Last March I shared a story on how my friend Kelly found running, and ran her first 10K and then half marathon. The blog post focused on how to set goals and achieve them. I think it is safe to say we all can relate and remember that internal feeling of initial excitement and ambition that comes when we start the road towards achieving our goals, however, what we don’t always plan for or acknowledge are the barriers that can cause us to fail or get off track. What I want to address in this post is how to stay motivated through the challenges that come up along the road to reaching your health related goals. As a professional in the health and wellness field it is a major part my job to motivate people and help them reach their goals. However, the reality is, I can only motivate and push people to a certain point, and then it is up to the person to find it with in themselves to keep on the right track. It is important to dig deep and find what your health goals really mean to you. Does it mean you finish your first running race? Does it mean you prevent your body from encountering health complications either in the present or in the future or both? Does it mean maintaining your muscle and bone strength so you can live a long, active life? Does it mean setting a healthy example for your friends and family? What do your goals really mean to you?
Below is a list of my top 5 strategies I recommend for staying motivated. *
1. Do not expect perfection. When you start to swerve off track, recognize where you are, how you got there and what steps you will take to get back on track.
2. Find fun in what you are doing. The minute you feel like you ‘have’ to do something you start to lose ambition. If you are new to fitness, find activities that are enjoyable and you are much more likely to reach your goal.
3. Have an open mind. Learn to try something new, whether it is a fitness class at the gym or a new at home workout. Health is not a cookie cutter, new strategies are always being developed to help you get in shape.
4. Recognize your support system and use it. Find friends, family or even a gym acquaintance who share your same goals and use them when you are feeling drained and stuck in your health journey. Don’t be afraid to admit your need support because more time than not, you will be the support for someone else.
5. Accept where you are right now in this moment. If you are new to fitness, own it and be proud you are on a journey to better shape. If you need to lose weight to save your health, own it and be thankful you have the knowledge and tools to achieve this. If you have suffered an athletic injury, let your body heal and become excited for all the activities you can do once you are back. If you are already in good health, own it and continue to be good to your body and enjoy the many years to come.
* Here is a bonus; YOU DO HAVE TIME. Really, you do. There may be an occasional day that gets hectic and your truly do not have time to focus on your nutrition or fitness 100%, but reality is, in the bigger picture, you do have time. Stop using that excuse, because, it is in fact highly over rated.
Now that you know my top 5, I want to know what strategies do you use to stay motivated?
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