A lot of us tend to rely on internal factors as motivation for training programs. We recognize the benefits of regular exercise and sustained fitness efforts, and in many cases we assume that recognition will naturally translate to motivation.
We want to look better, feel better, and maintain good health, and it logically follows that we’ll do what’s required to achieve those goals. However, for many of us at least, it’s a bit more complicated than that. Raw understanding might be logical, but it doesn’t always get us to lace up our athletic shoes and start working out.
The following ideas, however, might do just that.
1.) Sign Up For A Race
One of the best ways to challenge and motivate yourself to train regularly is to sign up for a competition or race that you need to be in shape for. Granted, there are whole lists of tips for training for these occasions, so you’ll have further motivational challenges. But think of it this way: if you want to lose 10 pounds by New Year’s, simply because you want to, it’s a hit or miss prospect. You may get there and you may not, and there are no consequences if not. If you need to run a half marathon on New Year’s, however, you have to be in shape to pull it off, and you may just lose 10 pounds in the process. If you’re not ready, you either can’t finish or can’t run the race, which is at least some form of consequence that holds you accountable.
2.) Place Your Bets
Ideally, you should look for an online bookmaker that will work with you on a customized bet for this. There’s a ton of them out there and choosing one comes down to individual preference, which means you can choose a platform based on what they offer you rather than their general features. If you do find one that works, you can try to set up a bet to meet a certain fitness goal by a certain date and earn winnings – or suffer financial consequences. It’s a little drastic, but it’s also fun, and there are stories out there that indicate it works. If you can’t find a bookmaker that will support this kind of wager, you can organize something similar through a few apps, or with people you know.
3.) Keep A Journal
This is one of the oldest fitness tricks in the book, but it’s stayed in the book for a reason: it works. However, don’t just think of your workout journal as a place in which you record your literal workouts and any numbers-based progress you’ve made. This is fine, but ultimately you should write down how you feel – after workouts and after meals. You’ll almost undoubtedly establish a record that reminds you clearly that you feel great after exercise and healthy meals, and that you feel not just guilty, but also physically sub-par when you eat poorly.
4.) Set Small Goals
When we exercise, we like to see progress. Many of us ultimately quit fitness goals because after six weeks of crunches we still don’t see abs, or because after initial water weight, the pounds start taking longer to drop off. One way to counter this natural impatience is to set small goals – and rest assured, there are numerous popular examples. It can be anything from progressing from 20 to 30 to 40 pushups, etc., to running an extra mile every second Friday until you can run 10. The psychology here is that small goals are more attainable in the short term than large ones. They satisfy our impatience and our need to see visible evidence of progress, which ultimately keeps us going.
