How long has it been since you set your fitness or weight loss goal? If you find that you are dreading the workouts that you know will get you to your goal, it may be time to ask yourself a few questions to see why you have lost your motivation. Are you certain that goal is still what you want? What do you do if you lose your motivation or decide to change your goal? FitClub can help you push through the motivation plateau to reach your healthy goals.
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Don’t just quit. If you’ve set a particular goal but have suffered from a lack of motivation in achieving it, don’t completely quit living your healthy lifestyle. Instead, take some time to decide whether the goal itself is something that you still want to pursue. Can you modify the goal to make it more desirable? Do you just need a break? Do you need to set a different goal entirely? If, for example, your goal was to train on the treadmills at FitClub this winter and be ready to run a 5K this spring, but the idea of one more day on the treadmills seems intolerable, don’t just stop exercising! Mix up the speed or incline during your next workout, or entirely take a break, try a different workout and allow your mind and body time to reflect.
Ask for help. If you’re already a member of FitClub, you don’t have to go it alone. Working with a personal trainer can up your motivation by introducing you to workouts or techniques that you haven’t tried. The professionals know what works best and can push you out of your comfort zone with each workout. If you find yourself doing the same workouts over and over again, getting bored and not seeing the progress you want, signing up to work with a personal trainer may be what you need to change your body and your attitude.
Mix it up. No matter what your healthy fitness goals may be, variety is what challenges to your mind and body to push through plateaus and see results. Aim to try a new cardio machine, try a new strength training move, or experience a new FitClub group exercise class each week. This doesn’t just give you something to look forward to (although it does), but it keeps your mind and muscles guessing, which is exactly what you need to maintain motivation and see progress.
What’s your reason? Maybe the goal is right for you, but you’ve lost sight of the reason you set this goal. Was your goal to lose weight? Often that’s not enough, especially after you’ve reached your goal weight. Instead of changing your goal, you may just need time to reflect on what the purpose of the goal is and expand that list. Setting a good example for your children, improving your cardiovascular health or building stronger, leaner muscles are all good reasons to keep working toward improved fitness. Think beyond the scale and add new reasons to reach that goal on your list.
How do you stay motivated when working toward a long-term goal? Have you ever discovered that your goal wasn’t working for you?
