Are you one of those people who seem to want to play sports, run in the park in the morning and swim in the pool in the evenings, but are too lazy? Is the purchased fitness center membership probably gathering dust on the far shelf? We hasten to inform you that you are not alone. Forcing yourself to reconsider your usual lifestyle and start training is really not easy. Especially in the current situation, when gyms and parks are closed, and people are sitting at home in self-isolation.
No one can be forced to play sports under pressure, and there is no need to. A person decides his own destiny and is not obliged to train against his will, nor to reproach himself for not doing it. But at the same time, you need to be aware of the risks and consequences that a sedentary lifestyle can lead to. If you still want to stay physically fit for the sake of health, then at least a couple of times a week you should devote time to sports.
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You don’t need to set yourself impossible tasks: getting up at five in the morning, scrupulously counting calories, afraid to exceed the daily norm, trying here and now to get sculpted abs or master yoga perfectly. A couple of times a week is quite a feasible load for any person, the main thing is to find the right motivation.
However, health status is not the most motivating factor. While we are young and feel good, it seems that all problems are something distant and will definitely not affect us. This means we need to look for motivation in other places.
Set yourself specific and realistic goals
People fail in their attempts to lose weight or improve athletic performance, in part because they set unrealistic goals. The difference is whether you promise yourself to lose 2 or 20 kg in a month. There is also a difference between choosing to workout three times a week for 30 minutes and choosing to workout 6 times a week for 120 minutes. If your unattainable goals are not achieved, you will be demotivated , and failure will negatively affect your desire to continue . Therefore, set specific goals that you can achieve physically and mentally . Also, try to only plan for the short term, especially if you're just starting out. Start slowly with home workouts and gradually increase your requirements. [2] [3]
Start small if big doesn't work
If you are serious about it, but suddenly change your mind, try to come to an agreement with yourself. Commit to doing just one exercise or shortening your workout to 10 minutes. If after them you get involved and continue to study, great; if not, then at least you tried. Maybe next time 10 minutes will stretch to 15, then to 20, eventually you will get into the rhythm and want to train longer.
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Create your training plan
Whether you work out at home or at the gym, without a workout plan it will be much more difficult to achieve your goals. If you want to lose weight, gain muscle mass or strength , you should create a workout and exercise schedule for the week. Thanks to this, you will know what exactly awaits you and can prepare for it in advance. This way, when you see in your diary that Wednesday evening is dedicated to working out, your motivation will become even stronger. [1]
To get the most benefit from your training plan, you must follow these 7 steps:
- set a measurable goal
- choose your training structure
- select the appropriate exercises for specific workouts
- select the number of repetitions and sets
- create combinations of exercises
- Based on these points, create a training plan
- plan the distribution and frequency of training
For more information on these steps and how to create a proper workout plan, read our article How to Create a Quality Home Workout Plan?
Set up a home workout space
Not everyone has the opportunity to go to the gym , and some people don't like it when people look at them while working out. In this case, home workouts are the ideal choice. But in order to find some motivation within yourself, you also have to adapt your environment. Research has shown that motivation to exercise at home increases if you equip your home with at least basic fitness accessories . Please note: [2]
- Training mat – thanks to this accessory, training will be much more convenient, and in addition, the mat will help prevent injuries and unpleasant bruises.
- Gymnastic roller - will help to use all muscle groups during training. It is mainly used for abdominal training.
- Fitball - helps strengthen the entire body, improve tone, flexibility, balance and posture.
- Rubber loops and expanders - used to strengthen the muscles of the chest, buttocks, abs, legs and back. Also suitable for a full body workout.
- Jumping rope – jumping rope has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system, improves physical condition, and also strengthens the muscular system.
- Massage Roller – In addition to massaging tight muscles, you can use it to train your buttocks, back, or do planks and squats.
- Dumbbells and kettlebells – these can be used for many types of exercises and will help strengthen your biceps, triceps, shoulders and back. They can also be replaced with water bottles.
