Your complete guide to stay motivated throughout your journey.
Did you know that one of the main reason for exercise drop outs is due to lack of motivation!?
Exercising can feel like a constant run on the treadmill at times, no matter how far you feel you have travelled... you are still stuck in the same spot.
Exercise doesn't and shouldn't feel this way, every workout you complete or every healthy nutritional decision you do is one step forward to a healthier and fitter you! Even us personal trainers can admit that at times we have poor training session or make poor food choices, one of the reasons we keep going is the sense of direction and motivation to overcome that poor workout or that Saturday night takeaway.
Here is our top 5 tips to remain motivated throughout your journey and how you can overcome any barriers that come in your way!
Track Progress
Nothing helps keep you motivated more than tracking your progress. One of the best ways to track your progress is by measuring your inches, body fat percentage and weight (depending on your goals).
It is sometimes hard to know how much you have progressed during your training, having a record of your previous results will help develop a better understanding. When you start your journey with EDG Fitness you are provided with a body measuring tape and measurement guide to help track your progression throughout.
Top Tip: Use a certain day to complete your results, for example - use the first Monday of every month.
Special Consideration: It's important to use more than one of these methods to get a better understanding of your progression, the scales for example can be your worst enemy at times as it doesn't always provide you with a true reflection of the work you have put in.
Take Pictures
Taking pictures might not be everyone's favourite choice, nor is it something most will want to do but given a few weeks of your journey you will be able to understand why taking pictures is important.
Seeing yourself everyday means you become unaware of all the changes your body is making - maybe in the past you have seen someone you haven't seen for a while who compliments your body without you recognising yourself? Taking photos works similar as you will be able to compare pictures to weeks gone by and recognise the changes for yourself.
Top Tip: Use a certain day to take your picture, for example - the first Monday of every month. Aim to take your picture at a similar angle, distance and lighting to provide a true reflection to previous pictures.
Inspiration picture
Motivate yourself with a picture you inspire to be like. Maybe it is a holiday picture when you was in your best shape? a picture of a destination you are going to travelling too? or maybe even a celebrity you want the same body as?
Aim to keep the picture somewhere you are going to see regularly to help keep you motivated such as; on your mobile phone or somewhere you could be lead astray with temptation such as on the fridge or inside the kitchen cupboard as a constant reminder.
Plan Ahead
Planning ahead and setting goals is massively important to maintaining motivation, without a sense of direction you are 75% more likely to lose motivation and eventually end up stopping altogether.
It is important to have a variety of goals and length of time to complete them, it is also important to find goals that have a value to you and provide you with a challenge. To have a better understanding of what goals to set, try and evaluate what your ambition is, who you are as a person and what you need to do to accomplish those goals. When you set your smaller short term goals, try to understand what you need to do to accomplish your long term goals - these can then be seen as stepping stones leading up to your long term ambitions.
Apart of your 90 Day Transformation Plan we set you a variety of goals to achieve throughout your journey based on lifestyle, exercise and nutrition.
Top Tip: Sharing your goals with friends and family can help increase your motivation and the likelihood of completing your goals as you don't want to let anyone down.
Reward Yourself
Nothing helps keep you motivated than an incentive, once you achieve your milestones set yourself something as a reward to help keep yourself motivated.
Use your goal setting as an incentive to reward yourself once accomplished, of course this is your reward so you have a right to choose whatever you wish - whatever it is, try not to demolish your progression too much or to make the goals too easy otherwise you will feel unsatisfied with your achievements.
Top 5 recommended reward incentives
Massage
Retail therapy
Meal out in a restaurant
Trip to the cinema
Weekend away
What do you think to our top 5 motivation tips? Will you be trying any of our suggestions or maybe you have a top tip that isn't mentioned above? Comment below and let us know.
Want a fully tailored plan complete with an online personal trainer who can help keep you motivated?
Sign up to our 90 Day Transformation Plan today and receive;
Lifestyle support and goal setting
3 tailored workout plans
45 recipes complete with nutrition support and macronutrients
Online membership
Regular journey calls with your designated personal trainer
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