve your own.
- Congratulations: If you’re reading this, and then you must have read all the motivation tips, pick the ones you like, making use of them and enjoying a fitter healthier life.