The myth of motivation. How to force yourself to exercise (and do you need it)? Vol.2
So, relying on motivation is a failed strategy.
Just as it is impossible to be happy all the time, it is also impossible to be consistently motivated: the reluctance to train will sooner or later manifest itself. The good news is that this situation can be managed, and I propose the following algorithm.
(1) “Know Thyself”: What is your motive?
Understanding your real motives will allow you to correlate them with the goals that you have set for yourself. If you have to force yourself to go to training every now and then, or if a marathon being canceled during the pandemic has caused you to skip Training Peaks, it’s worth asking yourself the question of whether you love running and whether marathons are really what you really need does it give you pleasure? Trying to solve problems that he cannot solve by running will only cause more stress.
In any task, we are driven by the emotions that we associate with what we are about to approach. Understanding your real motives allows you to choose YOUR goals and experience those feelings in the process of achieving them that will make the search for additional motivation unnecessary.
By the way, this is also a very important aspect of coaching. Having determined what really motivates the athlete, the coach can build the most effective interaction process with him. Amateurs need emotions from sports. Someone comes to run in a group, trying to find new friends, support, close communication - attention is important for such a student. Another strives to enjoy the process and the coach’s task becomes variety in the training process. The third craves results and satisfaction of his ambitions. The coach has an impressive arsenal of tools in his hands: praise, encouragement, censure - the effectiveness of each will depend on the individual characteristics of a particular athlete (it is interesting that, according to some psychologists, both praise and censure will have a stimulating effect only if they are repeated in a row no more than four times[1]).
(2) Revisit your goal
Having decided on your motives, you should critically evaluate your goal. A marathon two months after you started running, a “half” this spring of 1:20 with a personal best of 1:30, or an Ironman a year later if you haven’t even bought a bike yet. From the point of view of maintaining motivation, the crucial thing is that the goal must be REALLY achievable for you, but not too easy. Difficult to achieve, almost impossible, goals initially increase motivation. But as your workouts become more difficult, your subconscious mind will send you alarm signals and doubts about your own capabilities - especially if we are talking about a personal record. Too much desire to show good results can also lead to anxiety. All this will put pressure on you and can worsen the psychological situation until you become afraid of training.
(3) Break the global goal into intermediate ones
To maintain the constant strength of the motive, it is important to set not only distant, but also immediate goals, the achievement of which will cause satisfaction with the activity now, reinforcing your determination. Waiting too long to achieve a big goal leads to a loss of interest in everyday activities.
In addition, achieving micro-goals allows you to record progress, and the memory of past successes, even in one workout, will be a valuable resource for training on those days when motivation is lacking. “The best marathon of your life” is still a distant and only probable future, but running 200 meters in 35 seconds today is priceless.
(4) Focus on the process, not the final result
Yes, the Boston Marathon is a fantastic goal. In December, having received the coveted slot, you post on social networks that “there is no turning back.” You are maximally charged and motivated - you are ready to start training immediately and can already imagine yourself at the finish line with the coveted medal around your neck. You are confident that you will train hard until Patriots Day on the third Monday in April. After all, this is the great Boston Marathon - what other motivation is needed besides this fact itself?!
However, as coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Many athletes have the will to win, but few have the will to train.” And in this sense, it is much better to be a disciplined athlete than a motivated one.
Don’t think that your task at the upcoming start is to run the marathon “out of three”. The more attention and importance you place on a goal, the more likely it is that overmotivation will reduce performance (Yerkes-Dodson Law). Think about the specific workout you are going to do.
(5) Follow the plan
You must have a plan to achieve your goal. A workout plan isn't just a combination of intervals and "long" ones: it's something that will help you take control of your schedule and even your mood . By thinking about everything in advance and clearly organizing the day, week and upcoming workouts, we activate our consciousness, taking control away from reflexes , because, as we remember, they are the ones that prevent us from training.
