Plan your time, organize your diet, and set realistic goals. Follow these five pieces of advice to always keep your training motivation running high.
Maintaining motivation for training can be challenging, but it's essential for achieving your long-term fitness goals. Consistency is key. If you've ever been super excited about a new training plan and then lost the pace a few weeks later, the truth is that you're not alone. We know that physical exercise is good for us, but as humans, the truth is it’s difficult to make decisions to do something because it is positive for us in the long run. The same goes for dieting. Fortunately, there are strategies that you can use to stay on track. Follow these 5 foolproof tips to help you get and maintain the motivation to train:
Setting tangible and achievable goals is crucial to maintain your motivation for training. By establishing specific objectives, like running a certain distance within a specific time or increasing the weight in your weightlifting sets, you will have something solid to work towards and track progress over time. Artur Sayal, a personal trainer and CrossFit coach, goes further:
"Write down in a visible place why you started training (on your computer's work environment, on your desk, in the bathroom mirror). This way you will feel committed to what made you start the process."
A good reason for your training motivation might not have anything to do with the physical part. In other words, the motivation to leave the house could be related to breaking up your work day, relieving stress, or even meeting new people.
We know that keeping the motivation for training can sometimes be not easy, especially when physical exercise becomes "one more thing" to manage and coordinate in an already busy schedule. The keyword is organization! Prepare your bag the day before, as well as your food for before, during, and after. Don't forget that physical exercise and nutrition go hand in hand. If you are going to train in the morning, you can use Super Breakfast Extra Protein to go with all the energy.
Try the Extreme Energy protein coffee, and you won't regret it. If your training is longer, hydration is essential. The famous Super Vegan Hydrate is back, helping your body in rehydration and replenishing electrolytes. After training, the Super Vegan Fitness proteins for a recovery without unnecessary additives. And of course, Iswari bars are a real lifesaver. Have you tried the new Oat Bar, with no added dates?
During the weekend, check if you have everything you need for the week and validate if you need to go shopping (don't forget to use your Iswari Points, which give you discounts).
Our brain works by repetition. The more you do a certain activity, the easier it will become and the less taxing it will be for the mind and body. So, just as you set aside time for important appointments in your agenda, reserve a specific time for physical exercise. Choose the days and times that best fit your routine and treat them as non-negotiable appointments. If you want, you can even tell everyone that you have a “meeting.” The more consistent you are with your training times, the more likely you are to stick to them regularly, as they will become part of your daily routine. Consequently, the motivation to train will be there!
Monotony can be a major obstacle to consistency in training. Keep things interesting and challenging by varying your workout plans regularly. According to Artur Sayal, “it's acceptable to skip a workout out of laziness... Don’t feel guilty, but you cannot miss the next workout with the excuse that you've already skipped once.” You can also think about things differently. For example, do you love listening to music? Create your favorite playlist and run until you've finished listening to it. Or perhaps you love the outdoors? How about a walk every day, where each day you define a different route?
Having a training partner can be a powerful source of motivation and accountability. Find someone with similar fitness goals to yours and commit to training together regularly. But be aware: it's even better if you find someone who is at a higher level than you. A study from Kansas State University showed that burning calories is easier when we train with someone we think is better than us. Moreover, it makes the exercise more fun, and a training partner can help you stay committed to the workouts.
If you lack motivation for training, invest in healthy eating that is rich in nutrients.
Sometimes, it can be easy to focus only on the final goals and forget to acknowledge and celebrate the progress you've made along the way. We tend to forget how we started and use what we see around us as the "norm." Maybe running 10 kilometers or doing 15 push-ups might seem little in your gym environment, but probably in your office, few will do it. Take time to celebrate your achievements, whether reaching a new personal milestone, overcoming a previous barrier, or just consistently sticking to your training plan.
Remember that progress will not always be linear and it's normal to face setbacks from time to time. The most important thing is to stay committed, persistent, and focused on your final goal. Filipa Castela, a Spartan athlete, emphasizes that maintaining motivation for training and ensuring consistency requires setting goals, focusing on them, varying workouts to avoid monotony, establishing solid routines that work for our lifestyle, tracking progress and celebrating achievements, in addition to cultivating a resilient mindset to overcome challenges. And, when you really don't feel like training, go anyway and choose a simpler, less demanding activity or exercise. Ready to train?
