Inspiration and Motivation
Inspiration and motivation is the key to getting fit and staying that way over a lifetime. Lack of motivation is the reason many people drop out of their physical activity routines and then find it hard to start them up again. Everyone’s enthusiasm for exercise naturally wanes sometimes, and a little inspiration and motivation is required to give the brain a boost and the body moving again.
How to get motivated?
Decide why you want to exercise and what you are hoping to achieve. Be realistic and have a vision to work towards, but don’t set your goals too high. For example, if you want to loose weight, make the amount achievable and set yourself small but frequent targets.
Find an activity that you enjoy, or pick a few different ones so that you can rotate them. It is much harder to keep doing an activity you find boring or arduous, so do yourself a favour and be sensible. Don’t try to turn yourself into a champion tennis player when swimming breast stroke is your real passion, or don’t commit to training for the next marathon when bush walking is much more your thing. If you choose what you enjoy you’re more likely to stick with it.
Think about what will help motivate you. Sometimes all it takes to inspire you to do your daily physical activity is to combine it with something else you love. Long daily walks can suddenly become much more appealing with a friend to chat to, a dog to walk or a camera in hand. Also, think carefully about the location of your planned activity; exercising close to home or the office works best for most people. Travelling 20 minutes on a cold dark winter evening can be enough to put off even the most motivated and committed gym-goer.
Once you’ve inspired yourself to start a physical activity plan, the next hurdle is staying motivated and keeping going beyond the initial adrenalin rush and first few weeks. A few tips include, prioritise your exercise sessions and make appointments with yourself in your diary, track your progress and keep a training diary, and reward yourself when you achieve small goals.
Remember, your brain is your best inspiration and motivation tool so make it work for you.
Think smart, get inspired, stay motivated!