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Fitness tips and resources based on a solid foundation of time-tested principles.
What could you accomplish if you could only get motivated? A lot more than you think. You've got one chance on this planet to get it right...use these techniques to stay motivated to reach your fitness goals and other goals in life.
Whether your goal is to lose weight, build lean muscle, or just get in better shape – whatever your
fitness goal is, getting and staying motivated is the key. Getting fit is an inner game. It all starts with your mind.
Have you ever been to a motivational seminar? There’s the big crowd, the excitement, the gifted speakers. They get the crowd all pumped up. You feel like you can conquer the world. You say to yourself, “Today’s the day I will turn my life around!”
Then something strange happens. You go back home, and the next week (or even the day), you are back to being your old self. You are back to your old ways. You are no longer motivated.
What is all a scam? What happened after you left that motivational seminar or that inspirational speaker left town? That motivational speaker did have an impact on you. But, that
emotional impact faded. By now, he’s got his fat check from the company that organized and marketed the seminar. But you on the other hand are probably back to your old ways, your old habits in less than a week after that seminar.
Motivation is internal. It can be pumped into you TEMPORARILY. But, over the long haul, it has to come from within. You have to find it within yourself to keep that spirit alive – to keep that burning desire to change alive.
But it can certainly be done. You just have to find ways to push your own buttons.
You have to get excited about the changes you want to make. You have to find the inner fire that gets
you out of bed in the morning to go for that jog when it’s cold out. You have to find that motivation to lay
off that pint of ice cream before bed. You have to find reasons to press on when things aren't happening as quickly as you hoped they would.
We’re going to help you stay motivated with some motivational fitness tips.
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Why is motivation so important? Because human beings can do just about whatever they set their mind to. If you want something badly enough, odds are you will find a way to accomplish it (assuming it is a realistic goal and it is within your capacity to achieve it). But the flipside of that is, if you don’t want something badly enough, it is very unlikely you will accomplish it.
It all comes down to desire. How badly do you want it?
In the SMART – FIT GOALS section, we asked you to identify what it is you want to accomplish with your fitness goals. Now that you have done that, honestly answer this question: How badly do you want it?
Desire is the key. If you can just keep that burning desire inside of you on a regular basis, you will be motivated to take the ACTION STEPS you need to reach your fitness goal.
There will be days when you feel like quitting. Make no mistake about it. On those days, that is where the rubber meets the road. Will you do what is necessary to reach our fitness goals even on those days when you don’t feel like it? If so, you WILL in all likelihood reach your goal. It will only be a matter of time.
Use these Motivational Tips to Help you Reach Your Fitness Goals:
1. Start slowly with any new fitness routine in your life. If you take on too much too soon, this will only de-motivate you. So many people dive headfirst into a new fitness routine. What happens is, they wake up the next day sore and then quit.
We cannot emphasize this enough – START SLOWLY! Build up G-R-A-D-U-A-L-L-Y (you cannot hear us shout over the Internet, but trust us, we are shouting this)! If others want to start their fitness regimen like by diving in headfirst, let them. Odds are, they’ll be quitting within a month, or will get injured.
The fitness police are not going to come to your house and arrest you if you don’t run a mile the first day on the track. Or if you don’t lift as much weight as other people at the gym. Or if you start Day 1 by just walking around the block one time.
It doesn’t matter how fit you think you are, how young you are, how macho you are, or if you were the high school sports stud or the head cheerleader. Start sloooowly. Build up gradually. Make the first few days of your fitness routine so wimpy, you could be mistaken for a 90-year-old (and if you’re 90-years-old, start your routine like you’re 120-years-old).
If you want to impress anyone else around you who may be exercising, there will be plenty of time for that later as you build up your health and fitness.
We all want to see results immediately. We all want to lose 20 pounds first thing yesterday or bulk
up with rippling muscles first thing tonight or run the 10k in impressive time first thing this weekend. But, if you start too fast, you dramatically improve the odds you will feel like quitting your new routine, and / or will be injured. At the very least, you will be sore as hell the next day.
Take it easy on yourself. Start small.
Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare. Slow, steady, progressive improvement will get you where you want to be.
