Motivation is one of the key points that makes a person go to the gym and shed liters of sweat in the first months of attending training.
Over time, training will become so integrated into life that a person will no longer imagine his leisure time without weights and muscle pain.
And at the beginning of their journey, some people naturally force themselves to visit a fitness club, and leave it not in the best mood.
It is especially difficult to force yourself to exercise after a busy day at work. Fatigue sets in, powerlessness and laziness overcome, and the brain frantically searches for a reason to refuse another trip to the “rocking chair”.
Curbing laziness in such a situation is not at all easy; you need a strong motivator.
I wonder what advice experienced fitness trainers could give in this regard?
Overcoming (challenge)
Everyone has a reluctance to exercise from time to time. Even among professional athletes of the highest rank, negative motivation for sports is far from uncommon. The problem needs to be solved quickly and sharply - one, two, three times.
Everyone can “put on a smile and work hard,” but you’re weak? Sports anger will help you! Wash your face with ice water. Take a close look at yourself in the mirror. Quickly put the uniform in your bag, and with a brisk, springy step, with excellent posture and a proudly raised head, humming your favorite tune, go to the training!
How to motivate yourself to workout after work?
Inspiring moments are, of course, good.
But how not to quit training when you feel tired from training?
How to motivate yourself?
Remind yourself of the reason for exercising.
Before each workout, remember why you are going to the gym.
You must clearly understand what you want to achieve and what you are striving for.
When you have a goal and a burning desire, no one can stop you!
Plan your workouts in advance.
Make a schedule for visiting the fitness club so you know exactly when and what time your workout will start.
Compliance with the regime is the most important part of the process, without which everything will end before it even begins.
And to make sure you don’t go astray after work, take a sports bag with everything you need in the morning.
Train yourself to have breakfast.
If you don't see the parallel between breakfast and exercise after work, then experts see it very clearly.
The fact is that by having breakfast, you “train” your body to remain alert throughout the day.
Moreover, if you have breakfast, you will eat much less at lunch, which means that after work you will not feel hungry or heaviness in your stomach, but cheerfulness and the desire to move mountains!
Bring snacks with you.
Many people who have worked a shift refuse to go to the gym just because they are hungry.
The brain clings to this loophole, and not everyone has enough willpower to resist this.
You can trick your brain by taking snacks to work.
The best combination for this would be a combination of carbohydrates and a small amount of protein, for example, a vegetable salad or a sandwich with meat.
It is only important to finish eating 45 minutes before class.
Choose activities that you love.
Of course, any activity requires effort.
But if you go to the fitness club with dissatisfaction and reluctance to do this or that exercise, it is better to refuse it!
Ask the instructor to create a program for you in such a way that you exercise with pleasure and enjoy the training.
What about an unpleasant exercise? Perhaps in the future, when you get stronger, you will return to doing it.
Record your results.
Very often, people give up training only because after one or two months of training they do not notice changes in their figure.
What is characteristic is that in reality there may be changes, the person just did not record them and did not notice the positive changes. But this is the strongest motivator!
Start recording your weight, waist or biceps measurements from the very first lessons.
From now on, every time you step on the scale or measure your waist with a tape measure, you will smile when you see the results of your labors.
Share your successes with others.
You should definitely tell your friends and relatives about your achievements.
By doing this you will not only increase your own self-esteem, but also get a new impetus for training!
Your loved ones will expect further success from you, and quitting your classes means seeing disappointment in their eyes.
Exercise with a friend or loved one.
If you're still working out alone, invite a friend or your significant other to the gym.
Firstly, working out in a company is much more fun, and if earlier you wanted to skip training, now this period will also become a pleasant meeting with a friend.
And secondly, having persuaded a loved one to exercise, you will feel responsible for him, and you will no longer quit training; on the contrary, you will encourage your colleague.
Down with the blues and bad mood
Physical activity is one of the best antidepressants. This statement of psychologists is not unfounded. But when lifting your mood with training, follow these rules:
- Work out half-heartedly and/or, as you feel, replace the type of planned workout with another. For example, instead of going for a run, do some stretching at home. Excessive effort and an increase in cortisol levels, against the background of a primary lack of desire to exercise, can “swing the pendulum” of mood in the opposite direction after training.
- Don't forget to take your favorite musical accompaniment as your assistant.
- Drink a slightly sweetened drink during your workout.
- Finish the hygienic shower after class with contrast procedures. Listen to your feelings, they will help you decide what the last douche should be - warm or cold.
Reason number 1 - cold
The first warning sign is slight malaise. It may manifest itself only as slight weakness, but the body is already attacked by infection. In such a situation, it is better to stay at home and take measures to recover. Loads are contraindicated when:
- elevated body temperature;
- runny nose;
- cough;
- sore throat;
- fever.
