What motivates you to go to the gym? Believe it or not, your motivation has everything to do with that extra little “oomph” you need to get you to the gym on days when you’d rather relax at home or watch tv instead.
Here are five great ways we’ve used to keep ourselves motivated and driven to accomplishing our fitness goals:
Personal Trainer
I used to define my motivation for exercising at the gym as scheduling an appointment with a personal trainer two times a week and using that appointment as my primary motivation for going to the gym. After all, I paid for twelve sessions at a cost of $486 total so why wouldn’t I go? If I didn’t go I would end up wasting the $40.50 I pre-paid for that session and I do not like wasting money on account of my laziness.
I don’t recommend using a personal trainer as your primary motivation for going to the gym if you don’t have a lot of expendable income because it will cost you approximately $4,000 a year to pay for a training sessions at the gym if you go to train with the trainer two times a week. I would still recommend investing in a few sessions if you are absolutely new to the gym so you can familiarize yourself with machines and not injure yourself by using machines incorrectly.
Find a Gym Partner
Still my absolute favorite way to keep myself interested in the gym is to meet up with a gym buddy and go to the gym together. You will not only reap the social rewards of being with a friend but you’re also more likely to try new machines.
The one potential downside to this is coordinating schedules between friends so I would try meeting with your friend(s) once or twice a week and then go on your own once or twice more each week. You will feel much more at ease if you go to the gym with a friend when you are new because you won’t feel like you stand out as much.
Blog About It
Something both Anthony and I do is write about our fitness goals and exercise experiences on FocusBodyHealth. Once you write down your goals and talk about how your gym experiences have been you will be more apt to improve your experience and accomplish your goals. You could even create a blog on many social networking sites like MySpace and set it to “Diary” mode where only you can read your entries. If you would like to blog about it on FocusBodyHealth, drop us a line in the comments below and we’ll get in touch.
Reward Yourself
Before getting serious about my health I would watch tv like it was my job. With the advent of iTunes and the Slingbox
Track Your Progress with Pictures
Photos can be worth a thousand words but sometimes they are just a wake up call that keeps you going once you see how far you’ve come each week, month and year. Keep a pair of pants or a sweater that you wore before beginning your healthier lifestyle and take pictures at regular intervals so you can see your changes. Eventually you will reach your target fitness level and you’ll have the joyful task of donating that sweater or pair of pants to a charity because you no longer have a need for it.
Achieving your fitness goals is an exciting journey, not an overnight success, and motivating yourself to get through the toughest parts along the way are a crucial part of completing that journey. Once you see how much you’ve changed for the better and enjoy living in your new body you’ll have all the motivation you need to maintain or pursue new goals.
Mon, Sep 29, 2008
Health & Fitness Advice, Workout Ideas