8 Tricks to maintain your health motivation alive
Let’s face it, there are days and even weeks that we don’t really feel like exercising. Maybe we’re drained, possibly we really feel overwhelmed, possibly we now have overlooked our objectives or possibly we simply really feel caught. Whatever the rationale, staying motivated and constant may be very difficult. So, we now have put collectively a fast checklist of suggestions that may assist maintain the spark, consistency and motivation in your health journey alive.
1. Check your objectives
Goals are nice! In truth, a number of research have proven that goal-setting has a direct hyperlink to larger motivation, vanity, self-confidence and autonomy (1). So, we all the time advise purchasers and our viewers to set out clear objectives at first and through their health journey. However, it’s tremendous vital to recollect to maintain your objectives real looking and achievable.
You can do that by setting SMART objectives (see the article we wrote on learn how to begin your health journey).
SMART objectives will allow you to keep motivated by displaying you a transparent path in the direction of success, in addition to displaying you the direct correlation between your actions and your outcomes.
2. Make it enjoyable
No one enjoys doing one thing they don’t need to do. Actually, we usually tend to lose curiosity and motivation altogether. A latest research discovered that even amongst lively people, continued engagement in the identical train can halt development and finally scale back the motivation to be bodily lively (2). So, the place attainable attempt to change issues up!
Ways you may make train enjoyable?
- Try a gaggle class
- Train with a companion or pal
- Join a health problem
- Test out new tools
- Try a special coaching type (HIIT, Circuit, Yoga, Boxing)
- Change your music playlist
- Try a special exercise movies on-line
3. Reward your self
We are hard-wired to do the least quantity of labor for the utmost quantity of reward and pleasure is one reward that the mind loves. Joy is an intrinsic feeling that triggers the discharge of the joyful hormone dopamine. Dopamine acts as our mind’s major reward middle and performs a significant position in motivation, temper, consideration, reminiscence and motion.
So, whether or not it’s with a brand new pair of leggings, an açaí bowl or an episode of your favourite present, giving your self a reward after train creates a neurological behavior loop that may maintain you going again for extra.
4. Follow a schedule
Making choices takes enormous quantities of power and in as we speak’s world we’re confronted with 1000’s of selections each single day. Following a schedule is a surefire method to keep away from what we name resolution fatigue. As talked about within the level above, our mind is hard-wired to be as environment friendly as attainable, something that slows the mind down is taken into account a menace and one thing that we really feel the necessity to withstand. By following a schedule, you enhance your productiveness, create wholesome habits and scale back the prospect for obstacles/distractions.
5. Give your self a mindset shift
Change the way in which you view train by practising gratitude. What is regular for us could also be totally different for another person. Be grateful when you nonetheless have the power to maneuver, stroll, raise, jog, run or just get off the bed, this can be a enormous blessing.
Viewing train as a lucky alternative to enhance and prolong your life might help create a brand new discovered appreciation and pleasure in the direction of shifting.
Ways you possibly can shift your mindset
- Start a gratitude journal or write a gratitude checklist in your physique
- Connect together with your physique by remedy or yoga
- Learn why train is helpful and the way it will straight enhance your life
6. Find your tribe
We are naturally social beings. If you wrestle to remain motivated when exercising alone, contemplate teaming up with a companion, pal or be part of a gaggle class. Being round like-minded individuals with related objectives may be very motivating, uplifting and is nice for accountability.
Studies have additionally discovered that there’s a optimistic correlation between social assist and bodily exercise (3).
How to seek out your tribe?
- Join a bootcamp
- Try a health class
- Find and on-line assist group
- Train with mates
- Try a sports activities exercise
7. Challenge your self
Challenges allow you to to interrupt a plateau, break damaging cycles and push you to attempt new issues. In addition, a problem is a good way to trace your progress and offer you mini objectives to work on.
Fitness Challenges to attempt
30min 30-day Incline Walking Challenge
Benefit:
Tone and strengthen your thighs in addition to enhance your cardio health.
Instructions:
Set and incline of 5-10% and begin at a strolling pace you might be snug with. Do the exercise every day and attempt to enhance the pace 1-2x per week.
30-day Push-up Challenge
Benefit:
Increase your power, muscle mass and basic health
Instructions:
Aim for 30-50 push ups a day for 30 days. You can do field, half or full push ups. To make the problem simpler you possibly can cut up the reps up all through the day.
60sec Burpee Challenge
Benefit:
Full physique train to extend your power, endurance and cardio health.
Instructions:
Do as many full or half burpees as you possibly can in 1 minute. Record the rating and repeat inside 2-3 days. The objective is to beat your earlier rating.
You can do any of those challenges over a 30 day interval.
8. See your progress
Sometimes seeing your progress is best than writing it down.
It is difficult to see the bodily adjustments we make simply by wanting within the mirror. This is as a result of we see ourselves each single day and are always making micro adjustments. Taking progress photos at common intervals is a good way to doc your journey, see your micro adjustments in addition to give your self highly effective proof of how far you have got come.
How to take progress photos:
1. Show your form
Wear fitted activewear or swimwear. You ought to maintain your arms, abdomen space and thighs seen as this can be a nice indicator of weight reduction and/or muscle achieve.
2. Wear the identical outfit
Where attainable attempt to put on the very same outfit, as this consistency provides you with a extra correct image of your progress.
3. Have a plain background
Use a white wall or clear backdrop with no distractions, vibrant colors or patterns. Please use the identical spot for every image.
4. Take your image from all angles
Set your digicam on a stand or ask somebody you might be snug with to take a full size image at eye degree.
Angle 1 – Full Body Front
Angle 2 – Side Profile 1
Angle 3 – Side Profile 2
Angle 4 – Back
Ensure you stand upright with good posture.
5. Lighting
Ensure the room is well-lit with pure daylight or as vibrant as attainable with out shadows.
6. Check your progress month-to-month
The greatest interval to take your progress photos is a minimal of as soon as each 4 weeks. This provides you adequate time to make seen adjustments every time.
A Few Words…
The most vital factor to recollect on this journey is to take issues one small step at a time. Following every of the guidelines we now have talked about is not going to solely allow you to keep constant it is going to additionally maintain you motivated. Remember to be form to your self and benefit from the journey.
Until the following submit.
Mike and Viv aka MrandMrsMuscle
References
1. Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2006). New instructions in goal-setting concept. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15(5), 265-268.
2. Lakicevic, N., Gentile, A., Mehrabi, S., Cassar, S., Parker, Ok., Roklicer, R., Bianco, A., & Drid, P. (2020). Make Fitness Fun: Could Novelty Be the Key Determinant for Physical Activity Adherence?. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 577522. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.577522
3. Treiber FA, Baranowski T, Braden DS, Strong WB, Levy M, Knox W. Social assist for train: relationship to bodily exercise in younger adults. Prev Med. 1991 Nov;20(6):737-50. doi: 10.1016/0091-7435(91)90068-f. Erratum in: Prev Med 1992 May;21(3):392. PMID: 1766945.
