No motivation to work out?
BECOMING a couch potato and losing track of fitness goals rarely pose a challenge for anyone, but getting back on track can be difficult when you don’t have the right motivation.
Rohan Gordon, personal trainer at Eden Gardens, said loss of motivation to work out and get to a good fitness level may be due to several factors.
But having being in the situation himself, this week he offers a few tips on how to stop, recharge and take control of your health.
1. Have one goal
Gordon explained that whenever he falls off track it’s mainly because there’s too much going on in his life.
“I’m trying to do too much at any one time and it saps my energy and motivation,” he said.
He added that it’s the most common mistake people make to try and accomplish all their goals at once.
“You cannot maintain energy and focus if you are trying to do two or more goals at once. You have to choose one goal and focus on it completely.”
2. Find inspiration
“This comes from others who have achieved what I want to achieve or are currently doing it,” Gordon said.
He added that he reads books, blogs, magazines and success stories to give him a mental push.
3. Post you goals
Gordon advises individuals seeking motivation to work out to post their fitness goals where they’ll be reminded of them each day.
“Print out what you want to achieve. It can simply say ‘exercise 15 minutes daily’. Post it up on your wall, refrigerator, work station or computer. You want to have big reminders about your goal to keep you focused and keep you going,” he said.
4. Think about it daily
Gordon said if you think about your goal daily, it is much more likely to become something you always wanted it to be.
“Sending yourself daily reminders is a start and if you can commit to doing one small thing to further your goal, for even just five minutes each day, your goal will almost certainly be realised,” he said.
5. Have a support team
He said it is hard to accomplish something all by yourself.
“When I decide to do my race walking competitions or teach a class I get the help of friends and family. I have a great race walking community who encourage me to do 5k races and do long walks with me. When I decided to stop drinking I formed my own walk club and clinic that helped me tremendously,” Gordon said.
He added that his training partner Rick Case helped him every step of the way.
“I couldn’t have done these goals without him or without the others who supported me. Find your support network.”
— KIMBERLEY HIBBERT
