IMPROVING MOTIVATION- WHY AND HOW?
At the start of every new year, the majority of people resolve to be healthier. To get fit. To lose weight. This usually involves exercising more which is all well and good in January, but more often than not, our motivation gradually fizzles out, which is probably why you are reading this now.
If you want to feel healthy all year long, a high level of motivation is necessary. Not only will it help you get the most out of your workouts once you’re at the gym, but it’s what gets you there in the first place week after week. During the winter months, however, motivation lags for most people. The days get colder, shorter and darker, and the last thing you want to be doing is waking up early in freezing temperatures to go for a run or hitting up the gym after a dreary day of work.
Though your motivation will naturally change over time, they key is to find what really makes you tick when it comes to fitness and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, since that’s how you stay on track—regardless of your energy levels that week. You have to always re-evaluate why you want to train and why you want to improve. Your “why” is more important than anything.
If you put your mind to it, you can stay focused and motivated, and make keeping fit part of a healthy lifestyle rather than just a phase at the beginning of the year. Whilst a good personal trainer or coach can help you achieve that, here are some tips to help you stay incredibly motivated to reach your fitness and lifestyle goals, no matter what season it is.
WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS & MOTIVATION
Get specific about what you want to accomplish, how much time each week you’ll realistically spend at the gym and spend on your nutrition and lifestyle habits, and your main motivators for staying committed to your personal health. Be as clear as possible with exactly what your goals are and why you want each of them.
For example, most people want to be “healthier”, but you need to write down tangible ways that you could measure that at the end of each week. Perhaps it is better sleep, more energy, or improved BMI. Decide how many hours each week would get you there, ensuring you keep it reasonable to avoid burnout. This will help you keep pushing even on a week when you feel particularly unmotivated.
SHARE YOUR INTENTIONS AND SCHEDULE WITH THOSE WHO CAN HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE
Go tell someone! Tell a personal trainer, a coach, a family member or a friend of what you want to accomplish. Research shows that the more you tell about your plans to make change, the more likely you will stick with it. Tell people what you want to happen, what you expect out of yourself and ask them to check up on you.
If you can, form an online community. Create a Facebook group, WhatsApp group, write a blog, or utilise any other social platform you have so that you have to check in with others on a regular basis.
HIRE AN ONLINE PERSONAL TRAINER OR COACH
If you are completely new to working out, or if you’re a seasoned gym veteran and you have stagnated, seek someone who can help you. Hiring a personal trainer or coach who can deliver a proper assessment, specific program, and sound nutrition and lifestyle advice with valid scientifically underpinned modifications and progressions tailored to your goals. This will help you feel like you have greater purpose and more accountability, particularly on the days that you’re tempted to skip out.
They will help take the guesswork out of what you’re going to do each day, which can drain your energy before you even start your workouts/diet/lifestyle habits, and they will also challenge and encourage you to stay on track with your specific goals, by providing means to monitor progress. All these factors will help keep your motivation high.
CHANGE YOUR LANGUAGE
You likely think to yourself that you do not “have” to workout or change your lifestyle habits, but instead, try thinking that you “get to” and you are “able to”. Look at your workouts and habits as a gift- an opportunity to take care of yourself and push yourself so that you can be better in all areas of your life. Not everyone is healthy or fortunate enough to be able to move their bodies whenever and however they want, so be grateful and use them as much as you can.
Keep your self-talk positive so that your inner dialogue is helping you, rather than hindering you.
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH AMAZING PEOPLE
The people you workout with or diet with can have a huge influence on you. Make sure that they are encouraging, committed, motivating and fun to be around. Consider getting a regular training/diet buddy/personal trainer at your gym or in your neighbourhood, who you can meet for a few workouts or meal prep sessions each week to help keep you on track.
BUILD IN A REWARDS SYSTEM
This is a great tool to have in your back pocket for days that feel particularly monotonous.
Figure out an enticing reward that will push you to the gym or to practice your new lifestyle or nutrition habits. It could be buying a new piece of clothing that shows off a muscle group you’ve been working on, or it could be something as simple as a long and indulgent bath with your new bath salts. Keep that image clearly in your mind as you drive to the gym or begin practising your habits.
SUMMARY
Motivation is an extremely difficult emotion to keep in check most of the time. These tips highlighted above are my top suggestions on what I have personally found to help keep my motivation high and keep me on track to achieving my own personal fitness and lifestyle goals. Some of these methods may work for you, but some of them might not. Everyone is unique so you have to experiment and find what will work for you.
The biggest piece of advice that I can give is: DO NOT follow trends and do your own research! Some of the things you see your favourite instagrammer doing might not work for you. Your fitness and lifestyle routine should be tailored to your own goals and your body, and the key is to stay with what works and what will keep you dedicated. Your body and your lifestyle is your own experiment, so enjoy the process and do not get disheartened if you do not see the effects of your interventions immediately.
If you utilise the tips provided in this blog, I am confident that you will achieve your goals and keep that motivation high all year round.