You’ve been working out for a while now. It’s been going well, you’ve been consistent, you’re eating well, and things seem to be going in the right direction. Then… a wall shows up. You’ve got a party to attend, a happy hour derails your consistent workout schedule, and the following day you get that feeling you haven’t had in a while…”man, that couch looks really comfortable after work.” Your motivation starts to slide, life has interrupted your plans and your scheduled workouts. It happens to the best of us (yes, even I have these feelings creep in once in a while, and I’m a trainer), that feeling of “eh, I don’t feel like it today” or “I’ve been good for a long time, I’ll just take today off.” This is the beginning of the end of reaching your goals if you don’t jump in and stop those thoughts right away.
So here are a few tips on how to stay motivated to keep working out and striving for those goals!
#1 Keep A Diary
Keeping a diary of your food journal has shown to be more effective than just winging it. So why wouldn’t an exercise journal be the same? Keeping an exercise journal will allow you to go back to where you started and see how far you have come now with your exercises. Maybe your started at 1 push-up, and now you can do 300! Look at you!
#2 Try New Activities
Trying a fun and new activity is a great way to stay active while keeping your activities fresh and exciting! Now, this doesn’t mean you skip your scheduled lifting session with your trainer (You better not cancel on me…) in order to go do something fun. BUT, on those off days it is a great idea to do something active that you enjoy. For example, instead of hitting the treadmill for hours on end, try going for a bike ride with friends, or find a place to play some pickup basketball. Try looking into meetup.com for a fun activity like soccer!
#3 Give Yourself A Reward
Science has proven that a reward will keep you motivated and reaching for those goals. And, obviously, who doesn’t want a reward? So, try telling yourself that if you get through this month of workouts you’ll get a new workout outfit, or a pair of shoes. If you think new shoes don’t make you want to hit the gym, then you haven’t bought shoes since your parents where paying the bill…so,you’re still wearing those old shoes huh? Trust me, this one works.
#4 Swimsuit Season
I’ll keep this one short, Swimsuit season. You want to look good in that bikini or speedo right? If you’re going to wear a speedo you better be in shape guys…seriously… Anyway, beach season can be a reminder or motivation during the whole year. It is always around the corner, and everybody wants to look good when they throw on that swimsuit in front of their friends/family.
#5 Your Why
I saved the best for last. Remember why you started in the first place. What is the reason you started to workout in the first place? Did you just want to look good for summer (refer back to #4)? Did you discover some health issues that were becoming serious or life threatening? Write down your “why” on sticky notes and put them in places where you will see it. On your fridge, in your daily planner, or even better create a background on your phone and computer with your “why” on it. Think about how many reminders you would get if it was on your phone background. I look at my phone about a million and a half times per day, that’s a lot of reminders!
Bonus #6 Get A Workout Buddy/Hire A Trainer
Having a workout buddy or someone who you have a time scheduled with to meet at the gym will help to keep you accountable and make sure you are actually making it to the gym. If you are working out on your own, finding someone to go to the gym with you, can make a huge difference on those days that you aren’t “feeling like going” to the gym. You’ve got it on the schedule already and you can’t just leave that other person hanging to be on their own at the gym! Play up the fact that you don’t want to disappoint your buddy or trainer by not showing up, or coming up with some lame excuse as to why you won’t be working out today. If you can’t find a buddy to join you, or you are ready to commit to a trainer give me a shout here.
I hope you find a little value in some of these. These are just a few examples. Finding something that works for YOU is something I can’t tell you. You have to determine which options work and which don’t. If you need some help, that’s what I’m here for, just let me know how I can help you!
Stay Motivated!
Z