2. Reward yourself when you do something right, or accomplish something. Set up a reward / incentive
system for yourself. Click here for more details about
our reward / incentive system for fitness goals. Reward the smallest of improvements, the smallest of accomplishments. And most of all, reward yourself just for STARTING!
3. Develop a support system – share your goal with those who will be emotionally supportive of your goal.
4. Do not share your fitness goals with anyone except those you know will support you. There will be people who may feel insecure about you improving yourself, and if you listen to them, it may de-motivate you.
5. Keep pictures of your goal in a goals journal, or somewhere you will see
them regularly, such as on your fridge or bathroom mirror. An example would be a picture of your ideal body. Or a picture of the new clothes you will be able to wear.
6. Buy yourself a little something to show your faith in yourself. For example, buy the swimsuit you would wear if you lost those 20 pounds. It will help keep you motivated whenever you look at it.
7. Imagine how good it will feel when you accomplish your goal. Get the feeling of pride, joy, and excitement. Do this daily.
8. Do not compare yourself with others. This is important! It will only de-motivate you. We humans
have a tendency to compare others’ strengths with our weaknesses. We also tend to compare ourselves only
to those who we feel are doing better than us. We filter out those who are not doing better than us. This comparison game is unhealthy, and only de-motivates us.
Only compare yourself with your own progress! You are running your own race and you are not competing with someone else.
9. Celebrate every small success and accomplishment that you have. If you do not celebrate your successes, you will lose faith in yourself.
10. Surround yourself with someone who will challenge you (in a healthy way). Notice, there is a difference between someone challenging you in a healthy way and someone who is pushing you in a way that is not healthy.
11. Try a workout buddy if that is helpful for you. Having a friend to workout with, even if it is just a daily walk, can turn exercise into a more enjoyable thing. But be careful that you are actually exercising and not just idly socializing. For example, if you start a workout regimen with a friend, and you end up doing more talking than exercising, you’re wasting your time and you will not get the results you seek. Try to find someone who is as serious about changing their health and fitness as you are.
Ideally, you want someone who will motivate you when you are having trouble getting motivated and visa versa.
12. Try a personal trainer if that is helpful for you. But realize that at some point, you will have to
find it in yourself to stick with an exercise program. Personal trainers can sometimes serve is a
crutch, which can be unhealthy. Read our article on finding the right personal trainer.
13. Make working out a habit. Nobody likes to brush their teeth. But most of us do every day. It has become a
habit pattern. We just do it. We have found the same thing will happen with your fitness routine if you do it on a regular basis - it will also become
a habit that you no longer have to think much about. Once exercise becomes a habit, it will not be as difficult to get motivated to do it. You'll just do it regardless
of how you feel about it. The
resistance you face lightens considerably when exercise becomes a habit pattern in your life.
14. Do it for a loved one. If you can't find reasons to exercise for yourself, do it for someone who cares about you.
15. Sign up for a 5K race, marathon, or triathlon. You’ll be motivated to train.
16. Think of how bad you'll feel if you DON'T exercise. Remind yourself of that when you feel tired.
17. Think of the health risks if you don't exercise. The consequences are real.
18. Think of the upcoming reunion, day at the beach, pool party, etc. That can be motivation enough
for some folks.
19. Find people who are inspirational. Look for people who are inspirational. War heroes...Sports heroes...People
who struggle with handicaps but still try their best...People who are battling diseases but who carry on. There are
real-life inspirational stories all around us. Use those stories to help motivate yourself.
20. Ask God for help. There is indeed a Higher Power that will give you strength when you need it and give you the spirit you need to stay motivated and to persist with your exercise program. God wants to help you, and wants you to call upon him for His assistance.
Once you begin to see the dramatic improvements in your health and in your body, it will be easier for you to get even more motivated. Follow the fitness principles on this website, and you will get the results you seek!
Good luck.
How to reach your fitness goals by setting up this S.M.A.R.T.-F.I.T. FITNESS GOALS SYSTEM How to keep a fitness journal to help you reach your diet and exercise goals How to Create Motivation Cards to Help you Reach Your Diet and Fitness Goals - Or Your Sports Performance Goals What's Stopping You from Reaching Your Weight Loss Goals and Other Fitness Goals? Try this Mental Technique. Tips for Dealing with Exercise Burnout The Fitness Reward / Incentive System for Behavioral Modification
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