Anyone who knows me knows I love to exercise and stay active. Being a competitive swimmer for over a decade has instilled a drive in me to always want to be faster, better, stronger. Not everyone has that push or discipline so how do you motivate yourself to be more active?
Baby Steps- just because you joined the gym doesn’t mean you are obligated to go 5 days a week and put yourself through rigorous workouts. Pick a day and time you know will work for you and include it in your schedule; this way it becomes part of your daily routine and you’re not scrambling to squeeze it in last minute.
Expectations- People expect to see results instantly and when they don’t they become discouraged and stop going. This part is hard because everyone is looking for a quick fix to be fit you just have to remind yourself nothing worth doing is easy.
Goals- setting goals are great, but you have to be realistic. Pick a start date and end date for yourself-about 3 months. Take your measurements, a before picture- in a bikini- and your weight before you begin. I say this because we look at our body’s everyday, so just because you don’t notice the difference after a month doesn’t mean there isn’t one.
What you eat- it is not a diet it’s a life style. You are not changing your diet until you reach your goal weight; you are changing the way you eat forever. Eating right isn’t about cutting out all junk; you just have to eat it in moderation. Keep your meals clean all week- lots of fruits and veggies, protein and a few carbs- then have a cheat day. One day out of 7 treat yourself to whatever you feel like eating.
Find a buddy! – Even the most motivated people need a little extra push. Find a friend or someone at the gym to work out with. This makes all of the above so much easier to do. You will have set times to meet, workouts planned and you’ll even help each other eat right.
These are just a few ways to get you in the gym. I use all of them, especially the find a buddy it helps me get to the gym even when I have no energy to be there.
What motivates you? Tweet us @brillcomm and let us know.
Until next time,
Steph