1. Define and write down your „Power Statement‟
Goal setting is important, we all know that, but not everyone does it. As an
alternative, think of the reason
why you want to get in shape? Is it
to build your confidence? Attract the
opposite sex? Or just to improve your
health? Go back to basics. Once you‟ve got your „reason why‟,
start thinking of the end result and the
benefits this will bring. What will happen when you become more confident? What will happen when you become
more attractive to the opposite sex?
What will happen when you are now in the best shape of your life? Just doing a little day dreaming should
start to get you excited. Once you have done this, grab a pen and paper, w rite
down the following sentence and fill in the blanks. This is now your power statement. I am
motivated and energised to exercise because I want to “ insert reason why”
as I
will then “insert what will happen when this is achieved”.
2. Read your Power Statement daily
Continuing on from point one, read your power statement daily. Once
you have written it down (if you haven‟t
done it yet, do it now !) put it next to
your bed where you will see it each
morning and each evening. Each
morning and each evening read your power statement to yourself over
and over several times. Say it out loud
as well as in your head. Bring the statement to life, feel the enthusiasm
for wanting the end goal. Feel the energy you have behind your reason
why. You will soon find yourself getting fired up. This may feel a little
silly at first but give it a try over a
few days, it DOES work and it WILL increase your desire to
get started on achieving your ideal body.
3. GET ORGANISED
You have your power statement in mind, are
starting to buzz with enthusiasm
and are really keen to start an
exercise programmed. But you are not a member of a gym… If you intend on exercising at a gym,
join one. If you wish to swim several times a week to get in shape, get a
membership at your local swimming baths. If you intend to run outdoors, get
yourself some running gear – trainers,
shorts and t -shirt. If you haven‟t got these basic things in place,
regardless of how motivated and revved up you are for
getting in shape, you have an extra barrier to
exercising that needs to be dealt with. Maybe an obvious one, but for some clients, the obvious needs to
be pointed out.
4. HAVE A PLAN
So you want to lose weight, or build muscle, or tone up?
Fantastic, that‟s great
news! So what are you going to do now?
Where do you start? What do you do?
Should you go to the gym? What should you do when you get there?
Fail to plan, plan to fail. Ever heard
that before? Good, because this
also applies to
getting in shape. If you don‟t have a plan, you‟ll
aimlessly do a bunch of random exercises
that aren‟t geared towards your goal and you won‟t get the results you expect
. You will then become discouraged, and soon stop exercising. Not good. You need two plans. One for your exercise routine and one
for your diet. Exercise and diet are two
peas in a pod, to get your ideal body as quickly as possible, you need both peas. You need the
pod. Get a plan for your diet, and get a plan for your exercise routine. You then
have all you need to succeed. This reassurance alone will give you more
confidence and enthusiasm to follow
through.
5. STOP PROCRASTINATING
I‟ll do it later... I‟ll do it tomorrow... I‟ll
do it next week...
Sound familiar? It probably does, because I‟m
guessing this is a big hurdle you‟re trying to overcome in your
quest for increas ing your motivation to exercise. To combat this, try this little technique –Your routine may state that you should be
exercising Monday, Wednesday and Friday
(for example). Now, if Monday is your next workout session, just bluntly
say to yourself – “on Monday I‟m going to the gym”. Be strong in your
resolve. Make the decision that on Monday, you ARE going
to the gym. There‟s no „maybe‟ – You are firmly
telling yourself that on Monday
you are going to the gym. Now you are committed
to going to the gym on Monday.
What usually happens now is that as Monday gets closer, you will magically
find reasons and excuses why you can‟t go. Maybe you have to finish a report at work, or rush to the shops
to pick up some milk? Before you even
begin to justify to yourself why you can‟t make it to
the gym, tell that little voice
in your head to SHUT THE HELL UP! You‟ve
already committed to going, the report can wait, and you can get some milk after your workout. Don‟t
listen to any excuses that you may start to tell yourself. Ex cuses are for losers, and you my friend are going to get in the
best shape of your life. So that‟s Mondays workout done, now do the
process all over again for Wednesdays
workout.
6. GET SUPPORT
Talk to people about your exercise routine. Share your goal
with friends and family. Tell them why it‟s important
to you that you achieve it. In 99% of occasions, you will receive
words of encouragement in reply. This
little boost may be all you need to help you stay on track. But make sure you
only talk to positive, supportive people about your exercise programme. Discussing it with a negative
person can have the opposite
effect. This is another
ridiculously simple technique that people generally don‟t put to use. Give your friend a call tonight
and tell them how excited and enthusiastic you are about hitting your fitness
goals. Even read them your power
statement: “Hey Audrey, I‟ve
got this new exercise routine I‟m following and feel so motivated and energised to exercise because I
want to insert reason why as I will then insert what will happen when this is
achieved .” Speak to your friend tonight, and say the above paragraph word for
word and see what reaction you get.
7. TAKE BABY STEPS
Losing weight is a common exercise goal. For example, if you want to lose 2 stone (28lbs), this won‟t happen overnight . In having a large goal in front of us, it
often seem that it‟s
„too big‟ to tackle and we become
discouraged and demotivated before we‟ve even begun. So break it down.
Take baby steps. If you have taken our
advice from point number 4 (if you haven‟t, get it sorted ASAP!) you will
have your exercise program and a
tailored diet plan. Now break it into
smaller chunks. Firstly, aim to complete
your first week in the gym. Then focus
on getting your diet right. Then focus on your second week in the gym. Your
larger goal then doesn‟t seem as „impossible‟
because you WILL achieve your
weight loss goal without really thinking about it , by just taking baby steps ...
And there we have it...7 tips to increase your exercise motivation!
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