I’ve been struggling lately to stay motivated. It’s so tempting to skip a workout and work on my website and blog instead. I justify it by telling myself that I REALLY need to work on my sites so that I can quit my day job as soon as possible.
So I’ve had to come up with some new ways of motivating myself, and thought I’d share them. Maybe one of them will work for you!
1. Put Yourself on Autopilot
I was struggling, trying to decide WHAT my workouts should be, WHEN my workouts should be, HOW OFTEN my workouts should be, etc. That indecision led to inaction.
So I removed the decision-making element. I signed up and paid IN ADVANCE for a Boot Camp class that meets Monday night, Wednesday night, and Friday morning.
By signing up for this class, I put myself on autopilot. I don’t need to think about what to do or when, I just go to my classes as scheduled and “follow the leader.” I’m feeling stronger after one week, and maybe because of that, I’ve added one short cardio/sprint workout and one overall strength training session a week. And on weekends I try to play tennis or go for a walk or bike ride.
So one little tweak has been just the kick in the butt that I needed!
2. Push Yourself
All too often I’ll do a cardio workout and find myself just kinda “coasting” along. What, out of breath, moi? No…
Somewhere along the way, gasping for breath just somehow became a no-no. A nice easy jog? No problem. A hard run? No way.
At the boot camp class, we do short intervals of high intensity activities, then get a brief (very brief – can we say 10 seconds?) rest, and then we’re right back at it. As the instructor is calling out the next move (”Fifteen jump squats. Go!”) I’m thinking “No way!” But guess what? I just do it.
And I don’t die, I don’t pass out, and I don’t puke. And at the end of class, I’m feeling pretty darn good. So go ahead, give it a try. Push yourself. Run faster. Left heavier. You’ll be surprised at what you’re really capable of.
3. Just Do a Little Bit
Wow, sort of contradicts #2 above! But we’ve all had days where just getting out of bed is a monumental task, let alone getting your butt out the door for a workout. On days like those, think small and just do a little bit.
Tuesday morning I was really tired and worn out from Monday night’s class. I had planned on going for an early morning run, but upon waking, I quickly changed my mind.
Instead of doing NOTHING, I did just a little bit. I did my favorite boot camp exercise, one that I had heard of plenty of times but had never given a try – hindu pushups.
Not as difficult as a regular pushup, and involving just about every muscle in your body, it’s a great way to warm up and get energized. Watch the video below for a quick demonstration.
It takes about 2 minutes to do 25 hindu pushups. That’s it. That’s all I did. BUT, it was enough to wake me up, to get me feeling energized, to get me in tune with my muscles, AND it got me to rethink my exercise plan and instead of doing nothing, I went for a long walk.
So, I went from going for a run, to doing nothing, to doing just a little bit – 25 hindu pushups – to DOING SOMETHING – going for a walk. So the next time you’re about to dis your workout because you’re too tired or too sore or don’t have enough time, DO JUST A LITTLE BIT. You’ll never know where it might lead you!
4. Find an Objective Third Party
If you just can’t seem to motivate yourself, let someone else do it for you.
I’ve always shied away from having a workout partner. Mainly because I know that sooner or later I’ll miss a workout and disappoint my partner.
I started thinking about this last night when one of my fellow boot campers invited me to join her and a few others on their twice-weekly bike rides. My first thought was to politely decline, because I know I should spend the majority of my evenings working on websites.
But then I thought, you know, it’s almost September. We’ve only got about another month or so before the snow starts to fly here in Minnesota – why not join them for the next month? It’s only 30 days or so – no long-term commitment – and it would probably help with the “kick in the pants” I’m trying to give myself. So I’m in.
And if a training partner or group doesn’t float your boat, what about a personal trainer? I know they are a bit spendy, and may seem like an indulgence in our current economy.
BUT, you could find a trainer who’s willing to meet with you twice a month or so, just to get you focused and on track, or find one that works with small groups so that the payments are diffused a amongst a small group of people.
Either way, make sure that you find a trainer that is willing to work with you and who REALLY MOTIVATES you!
5. Inspire Yourself with Words and Pictures
Maybe you’ve heard the term “vision board.” Essentially, it’s a collage of images and words that inspire you and remind you of your goals and dreams. Why not create one to remind you of your fitness goals on a daily basis?
It’s pretty simple. Go through some magazines, and cut out pictures of people with bodies that you admire and aspire to, and images of people working out. Then cut out some motivating words or phrases – “move it,” “get strong,” “feel the energy” – for example.
Arrange them on a piece of poster board and glue them on. Or stick them on your refrigerator with magnets. Or to the inside of your cupboards, so when you reach for those double chocolate chunk cookies in the middle of the night, you’re always reminded of your goal.
Another option is to design a vision board electronically, using a page layout program to arrange the images and phrases, and then saving it as a pdf. Use that pdf as the desktop image on your computer.
How do you motivate yourself to work out?
Photo by DrJimiGlide
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Today’s Menu
- Scrambled Eggs with Salsa
- Coffee with milk
- Archer Farms Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage
- Chop Chop Salad
- Two Oreo Cookies
- Coffee with milk
- Kiwi
- Archer Farms Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage
- Chop Chop Salad
- Grapes
- Yogurt
Today’s Workout
- 50 situps
- 25 hindu pushups
- 25 squats
Today’s Weight
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