If you’ve started a new fitness routine, then you need to find a way to keep your motivation levels high. Many people drop their fitness habits as motivation drops, and maintaining that initial level of interest and commitment can be very difficult. Here are some easy tips to stay motivated on your fitness journey.
- Set goals and be specific. The more specific you can be when setting fitness goals, the easier it will to reach them. For instance, rather than aiming to ‘run more’ this year, aim to smash your personal best, or train for a specific race. Aim to lose a set number of inches, rather than to lose weight. Keep your goals realistic, but a challenge. An unrealistic goal can kill motivation as much as one that is too easy or too vague. Set a goal that will keep you interested.
- Make an exercise training plan. Depending on the goals you have set yourself, there are several different ways to approach your training. You could get a bespoke training plan from your gym, or find a training plan online that matches your goals. This gives you a daily goal and gives your plan structure. Click here for more info on how a gym can help you.
- Don’t over train. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of overtraining but don’t up the duration or intensity of your workouts too soon. If you’re enjoying your training plan, it can be tempting to try to throw yourself into it, but if you do too much, you’re likely to end up injured or losing interest much faster. Stick to your plan.
- Find a role model. Try to identify what motivates and inspires you to exercise, and then keep reminding yourself why you’re doing this. This could be running a marathon for a charity that is important to you. You could carry pictures of the people that inspired you to raise this money. If your goal is to look great in a swimsuit on vacation or in your wedding dress, find other reminders and prompts to keep around to remind you. If you often remind yourself why you’re doing this, then you’re more likely to keep it up.
- Record your progress. Keep a training schedule and a log of things like your visits to the gym or swimming pool, your running times and other details. This keeps you focused on what you’re doing, and allows you to monitor your progress. You can see your fitness improving in a practical way and have a constant reminder of how far you’ve come. This can be inspiring when things feel hard.
- Cross-train. Keeping your routine fresh is a good way to help you to stay interested. Adding some cross-training alongside your regular training helps you to avoid boredom, and helps to build total fitness. For example, if you’re a runner, try going for a swim once a week. This gives your knees and ankles a rest while improving your stamina, strength and general fitness.
