It’s a
little bit weird writing about motivation in April, most people will say “where
the hell were you when I needed you in January?!” Well its better late than
never, statistics show that 90% of all New Year resolutions (and gym
memberships) are abandoned within the first three months of the year, so i
think a big dose of motivation is needed right about now!
We all start
a new year full of hope, enthusiasm and a can do anything spirit. You are
literally ready to climb mountains and swim seas to achieve your goals and
targets for the year. Some want to lose weight, others build muscle or simply
be fitter. Your target could be to just find the motivation to jog twice a
week! Then something insidious called “life” happens, life is the enemy, that
saboteur that strikes at the core of your determination. Like the devil, Life has many agents to do its
dirty biding; work pressure, family commitments, financial demands etc. They
keep at you until you are forced to put your health and fitness goals on the
back burner.
Don’t let it
happen! Fight life! (You heard right!) You can achieve your goals in 2016,
being slimmer, fitter or healthier does not have to be a trade off with success
in other facets of your life. Like everything else in life you have to
strategize, plan and execute. Life is a marathon not a sprint, and if you start
the year in a rush looking for miracle diets, pills and workouts i.e. short
term success, then you are likely to be disappointed.
However if
you take this set of tips to heart and try to apply them, I can assure you that
you will stay motivated for the long run and will achieve your health, fitness
and life goals at the same time.
Thanks and
do have a wonderful day!
P.S: I have
been going through a motivational crisis of my own! I have just relocated from
Lagos to Abuja, finding my footing has been tough but thank God! So new
location, but with the internet I am only a click away. Let me know what you
think by reaching me at www.corefitnessngr.blogspot.com , have a belatedly belated happy new
year.
WHAT DO YOU WANT?
It all starts with
writing down your fitness goal for the year. What you want to weigh, the look
you want, fitness level etc. Then divide it by 4, in short break your annual
fitness target into quarters, just like your sales target at work. This helps
you stay focused and doesn't let your target look to intimidating to achieve.
So if you want to drop 10kg this year, it will translate to 2.5kg every 3
months, not too bad right?
DON’T BE TOO BUSY FOR YOUR HEALTH.
To be healthy you need to
be active, busyness is not an excuse! Try to get at least one hour of physical
activity every day, walk more and drive less, wash your own car and do your own
laundry and housework. If you aren't used to it, start with short bursts of 10
to 20 minutes till you get used to it.
DO WHAT YOU ENJOY.
I love to lift weights
and skip, to me they are the best ways of building muscle and burning fat, but
they are not everybody’s cup of tea. You need to experiment and find out the
workout you really enjoy, weights, running, cycling aerobics or swimming. It
really doesn't matter as long as it gives you joy, because if you enjoy it you are
more likely to stick to it.
GET A TRAINING PARTNER.
Two heads are better than
one or in this case two sets of muscles! If you can, train with a friend who is
involved in the same physical activity as you are, has similar ability and has the
same fitness goals as you do, you are likely to be more dedicated to achieving
your goals if you know someone is waiting for you at the gym or field! Partners
help push and motivate each other and this can be a massive plus when it comes
to being motivated.
DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS.
You are your own
competition, rival and target, do not look at the guy who has bigger muscles,
ripped six-pack or can run faster than you! Instead, compare yourself to you of
last week, how did you look in the mirror then, and how do you look today?
Progress is slow but steady so check how fast YOU ran, what YOU weighed and how
much YOU benched ok? Do not compare yourself with the guy who has been training
for the last 10 years. He started from somewhere and you have to pay your dues.
SHOW ME YOUR FRIENDS……...
As the adage goes, you friends
say a lot about you. This is especially important when it comes to your fitness
goals. You will do better if you surround yourself with like-minded friends at
school, work and even at the office. People whose healthy lifestyle can rub off
on you, conversely if your friends are the opposite then their negative
lifestyles may rub off on you too.
THE MORE YOU READ THE MORE YOUR MOTIVATION.
One great way of staying
motivated is to educate yourself on health, fitness, exercise and nutrition.
There are so many articles out there to help you, no matter your level. I can
recommend www.bodybuilding.com and YOUTUBE off the top of my head, there are
literally thousands of sites and free downloads to help you train and stay
motivated. However be careful and do cross check as there is a lot of rubbish
advice floating out there on the internet.
DON'T BE IN A HURRY TO SEE RESULTS.
People lose the zeal to
work out when they don’t see results –quickly! However results take time, you didn't get out of shape in 4 weeks and you will not get back into shape in 4
weeks! Give yourself at least 90 days on a fitness program before you start to
judge your efforts a failure. To know if you are truly making progress, take a
photograph of yourself then another after 90 days, that will guide you better.
DON’T GO TO EXTREMES.
You are super motivated
to get fit, you have a gym membership and are ready to work hard, so ready in
fact, that you spend 3 hours a day in the gym right? Wrong! Ever heard the
adage that life is a marathon, not a sprint? Well, that’s how you should view
health and fitness. I guarantee you that you will not last working out 3 hours
a day, neither will your weight loss died last if it consists of starving
yourself throughout the day. Take a balanced approach to your health and
fitness, 1 hour a day 4 times a week is plenty and try to eat healthy foods
instead of starving, this will help you avoid burn out.
DON’T
SIT ON YOUR ASS ALL DAY!
An inactive lifestyle
carries a greater risk of cardiovascular disease and weight gain! Whether at
home or at work strive to keep moving. Try to move around every 30 minutes to
keep the blood pumping and the calories burning! At work, take the stairs more often
and at home run your errands yourself.
All this extra activity adds up at the end of the day.
Thanks and
do have a wonderful weekend!
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