In the future, some reflexes will gradually be replaced by others. Methodical and consistent execution of the plan: Carefully filling out the columns in Training Peaks, the calendar in Garmin Connect, or wherever you keep your running journal will help make your training routine. Routine is what we do every day under the control of implicit memory, that is, what does not require additional mental effort due to the fact that it has already been repeated hundreds and thousands of times. You simply take control away from some reflexes and give it to others. We don't need motivation to brush our teeth every day, right?
(6) Keep balance and add variety
Your plan should maintain a balance of speed, rest and intense training, including taking into account the everyday stress to which you are exposed along with training. The workouts themselves do not always have to be simple, but it is desirable that they be varied. Running in a group, working with stronger athletes, running uphill instead of the usual intervals at the stadium, unusual locations and training times, new combinations of segments - everything works that allows you to maintain interest, excitement and periodically “shake you up” from that same routine.
(7) Learn self-awareness
The easiest way is to keep a training diary. Regular description of training allows you to visually record progress and, thus, “feed” self-confidence. In your training diary, in addition to the distance traveled and speed, you need to record your well-being during training, as well as analyze specific situations, for example, according to the following model:
— What did I manage to do well today? What can I be proud of?
- Why did I succeed?
“Why do I think I didn’t have enough strength here?” (it’s important to avoid the word “it didn’t work out”)
— Analysis of the true reasons (in fact, I couldn’t complete the task because I didn’t sleep all night).
Document both the good results and the bad. Keeping a diary and mentally communicating with it also frees you from the control of the subconscious and transfers control to you, allowing you to look at various situations in your sports life from the outside.
(8) Look after yourself
When you wake up in the morning and find yourself reluctant to go for a run, assess your condition soberly and as objectively as possible. Consider whether there is a real medical reason why you shouldn't run as much as you planned? Perhaps you're not feeling well or haven't recovered enough after a busy week of training?
In order to want to run, you must be in RESOURCE, i.e. in order. No resource - no energy. Don't neglect your health and recovery: get enough sleep, eat a balanced diet, and treat injuries promptly.
By the way, the energy level is not an abstract, but a very specific, measurable thing. The markers are: the level of leptin, a hormone in adipose tissue that provides regulation of the body’s energy and metabolic processes, as well as the morning pulse rate. Their indicators that differ from your norm are a signal that problems with motivation (and more) may soon arise.
(9) Develop your strategy to combat reflexes
If you are fine, but don’t feel like running, then on that particular day you simply float away under the power of reflexes that seek to protect you from the stress of training. And all we need to do for the training to take place is to overcome reflexes. This can be done by any conscious mental action . The ability of consciousness to overcome behavior pre-programmed by the subconscious is the basis of free will[2].
My experience suggests that the following tricks work.
A) Freedom of thought , among other things, also consists in the fact that we can choose how to react to most signals from the outside world, and also whether we want to respond to them at all. What does this mean? On the way to training, think not about how much you don’t want to run and how hard it will be for you now, but about how pleased you will be with yourself after you finish. Think about meeting your friends at the stadium, about the delicious breakfast that awaits you after your run, about your plans for the evening. Ultimately, think about the joy you can get from being outside on a nice (or any) day.
Consciously stop trying to send yourself a negative signal (“I can’t do it,” “today is a bad day for a run,” “I’ll be too tired,” “I’m already tired”): indulging yourself will only make you lose motivation. Replace these signals with positive ones. I call them “mantras” (“I can”, “I can do it”, “I want to run” ). Mantras transfer control to the frontal lobe of the brain and activate you to take action. By the way, this also works when you are afraid of something or doubt something. So, for example, when I have to do one of the most difficult workouts - 10 times 1000 meters, then, as a rule, already in the first sections I have a fear that, despite the fact that I managed to run the first kilometers quickly, I won’t be able to finish the “work.” “I won’t be able to maintain this speed and will inevitably slow down. Once I start thinking like that, I naturally start to slow down. Therefore, as soon as the first destructive thought slips in, I say to myself out loud: “Nothing like that. You will run at this speed for as long as you need.” And most of the time I succeed.
