It’s not always easy to get your clothes packed and drive to the gym or to go right after a long day’s work. Sometimes, you simply want to skip your workout. That’s why knowing your personal motivation to get fitter is extremely important. In fact, it is the driving force that keeps you going especially when the going gets tough or your weight has plateaued. As a trainer, I help provide motivation, but only you can identify your ultimate motivating factor.
A motivation is a deep desire to see a specific outcome.
Did you have a health scare and suddenly your future looked bleak if you didn’t change some things in your life. That’s often a reason people start to workout, but a negative picture in your brain is never a good idea. Instead, focus on all the fun you can have, years from now, dancing at your child’s wedding or having an abundance of energy no matter what your age. Build a mental image of what you WANT, rather than what you want to avoid.
Keep your motivation in front of you.
No matter what your motivation, whether it’s to look better, feel better or have more energy, find a way to keep your motivation in front of you until all the changes that are necessary are habits. If you want to look great and feel great, find pictures that express what that means to you and put them in places you’ll see frequently. Take a before picture in a form fitting outfit and date it. Plan to take another picture in the same spot and outfit every month to compare. We can help you with healthy eating with our nutritional plan that includes meal plans that are easy to make.
Get a workout buddy and play with the kids.
While group training and our personal training program can help you stay motivated and accountable, if you’re working out on your own, get a workout buddy. Just knowing you’ll be meeting with someone and have someone to answer to if you don’t workout can help you exercise when you’d rather watch Netflix. If your motivation is having more energy and better health to be able to care for your family, include them in your fitness regimen. Spend time playing with the kids, whether it’s riding bikes, walking or shooting hoops, it’s both good exercise and good family time.
- Schedule your workout at the same time every day and include it on your calendar as you would any appointment. It helps get you in the habit of exercising daily.
- Focus on your progress. It doesn’t matter what your motivation is, knowing you’re headed in the right direction means keeping score. Track several types of things, beside pounds and inches, such as measuring your endurance. If you couldn’t run a block before and now three is easy, you’re progressing.
- Always focus on what you want when you’re trying to find your motivation and always look for positive changes. It doesn’t matter where you are now, always look forward to where you will be in the future.
- While looking at your motivation, also look at your excuses and reasons you can’t reach your goal. If it’s time, remember your energy level will be higher when you get fit and you’ll get things done more quickly. Find a positive change to counteract every negative reaction.
For more information, contact us today at Skin Sport Fitness