Hey guys, Happy Februrary, we made it through January! However this is the time of year where people start to lose sight of the goals and intentions they have set at the beginning of the year. If one of these goals was to start (or restart) working out on a regular basis, here are my top tips to keep you motivated and consistent with your workouts.
1. Plan and prioritise your workouts ahead
As with most things to keep on track and consistent, planning is essential. By planning which days you are going to work out and what exercises or type of exercises you are going to do can help motivate and help you look forward to your workout. This sets you a goal, which you can achieve and feel good about once your workout is done.
2. Add some variety to your workouts
While you are planning your workouts, we can get stuck in a routine and start to lose interest and motivation in our workouts. As with anything, doing the same thing over and over again can get a little boring. This is the time to start adding some variety. This may be learning some new exercises which hit the same muscles as before, mixing up your workout programme or maybe trying a new class or a complete new exercise concept.
You want to keep your exercise regime fresh and exciting so you carry on doing it, week after week. By adding some variety, you can also keep challenging yourself with the goal of achieve some progress over time.
3. Make a bangin' playlist
OK I know this sounds silly, but having a great playlist for your workout can really help you with your motivation during a workout. It can help you during your workout to keep focused and push a little harder or faster (especially if the song is upbeat and has a high bpm). Also, if you are like me; where music is always just in the background, it is nice to have an hour of time to properly listen and enjoy music.
Having music that you listen to while doing your workout, will help omit distractions that may occur in the gym. If you plan and programme your own workout, I recommend listening to music through your headphones to reduce the amount of distractions from other people in the gym and to help keep breaks in between exercises short.
4. Keep reaffirming yourself why you workout and how you feel after you've done your workout
Remind yourself why you workout; there are many positive factors that will be different for everyone. You may have a core reason, write it down and reaffirm it before and during your workout. Other good affirmations to think about while doing your workout are:
'I want to be a fit and healthy human who will lives a long, fulfilling life'
'I am doing this for my body'
'Check in with my mind, I can do this, I am strong'
'This is one hour I take to myself, to do something to make myself a better person'
After your workout, check in with yourself and how you feel. Yes you may feel exhausted and tired, but you may also feel refreshed, relieved and proud of yourself to have done your workout. Again write down or reaffirm how you feel after your workout to remind yourself the reasons why you workout and to keep you motivated time and time again.
5. Reassess what your workout goals are
Over time our workout goals can change. If you set yourself a workout goal that you haven't achieved in a given time frame, don't beat yourself up. It is time to reassess your goal and make it a bit more attainable for yourself. Or if you have achieved your goal, it's time to set a new target and/or possibly different goal. Remember we are constantly working on ourselves, learning and growing through all experiences whether we reached or didn't reach our initial goal.
Workout goals don't have to be based around the thought of 'I need to lose xxx amount of weight in xxx amount of time', there are many different types of goals you can set and achieve. Instead of concentrating on weight loss, you might want to set a goal focusing on something like strength, fitness or endurance. Such goals could be 'I would like to be able to deadlift xxx amount of weight for xxx amount of reps' or 'I would like to be able to run xxxkm in xxx amount of time'
Sometimes goal setting can be a tricky thought process which can get many people feeling like they want to give up when they haven't unfortunately reached their goal. Mindset plays a big part when it comes to setting goals. If this is the case, maybe setting a simple goal of working out for xxx amount of time xxx times a week is enough. Working with a personal trainer can help you set workout goals tailored to you which can help you stay motivated and on track with your workouts and goals.
5. Reward yourself with something if you keep to your workout regime for a certain time frame.
A great way to keep you motivated to do something is to reward yourself for the hard work you have put in. Obviously there are great rewards and benefits for keeping up a workout regime (feeling fitter, healthier and full of life) but it is always nice to have a treat to work towards.
If I had a workout goal I have been working towards which I achieve, I like to treat myself to something like getting a massage or a visit to the spa. If I did all my workouts I had planned plus ate healthily and consciously throughout the week, I might treat myself on the weekend to a nice coffee and a slice of cake at my favourite coffee shop or take myself out for brunch. These little rewards motivate me to stick to working out and eating healthy week after week. It builds healthy relationships with food, my body and my mind creating a positive and healthy lifestyle which can be sustained.
6. Ask for help
Sometimes you can really feel completely down in the dumps about your workout and you just can't seem to find your feet. As with any type of worry, talking to someone can really help. A friend or someone you are close to can help advise and remind you of the reasons why you workout. As humans, we have a tendency to talk very unkindly to our inner self. A friend can help heal these thoughts we have about ourselves and teach us to talk to ourselves more like a friend. Working out with a friend who has similar goals to you can help keep both of you motivated and you are both accountable for each other.
If you need help setting goals or staying on track, considering having personal training can really help. A Personal Trainer will write personalised programmes tailored towards you, keep track of your progress, help with goal setting and give you advice when you feel like you've lost your motivation.
Overall whatever your goals are, consistency is key. Your workouts should become something of a healthy habit that you just keep doing. In time your workouts become just a part of your healthier lifestyle which is what everyone should aim for.
If you need any help keeping your motivation up, get in contact to book some personal training sessions with programme write up with me.
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