B) Reprogramming reflexes . Try to set those behavioral patterns that will allow you to run out to workouts without any questions asked:
- eliminate factors that may interfere with you. For example, prepare things for training in advance so as not to waste control resources on getting ready;
- follow the algorithms. If you run in the morning, after the alarm rings, immediately begin to perform a simple sequence of actions: turn on the light, go to the bathroom, brush your teeth, make the bed, put a watch on your wrist, put on your treadmill, swing your neck, arms, swing your legs, grab your keys and quickly, quickly go out the door;
— by the way, run in the morning! Every morning we all have a chance to start over. In the morning, we had not yet had time to get tired and did not realize how cold it was outside, the exhausting work day had not yet crushed us, a traffic jam had not formed on the way to the arena, temptations had not yet come up and not a single valid reason had appeared for skipping training. The city in the early morning belongs only to us! In addition to the pleasant awareness of superiority over your weaknesses, because just an hour after waking up you are already stronger and more courageous than you were yesterday, a bonus is a training plan that is guaranteed to be 100% fulfilled. And finally, the day that began with a run has already taken shape, almost regardless of what happens next.
B) First step . Literally. In most cases, your task is simply to start moving. When getting ready for training, convince yourself that you are going for a walk. When you go outside, start by walking. Go down the stairs to the courtyard and make a circle around the house. Just start moving: as long as the body stays in bed, it wants to stay in bed, but as soon as the body starts moving, it wants to keep moving (this is the so-called principle of lazy physics).
When I go out for a long run, which I don’t want to do, I agree with myself that I will run “to that pond in the park,” which is about three kilometers away. “Well, can you run three kilometers?” I say to myself. Certainly can. Having reached the pond, I continue my internal dialogue: “Oksan, you’ll run another two kilometers. It’s only 10 minutes.” I run these two kilometers, then another and another. Then after “well, 10 kilometers - it’s not difficult,” I run all the required 15, 20 or 30 kilometers.
D) Fun while jogging . For example, while running in a stadium, mentally throw a rubber band at another runner and reach for him. Solve math problems, remember poetry, imagine that you have a jet engine behind you or that you are winning a race and you only have a few kilometers left to the finish line. Think about where the sign next to the road would be moved, how the building you are running past would be remodeled, where you would live on this block, how your day would be structured.
D) Short-term goals within one workout . Divide a difficult workout into segments: each interval will be a goal, the achievement of which will motivate you to continue the activity (one more minute, another segment). When I do “work,” I think only about the segment that I am running: not about the previous or subsequent one, not about how much time I have left to run, but about what is happening under my feet at this particular moment. By the way, if you think about it, a marathon is only 42 times 1000 meters.
E) Artificial stimulation of the production of positive peptides (bioregulators)
The easiest way, but perhaps not the healthiest, so I left it for the end. Raising your blood sugar can help combat pre-workout fatigue. Try eating a small piece of something tasty before training, or simply drink a sip or two of sugar water (some athletes simply wet their mouth and spit it out). Everyone knows that caffeine also stimulates the central nervous system and fights reluctance to exercise.
Each of the techniques listed above allows you to simulate the situation in which you want to train . Don't wait for perfect conditions, perfect running, don't wait for the right mood - otherwise, the training may never happen.
To finish the topic of motivation, I would like to advise you not to be too strict a parent with yourself. We often reproach ourselves for not being able to do our best during training and complete the coach’s task as we would have liked. One good friend of mine makes such a big deal about it that he would rather stop altogether than look at his watch and see that his pace is a few seconds behind his idea of an ideal workout.
However, a bad workout is one that didn’t happen. Just exhale and on this particular day accept that today is your maximum. This does not mean that you are not capable of anything - on the contrary, you can be sure that tomorrow the maximum will be different. Accepting yourself as fast, and weak, and motivated, and tired, coupled with the understanding that your sports activity is a continuous process in which there will be both successes and failures - all this removes fears and anxiety about the fact that something may not work out and helps maintain that same motivation.
