Stay on track with your fitness journey this Spring: 5 easy ways to remain motivated
Written by Emma Beale
Emma is the Marketing Manager for Workout Ashton
So we all know that regular exercise will have a positive impact on our overall health and wellbeing and most of us will find it easy to start a new exercise plan and stay motivated for a few weeks. But what happens then? How can we make sure we don’t become one of the 80% of people that abandon their fitness goals before they are completed? The trick is keep it simple and try not to take on too many big changes all at once. Here are some easy to steps you can try to work towards your goals one small step at a time.
1. Set a clear goal
Be clear about what you want to achieve and make your goals as refined as possible. Instead of thinking “My goal is to become healthier” look at the specifics of what that means to you personally. Is it that you want to be able to lift a certain weight, lose an amount of inches, or feel less out of breath whilst running around with your kids? Whatever that is for you, make that your focus as it will be far easier to persuade yourself to stick to the process if you have a clearly defined outcome to aim for.
2. Make a plan
Now that you have your goal, how are you going to get there? It’s time to make a plan and look at how that plan can be worked into your existing life schedule. If your goal is to complete a 10k race this year, what training structure will you need for that? How many times per week will you need to train and what distances will you aim to run each time? From personal experience I find that taking the time to plan when I am going to exercise each week and blocking the time out in my dairy is the best way to make sure I actually do it. It will be much easier to slip off track if you just assume you will get round to it at some point.
3. Add some accountability
Once you have your plan and exercise schedule for the week what will you use to hold yourself accountable? If your goal is to increase your bench press PR by 10% and you have a clearly planned programme to help get you there, can you also recruit a gym buddy to come with you? If you find solo exercising is better for you then why not try a habit tracking app to keep you accountable.
Here are some that our team finds useful:
- Streaks app - Can be used to track a wide range of habits.
- Apple Fitness - Counts steps, calories burned and active minutes each day.
- Runna - Creates personalised running plans.
Even just a note in your diary can be a useful way to track your progress, plus it’s always nice to look back over the month and see what you have achieved. Other useful accountability tools are to book a fitness class or use an exercise program that a personal trainer has written for you with your goals in mind.
4. Sprinkle in some variety
A great way to keep your motivation levels high is to inject as much fun as possible into your routine. Doing the same thing over and over again can quickly become stagnant and boring, meaning you are far more likely to quit. Keep it fun and interesting by exploring new ways to exercise. Try a beginner friendly fitness class or sport you have never tried before, learn how to use a piece of gym equipment that you have been avoiding, book a personal training session, or join a run club - the options are endless. Adding variety when and where you can will keep your routine fresh and interesting. At Workout Ashton we introduced a Run Club this year to help support our members to push themselves outside of their comfort zone and try something new.
5. Expect the unexpected
There are always going to be things that happen that are out of our control but if we plan for changes and stay flexible where needed then we are less likely to completely abandon our plans when something unexpected happens. It sounds simple but make sure you have appropriate clothing and footwear, don’t let the lack of rain jacket be the reason you skip your run. If you have a holiday planned and want to stick to your routine during that time, does the hotel have a gym you can use or does your gym offer a downloadable bodyweight exercise program you can follow whilst away. If your child has an inset day on a day you would normally attend a fitness class can you follow an online yoga class instead?
In conclusiuon it takes roughly 3 months to turn your short term fitness goals into a longstanding lifestyle change, so taking the time to properly plan and schedule time for your chosen exercise is going to be vital to your success. Outside of that, being as consistent as possible over a longer period of time, and making small regular steps towards your goals, will be far more rewarding in the long run than rushing the process and quitting because it feels too overwhelming.
