16 August 2022 19:00
Find physical activities that you really enjoy
In an age where fitness has become a lifestyle and social media is filled with pictures and videos of influencers lifting weights, it’s easy to get carried away and think we should all set aside time for chest exercises and time for leg exercises at the local gym. While lifting weights is certainly a wonderful and a recommended activity, the most important thing for persisting with a fitness routine is to find the right activity for you. This activity could be half an hour of yoga, taking walks a couple of times a week, or even dancing for an hour at home with headphones on. If you don’t have a set fitness routine, there’s no reason to try to go from zero to 100. In order to persist, it’s always better to start small with an activity that is comfortable and enjoyable, and increase its intensity and frequency over time.
Invest in the right clothing – not necessarily expensive
Our sportswear should, first and foremost, be functional and allow us to move easily. It also really doesn’t matter what it looks like, and you certainly don’t need to spend a lot of money just to wear the trendiest brands. But fashion and investing in how you look does have a significant psychological effect, and if our sportswear is something we look forward to putting on or being seen in, it can only boost our motivation even more.
Schedule your exercises and make them a high priority
We’re all familiar with this scenario: We decide that it’s time to start (or go back to) exercising regularly and consistently, we keep it up for a few days – and then real life starts to interfere. One day we’re tired; the next day, friends invite us for a spontaneous drink, and suddenly we find ourselves putting off exercising, losing what we have gained and once again, we find ourselves drifting away from the routine we set for ourselves. This vicious cycle demands a change in mindset and attitude – don’t treat sport as something you cram into your weekly schedule when it’s convenient, rather treat it like you would meetings at work. Plan the type and duration of exercises in advance and add it to your diary, even if it is a 20-minute walk.
Set goals for physical and mental achievements, not for your outward appearance
We all know that physical activity is good for our health, strengthens not only the muscles but also the bones, and contributes to mental health. Still, sometimes it’s hard for us not to narrow our goals down to one thing – how our bodies will look soon, especially since we’re inundated with images of muscles and toning everywhere. Physical change itself is, of course, a very legitimate goal, but it’s important to remember that it takes time and if we focus only on this, we may become discouraged along the way. Instead of setting goals related to external appearance, try to set the number of training sessions a week or, more importantly, physical achievements, as your goals. You’ll notice an improvement in your capabilities sooner, and this feeling of being stronger and more capable will motivate you to continue.
Enjoy the immediate benefits
Even if you set goals for the near or distant future, it’s hard to imagine them actually happening in your daily routine, and you need something to push you to go to the next workout. In addition to the physical goals we mentioned, it’s important to take the time to enjoy the immediate benefits we get from fitness training, and focus on them. When you struggle to get off the couch and put on sneakers, remember how proud you were of yourself the last time you finished a workout and how much the act of releasing hormones improves your mood in the short term. It is these immediate and wonderful benefits that will motivate you every day. And remember, the hardest part is getting started.
Make it easy for yourself
Your workouts themselves should be challenging and done with gradually increasing intensity, but everything surrounding the workouts shouldn’t be too much of a challenge. Be kind to yourself and adapt your fitness routine to your life, not the other way around. For example, if you really want to go for a walk outdoors or go to the gym but you actually prefer staying at home, start a new fitness routine doing YouTube workouts in your living room. You don’t have time for long workout sessions? Choose short, higher intensity workouts. Is it difficult for you to exercise alone? Try to find a friend who already has a fitness routine and ask to join them for classes or runs. When exercise becomes routine, it may take you out of your comfort zone, but until that happens – don’t be shy to adapt it to your needs and desires.