And finally. We were all able to see how weak the external motivation tied to competitions is in the past season 2020. The desire to train, which only lasted for upcoming competitions, which were canceled one after another, turned out to be unreliable and short-lived. Keeping fit in the absence of an upcoming marathon turned out to be uninteresting and boring in itself. We rushed to look for motivation, but to paraphrase a well-known saying, motivation was invented by those who do not need it - for those for whom it, in fact, will not help.
First of all, you should enjoy the process itself - this is our basic need, and not just the result - a successful performance at the start. This means that even if there are no more marathons, you will still come to the stadium and run your 10 to 1000, because this is what makes you feel fulfilled and happy every day. And, of course, because you like to run fast.
Running is in itself a source of motivation that I don’t know is stronger than that.
[1] Markelov V.V. Typological differences in the influence of certain forms of pedagogical influence on the formation of motor skills // Personality in the system of collective relations. Abstracts of reports of the All-Union Conference in Kursk. M., 1980.
[2] Bruce Lipton, Biology of Belief.
Provide yourself with privacy and silence
We need silence while working , and in the same way we should ensure a calm environment during training .
This is time that you dedicate to yourself, and your mental and physical state must be ready for it. When you provide privacy and silence, your motivation to exercise will become stronger, and the workout itself will become much more effective, since you will be focused only on doing the exercises , and not on any distracting elements . Also be sure to move your phone out of sight. Make sure no one disturbs you and you don't interrupt your workout by running to your phone . [ 3] [4]
Don't expect quick results
Soon the fairy tale is told, but not soon the deed is done. You are inspired and ready to start a new life, and pictures of a new toned body, doubled energy and great well-being are already being drawn in your head. Postpone expectations until better times, because progress will not appear immediately. During this period, you need to be patient and realize that it’s easy to quit what you started halfway, but this will only mean that you wasted your time and energy. Hold on until the first results, they will give you a powerful boost of motivation.
Wear sports clothes
Sportswear performs several functions . In addition to its stylish appearance , it will also help:
- prevent injuries – many sports injuries are caused by improper equipment or sports clothing. Whether you're at the gym, at home, or working out outdoors, you need to have the right clothing. You need to protect yourself from shock, overheating or hypothermia. In addition, you should not exercise at home barefoot; your shoes should be strong enough.
- Boost your confidence - It definitely makes a difference whether you're working out in a stretchy T-shirt and sweatpants, or leggings and a sports top. Sportswear is distinguished by a high-quality cut and material that is adapted to effectively wick away sweat and strengthen muscles. In addition, you will feel like you are in the gym, which will motivate you to be more active in your workouts. Simply put, if you see in the mirror how good you look in a workout suit, your desire to exercise will be stronger. [3] [4]
What is laziness: an innate personality quality, fatigue or habit?
Laziness is a dislike of work, a complete lack of desire to do anything. It prevents us from achieving our goals, improving our skills, learning something new and being active - in general, living life to the fullest. [1]
There are many theories about the “origin” of laziness. Some people believe that every person is naturally lazy. A controversial statement, if we take as an example inquisitive kids who strive to perform many actions on their own. They explore the world with enviable enthusiasm.
Another theory is based on the fact that laziness is the body’s natural reaction to fatigue. This personality quality periodically manifests itself in every person who needs physical and emotional rest in order to “recharge” and return to business with zeal. [2]
And yet, most psychologists agree that laziness is an acquired quality, a pathological model of behavior. This is a bad habit that can be overcome if desired. [1]
Let us help you defeat laziness!
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Show off your shape on social media
Social media undoubtedly affects us negatively in some ways , but on the other hand, it can be used as a great motivator for exercise . Many studies have shown that social media significantly increases self-confidence and motivation to exercise .
