It happens to every good athlete once in a while, so don’t be disappointed if you lose your enthusiasm and motivation for fitness. It typically happens when we reach a plateau in our goals. Those extra 5 repetitions remain frustratingly out of reach, we can’t reach the top of the hill without stopping to catch our breath or the needle on the scale refuses to budge. However, it is possible to become demotivated at any point in your exercise journey. Here are some tips and tricks to ensure you stay on track:
Set Realistic Targets
The key here is ‘realistic’. You might have a challenging goal that you are aiming for ultimately, but if you have a lot of realistic targets to hit along the way, you will be more likely to focus on the reward. For example, if your main goal is to one day run a marathon, you can start with targets at 10k, 20k and 30k. That 10k might come easily and then you can focus on the next step.
Get into a Routine
If you regularly visit the gym at the same time every day, then you are likely to keep going, even if you feel as though you’ve lost your enthusiasm. Make it part of your routine and get there, no matter what.
Mix It Up
Once you have your routine in place, mix it up a bit! Don’t do the same exercise class every day. In fact, you don’t even have to go to the gym every time – why not go for a scenic trek with challenging terrains or take the kids to play football in the park. Make it something you enjoy and you’ll be more likely to keep it up!
Buddy Up!
Drag a friend into your new healthy lifestyle and you’ll always have someone keeping you accountable. Even if you don’t feel like exercising, you will feel obligated to do it anyway, because you won’t want to let your friend down. You will also boost each other’s morale and it gives you someone to chat to! If you can’t convince someone to go with you, consider joining a sports club or class of some kind.
Be Flexible
Sometimes life gets in the way, and you can’t get to workout at your usual time. It happens to the best of us. In this case, don’t just give up – starting again is harder than keeping going. Find new ways to keep moving. If your gym class has been cancelled, check out the amazing array of online fitness offerings. Perhaps you usually workout in the day but your child is home sick from school – pop on their favourite programme and take some time to do that stretch routine you know is important to your body and it’s recovery from training in the bedroom. Anything is better than nothing! When life gets back to normal, you’ll have no problem readjusting to your old routine.
The key is to stay positive. Don’t let negative thoughts or frustration get in the way of what you want to achieve in life. Be kind to yourself but also practice tough love – you’ll thank yourself for it afterwards! The only bad workout is one that didn’t happen!
