This week we find out how to keep going with your fitness routine, stay positive and not take the easy way out falling back in to bad habits.
Tobe we speak to personal trainer Tobe Tumelty who will give you tips for staying motivated in your new lifestyle.
So you’ve decided to take on a fitness routine and an active lifestyle, well done. The hardest part is keeping it up and making sure you don’t just give up and revert back to your old ways. Keeping motivated doesn’t need to be a challenge; there are a number of steps you can take to make sure you are moving forward and sticking to the plan.
Setting shor-t and long-term goals should be one of the first things you do when stepping into a gym. If you have no goals set, how are you going to measure your progress? Goals need to be SMART:
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Attainable
R – Realistic
T – Timely
Rather than saying, “I want to lose a little weight,” a SMART goal might be: “I’m going to lose 15 pounds of scale weight by .... and set a date.”.
Once you have written your goals down, look and remind yourself of them daily to keep that motivation strong. But make your goals realistic; setting goals that are not achievable will have a negative effect and can demotivate you.
Sometimes along your fitness journey, especially if you have a big goal, you lose sight of where you started. You might have lost 20 pounds but still want to lose another 40.
Remind yourself of where you used to be. Look at before pictures. If your goal is getting stronger remind yourself what weight you used to lift compared to now. Subtle reminders of where you used to be can give you that extra boost when you need it.
Exercise is better when you do it with a friend. There’s nothing more motivating than knowing someone is waiting for you at the gym. Not only will a workout buddy help you avoid skipping exercise when you’re feeling unmotivated, but you will also work harder too.
Ask a friend to be your training partner and then schedule workout times that can be kept from week to week. This helps establish consistency and builds good exercise habits for both of you.
Don’t fall into the rut of doing the same exercises all the time; you will get bored. Change it up every four to six weeks. There are loads of workouts and exercises on the internet if you lack inspiration!
Keep it fun and enjoyable. There is no point doing something you hate; it’s going to have a negative effect on you and you’ll more than likely stop doing it. Don’t be afraid to step away from the treadmill and explore the rest of the gym.
You’re going to have bad days, everybody does. Think positively: tell yourself you’re going to have a great session, especially at the end of the workout, otherwise you’ll be dreading your next session. Remember: a bad workout is only the one you didn’t do.
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