Show off a photo of your shape and, for example, people's reactions to attempts to lose weight or strengthen muscles are usually very motivating . You can also subscribe to fitness communities, which primarily help increase self-confidence and motivation to exercise. You can also follow the progress made by others, which, of course, will also serve as motivation to train even harder. [3] [4] [5]
Curb your appetite
Exercising requires a conscious attitude towards food. Since you have decided to take care of yourself, spent money on a uniform and a gym membership, change the way you eat. If at first you feel like emptying the refrigerator after training, know that this is a temporary phenomenon. Very soon, thanks to physical activity, your body will be rebuilt, your metabolism will improve, unmotivated appetite will disappear, and you will not have to control yourself so as not to eat an extra cutlet or sandwich. Until this happens, ask your husband or partner to keep you away from the refrigerator before bed.
Listen to the right music
Listening to music while working out can improve the quality of your , improve your mood, and motivate you .
Music designed primarily for exercise usually has a strong, steady rhythm that you can use to guide you through your exercises. [6] [7]
Research shows that faster tempo music helps improve athletic performance during low- to moderate-impact workouts .
In addition, music distracts from pain through competitive sensory stimuli, about pain and fatigue while listening to your favorite music [7]
Music will also help develop a feeling of happiness and change thought processes . This psychological effect manifests itself in changes in hormone levels .
For example, a recent study found that participants who listened to pleasant and popular music while exercising were found to have higher levels of serotonin , known as the "feel-good hormone .
This means that choosing the right music while working out will not only motivate you, but will also make you feel happy.
Track your progress
It is not enough to take pictures and add your photos to social networks. To fully motivate yourself to continue training, you should keep a journal of your progress. Especially if you train at home, alone, without the presence of an experienced trainer . To figure out which exercises are ideal for you, what day you performed best on, and how many pounds you managed to lose, you should properly record each workout. [2] [3]
You should focus on the following factors:
- weight after workout
- diet during the day
- measuring certain parts of the body - the diameter of the biceps, chest, abdomen, hips, etc.
- feelings before training
- feelings after training
- training plan
- number of calories burned
By tracking these criteria , you will be able to determine your progress over time , the mistakes you are making, or, conversely, find out what your strengths are . If you see your progress, your desire to exercise is guaranteed to increase . You can also use a fitness diary , which usually contains various fitness tips , healthy recipes and motivational phrases.
Try online training
Online training is gaining popularity and is one of the fastest growing segments of the fitness industry. Not only do fitness apps offer the ability to purchase a workout plan online using online workouts from reputable fitness trainers is becoming increasingly popular .
Another format that has become especially popular during the quarantine period is live broadcasts of training sessions of the best athletes or fitness trainers. The advantage of online training is its reasonable price and flexibility, as you can train anywhere, anytime, all you need is a Wi-Fi connection. Plus, most live streams are saved to individual company or trainer channels, so you can watch workouts later. Today you can choose from a very wide range of workouts , from online yoga, Pilates to HIIT workouts. The price for such training is usually lower than training with a trainer at the gym. This is due to lower costs and partly due to a wider audience. [9]
Vary your workouts
n't focus on just one type of home workout . It may happen that you become bored with the same type of training and your motivation to exercise will disappear. The best way to improve and enjoy your home workouts is to change up your workout plan regularly.
It is best to combine strength training, cardio training and rest days . Therefore, you should plan which day will be dedicated to strength training , such as weight training or bodyweight training. The next day should be devoted to cardio training . You can try a HIIT workout, cycling, Pilates, Zumba, or other dance workouts. On rest days, you should focus on proper muscle stretching and physical and mental relaxation, such as by trying yoga and meditation. Just as variety in your diet will please your taste buds, variety in your workout will please your body and mind. [2] [3]
Plan
There are many advantages to training at home: saving money and time on travel to the gym, free schedule. But it is important to understand that within four walls there are always a lot of other activities besides sports, and they may seem more important and urgent. Wash the dishes, wash clothes, tidy up, cook dinner, and finally just lie down on the sofa with a book or watch a TV series.
There will always be distractions, and it's best to combat them with planning. To get started, set aside half an hour for sports and add this time to your schedule. Plan time for rest, because the body not only needs to work, but also recover after physical activity.
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