HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED TO EXERCISE

I love the New Year - lots of ‘fresh-start new-me’ attitudes, but what to do when that motivation starts to fade?

Don’t let excuses stand between you and the feel-good endorphin rush of a completed workout.

Use these tried-and-tested tips to stay motivated to exercise all-year round. 

MOTIVATION TIPS

1   Embrace the motivation-habit-discipline loop.  Motivation doesn’t last long so make the most of it while it’s there. Get in the rhythm of good habits; going for a walk with family at the weekend or making time in your diary for a 30min lunchtime class. Be disciplined and stick to your plan.

Through the regularity of training, you’ll start to see results, which will then feed your motivation-habit-discipline loop and keep you looking forward to your next session.

2   Think frequency, not duration. For the above point, how do you get in the rhythm of good habits? Well we’ve found that seven is the magic number. Members who complete at least seven workouts in 21 days go on to cement long-term healthy habits. Tick off seven workouts and that feedback loop will keep you coming back for more. 

3   Remember your “why”. Is it for your mental headspace? Is it so you can show up for your family better? Is it so you can run and catch the bus in the morning? Identify your ‘why’ then write it down and keep it somewhere visible as a regular reminder.

4   Make it fun. Have you tried our Thursday evening class? We always include a game or quiz or fun finisher to keep it interesting and ‘fun’.  Yes we sweat but we also have a laugh with our friends and then it doesn’t really feel like working out! Finding something you enjoy, rather than just endure is the key.

5   Keep it fresh. For some, variety keeps exercise interesting and that’s why you’ll never repeat a class at Flixton Fitness. But we’d also encourage you to shake things up and try something new. Now’s the time for that pole-dancing class you’ve heard all about but never dared try. Or dust off the bike in the garage and find new trails to explore.  Best of all, exposing your brain to new stimuli in this way helps keep it healthy. It can even help reduce the risk of Alzheimers disease.

6   Add weights. Maybe it’s because lifting kettlebells makes us feel like a boss. But adding weight to our bootcamp sessions doubles the effectiveness of the workout and means you’re using your time productively.  Lifting weights is also one of the best ways to slow the aging process - it helps to maintain a healthy heart and stave off osteoporosis and arthritis.

7    Map out your long-term plan. Do you have a fitness goal? Perhaps running a 10k or marathon is a bucket-list goal. Maybe you want to still compete in the sport you love for as long as possible. Knowing that each time to come to bootcamp you are supporting your body by building strength, endurance and stamina can really help. Think of it like a step-by-step road map to your ultimate fitness destination.  

8   Think one rep at a time. Don’t let the big picture overwhelm you. Or the time left on that 45 minute workout defeat you. Focus on the next interval, the next set, the next rep and you’ll be finished before you know it. 

9   Lay your kit out before bed. It’s like writing your to-do list for the next day the night before. It helps focus your mind on the task in hand and means that’s one less thing to slow you down in the morning. 

10    Be accountable. Tell the world – or at least your family and friends – what you’re training for. Share updates, tell them about your progress big or small - ‘I did a full push up today’; ‘I did 100 squats this morning’ or ‘I maxed out by Deadlift’.  Share your achievements (and your muscle soreness because who doesn’t like a little moan!) and you might even inspire your friends to become your training buddies along the way.

11   Work out in a group.  A recent study found that working out with supportive companions can promote greater weight loss and better fitness gains in the short and long term. The research found that 95% of those who started training with friends completed the program and 66% stuck to it over the subsequent 10 months, compared with 76% and just 24% for those who tackled the program alone.

12   Let us take the hard work out of the equation.  No more wondering aimless around a gym, waiting for machines, feeling intimidated or overwhelmed, trying to decide what exercises to do.

Our workouts are meticulously designed and tested by us with knowledge learned from the best sports scientists to deliver effective workouts with results that last.  Outsource your workouts to us, we’ll do all the thinking, so all you need to do is join us on the mat. 

13   Track your progress. Sure, working out for the hell of it can be fun. But it’s even better when you can see your numbers improve and how many calories you’ve burnt. That’s why members with MyZone fitness trackers or FitBits work 22% harder and complete 2.5x as many classes per week on average when using a fitness tracker to count calories burned and reps scored.

14   Find your tribe. Working out in a group is an ideal environment to inspire motivation: you will inevitably compare yourself to others - some will run faster or jump higher than you, while others will go slower. And whilst we are definitely NOT in competition with each other, the consequence of the comparison is that you’ll push yourself harder which in turn will lead to greater results. It’s also a fact that we succeed when we surround ourselves with others chasing the same goal. Accountability is the angry Mum of motivation.  It’s hard to dodge a session if you know you’re letting your mates down. And as the famous Jungle Book quote goes: ‘For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.’ Build your pack and they will carry you through. And some days you’ll carry them.

15    Celebrate small wins. The first session is always HARD.  You’re at the bottom of the mountain staring at a seemingly arduous, perilous, unforgiving journey. It sucks. It’s tiring. And it can hold you back. That’s why it’s vital you acknowledge the small wins. The satisfaction it brings will get you to your next session. Soon, small improvements become big improvements. And momentum, rather than motivation, will carry you up that mountain.

So join us at Flixton Fitness - what could you achieve by this time next year?