Let’s get fit?! Are you struggling to get started or maintain motivation? You may have started a fitness lifestyle change and within a week your excitement has subsided and you lack all motivation. The excuses may start with…
It’s too hot!
I don’t have time!
It’s too cold!
I don’t feel in the mood!
I’m too tired!
I will start tomorrow!
Time to kick those excuses outta your head with my top tips to stay motivated.
Goal Setting
Ever wanted to run 10km, complete a triathlon, PB in your sport, squat twice your weight? Whatever your goal is, write it in your calendar, pay for the event, get a training plan in place to work towards it. Choose a goal that you are passionate about, that excites you and will make you want to get up in the morning and work for it. It is important to set realistic goals and set mini goals to keep you on track.
Training Buddy
A training buddy is someone who motivates you and who you can be accountable to. An accountabila-buddy! You know when you set that 5am alarm to fit in a nice morning workout you are more likely to get up out of bed if you know someone is counting on you to be there. Whereas, if you’re training alone and the alarm goes off, you are more susceptible to hit snooze as you’re just letting yourself down.
A buddy is also good to share your sporting goals with; for example a sporting event (half marathon, ironman) that you can train for together. It’s important to remember you are not competing against your partner, it’s you against your own goals (although a bit of healthy competition never hurt anyone ;P)
Coach
Similar to that of a training buddy a coach is someone who will keep you accountable and in turn motivate you. Coaches will encourage, assess your training and performance and overall enhance your self-motivation.
Rest Accordingly
I’m not saying be an energiser bunny ‘Go, Go, Go’, sometimes we have to stop and rest and recover to come back stronger. Ensure you fit rest days into your schedule. Unsure when to rest? Your coach should suggest rest days and make sure you listen to your body.
Fuel your Body
Ensure that your body is well fuelled. You can’t run a car with an empty tank, so don’t do it with your body. Eat whole, fresh and nutrient dense foods.
Shoe in
New running shoes! I love the feeling and look of a fresh pair of joggers. You’ve spent the money, they look great, just another push to get out the door. A new pair of shorts or a top or a cycle kit also does the trick 😉
The biggest thing with motivation is turning the motivation into a habit. KEEP PUSHING THROUGH. It takes 21 days (3 weeks) to beat a habit or to create a habit. Just remember with dedication and patience the motivation will become a habit and similar to brushing your teeth, you’ll feel bad if you don’t do it.
One of the biggest reasons I hear is “I don’t have enough time”. I’ll be releasing my Top Tips to Fit in Fitness next week so stay tuned.
In the mean time, comment your top tips for motivation below.
fitnessandguts 
These are all excellent tips!! Speaking of coach- check out janerunswild for a coaching update! Have a great run today!
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Thanks for the tips! I can relate to creating a habit because when I miss or don’t workout, I feel really bad and really upset about it.
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No worries 🙂 habit is key, but remember life happens and it’s ok if you miss a workout and not feel bad about it, just don’t miss cleaning your teeth 😛
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I agree 🙂
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Hmmm my top motivation is to be social. It’s pretty funny that the basic reason is fitness, but it’s friendship that keeps me going 🙂
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Absolutely, developing friendships not only keeps it enjoying the workouts but also keep you accountable. Thanks for sharing your top motivation 🙂
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Great tips! My workouts are scheduled in the morning so it makes them all the more NOT motivating to go exercise. When I’m all warm and snuggly in my bed it’s so tempting to sleep in. For me, my biggest motivator is to continue drilling in my head “I can do it” and Nike’s slogan “Just Do It.” I need to be more aggressive to get my lazy self out the door. 🙈
Xoxo,
Stephanie
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These are some good tips i use a few myself when I’m having a bad day 🙂
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I love the style of your writing! These were awesome tips also!! My fave is the fueling your body, most ppl only focus on the exercise. Maybe you can take a look at my blog and I’d be happy to exchange likes we actually like of eachothers and a follow
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Hi Kate! Loved your article and tips! Recently I gathered the list of my Ten Killer Facts About Motivation in Sports: 1. It is not all about discipline – you have to find a workout that you enjoy! 2. Announce your goals to yourself only: researchers say that announcing your goals to others substantially decreases the chance of them being realised. 3. Dream big AND create a clear path of simple, everyday steps. 4. Avoid decision paralysis situations. 5. Pay attention to what you eat – healthy nutrition contributes to 80% of your body image. 6. Willpower has a limited battery life and needs to be spent wisely. 7. Give a habit a time: once one is established, you can build another, more challenging one. 8. While it is true that no-one succeeds alone, it is also true that you are responsible for your own success. 9. Your surroundings influence you more than you expect. 10. Sleep enough.
Really glad we have many tips in common! Good luck!
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Awesome tips! I love that you put goal setting as your number one. I think goal setting is the most important tip for fitness motivation because if you don’t set small goals you will never reach your ultimate big goal. Great blog.
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