There is no point in being a hero, even if the desire to train has not disappeared. You'll only make things worse. During class you will inevitably sweat. This is how the body fights overheating. In this state it is easy to become hypothermic. The body will weaken and become an easy target for pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The result of the training will not be new achievements, but complications of a common cold.
Not eternal, but youth
The results of recent research are mind-blowing and may actually be a powerful motivator to avoid skipping your fitness routine. It turns out that regular physical activity helps maintain the length of the final sections of DNA chromosomes, which inevitably shorten with age. Physical exercise slows down this process. This means you will look younger than your non-sports peers.
If strength or cardio training has not yet led to a state of euphoria during exercise, a one-time gentle load will still enhance the production of endorphins and other substances. This allows you to look better and feel younger within 36-48 hours after finishing your workout.
Reasons to visit the gym.
Let us say right away that there is no universal advice for everyone.
Gyms and fitness clubs are visited by a variety of people, both young people and the elderly, both women and men.
Almost every one of them has a job, and it is no easier for an office worker to motivate himself to exercise than for a person who stands at a machine all day.
Each of them needs their own personal motivation to attend the “gym”.
Here are some effective tips that will help everyone find a reason to exercise.
Sexual innuendo
Going to a workout is one of the ways to relieve sexual dissatisfaction. Let us also recall that, if you do not take steroids, strength training will help you engage in lovemaking more often, increase the number and duration of sexual acts, and enhance orgasms. A trained body will allow you to easily perform any tricks from the Kama Sutra.
Singles should beware. You skip training, and at this time a new person appears in the gym, and your long-awaited, probable “other half” “effectively” gets acquainted, but not with you.
Train close to the office
This way, you won’t have to frantically think about how to get to work from the gym, especially if the workout lasts 15–30 minutes. If you prefer to exercise outdoors, choose a park near your office or home. This way you can quickly hide in a cozy place if it rains.
Look what I have
A good way to force yourself to go to training through “I don’t want” can be a technique that requires preliminary preparation and a certain endurance. Buy some fancy sports clothes and save them for when you have the blues. Are you feeling lazy? Now is the time to go to the gym and work out in a new form. Let everyone “die of envy.”
Treat yourself to a beautiful shape
Buy those soft and elastic sneakers that you have been eyeing for a long time, and those bike shorts that you were sorry to buy. Pair them with cute elastic bands and cute dumbbells if you're working out at home. Nothing will motivate you as much as thinking about a beautiful and comfortable uniform or thinking that you paid half your salary for them, and you need to recoup the expenses.
Positive example
The last, 10th reason, for some will probably be more important than all the previous ones. If you are a father or mother, an older brother or sister, then whether you like it or not, you must set a positive example. Of course, you can grumble for a few minutes, ooh and ahh. But after that, gather your will and go train.
Beauty is a terrible power, but it requires regular effort. And if you want to be healthy, exercise and you will do without doctors! Do you need additional motivation for sports? We think not!
Injury
Both beginners and experienced athletes can experience running injuries. Most often, injury is caused by a sharp increase in running volume, uncomfortable shoes or running on difficult surfaces.
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It may be interesting: How to run off-road: mud, windfalls and other difficult surfaces
Photo: runnersworld.com
In the treatment of injuries, the golden rule is “the slower you go, the slower you go.” Trying to numb the discomfort with painkillers in order to quickly return to training is not a good idea. Under load, a minor problem will turn into a serious injury, and you will still have to be treated, but for much longer.
Ignoring painful sensations does not indicate fortitude and struggle with difficulties. If the body requires treatment, then you need to take a break for a while. And this will be smarter than getting chronic inflammation, which will overshadow your training for many years to come.
Overtraining
Motivational phrases and beautiful photos on social networks encourage you to train more and more. Any volumes seem insufficient, fatigue looks like banal laziness - and you can very easily miss the beginning of overtraining.
Overtraining is more than just fatigue. This is chronic exhaustion of the body, which lets you know that it is working at its limit. And his signals cannot be ignored.
One of the clearest symptoms of overtraining is a high resting heart rate. It means that the body did not have time to rest overnight. And in general, many athletes note that when they are overloaded, their sleep is disturbed - they want to sleep, but they can’t fall asleep, and they have to get up with a feeling of exhaustion.
Communication
The most controversial and in its own way the most important point. Not all athletes will agree that an invitation to a corporate party or a children's party is a convincing argument for skipping training. After all, those who want to achieve results are focused primarily on their goal.
Of course, a training schedule is important, and without regular training you will not make progress. But most amateur athletes compete for their own results. And everyone decides for themselves whether these results are worth putting the rest of their life on pause.
Photo: snackinginsneakers.com
Don't blame yourself if for some reason you had to deviate from your training schedule. It is impossible to constantly be at the peak of shape, and if the body requires rest, it must be given this opportunity. So that later, with fresh strength, we can prepare for new victories.
Read more: 7 ways to motivate yourself when you’re too lazy to go for a run
