Mental preparation is crucial to getting the most from your workout. How can I stay Motivated? I mean who wants to get up early! Wake up and leave a warm bed! Not me, but we have to get out of our comfort zone and recognize the benefits of looking good, being healthy and being strong inside and out. Your body is a temple! Protect it!
By preparing yourself mentally as well as physically, you will give yourself an advantage when it comes to smashing your goals! There is
Here are some tips that will help you get set up for a workout.
#1 Set goals
Goal setting is crucial to motivation. If you have a goal set in your sights, you will also find it easy to stay accountable and stick to your nutrition.
✓ Consider getting a journal that you can record your sessions and progress in.
✓ Every few weeks evaluate your goals; when you reach your current short term goals, create new ones so that you can continue to work towards your long term goals.
#2 Have a plan
It’s important to have a plan in place that you can follow so that you get the most out of your time training. By not having a plan it will be very difficult to both track your progress and also adapt your training to it.
Mentally Motivate Yourself To Exercise
It is also difficult to make changes when necessary if you have not got a record of what you had been doing.
✓ If you follow a plan that you have prepared ahead, it is much easier to stay on track and motivated as you know what you need to do, even if you don’t feel like doing it!
#3 “Book in” workout time
By making your session’s part of your daily routine, you won’t have to mentally battle with yourself half as much to make your training sessions.
✓ It doesn’t take long to create a habit, and once it’s created you will find yourself much more motivated to train.
✓ Think of your gym session as you would a work meeting and make it your business to be there.
#4 Visualize the results you want to achieve
Visualization is a powerful tool, and while you may feel silly initially at the idea of it, visualization yourself reaching your goals is one of the strongest ways to motivate yourself mentally that is possible.
Mentally Motivate Yourself To Exercise
✓ Imagine yourself winning that trophy or fitting into that bikini you always wanted to wear and think about how good it will feel when you reach your goals. Suddenly, that gym session won’t seem like such a hardship after all!
#5 Focus on the benefits you will gain
There are way too many benefits to exercise to list them all here, but by thinking into just how much you have to gain from your training session, you will be even more inclined to put in that extra bit of effort even if you are not in the mood.
✓ Remember your goals and why you are exercising, but also think into the additional benefits it has to offer such as staying healthy and giving you more energy to complete your everyday tasks!
#6 Be aware of the negatives of not working out
Just like there are many positives to working out, there are many negatives to not exercising. By using negative reinforcement, you can really strengthen your motivation for training.
Mentally Motivate Yourself To Exercise
By mentally reinforcing the negative aspects of skipping the gym – for example, a lack of self-esteem or energy slumps – this you may want to train even harder to avoid these outcomes as you will be reminded that exercise is the best health insurance money can’t buy.
#7 Reward your consistency and dedication
Living a fit lifestyle comes with its own set of challenges. You will not always feel like going training, and there will be times where you have to make a change to your schedule to fit a session in.
This may involve getting up earlier in the mornings or training at a time that does not suit you.
✓ By being consistent with your training and nutrition you should recognize this as an achievement and something to be proud of!
Take Home Message
Staying motivated is key to your success at the gym. By preparing yourself mentally before training you will be in the right frame of mind to focus on your workout and get the most out of your time training.
Nothing worth achieving ever comes easy, it takes a lot of the hard work, sweat, blood and tears and starts in your head, not just your body! LOL! 🙂
So stand strong and remember “Greatness is within us all.” SO GET UP, GO OUT AND GET YOURS!
Your friend and Coach,
Crystal a.k.a Barbell Barbie. NY
References:
http://www.fitnessjunky.com.au/blog/winter-workout-motivation-stay-fit-all-year-round/
http://www.stack.com/a/workout-motivation-tips-for-more-productive-training-sessions-in-the-new-year