Physical hardship, laziness or even body shaming usually aren’t the main reasons why people stop training. It’s the lack of motivation to carry on, which can be caused by a number of reasons. Even the most dedicated training-junkies at one point in their life experience a decline in motivation, however, how they handle this depends on the person in question. Overall, here are five tips that are universally deemed as the most effective in staying motivated to pursue your fitness efforts in the long-run.
1. Train with a friend
Training with a friend brings numerous benefits like having someone to help you out with bench press or someone to notice if you are not doing an exercise in the proper form. Apart from this, training with a friend is fun and somehow feels more mandatory than training alone. Think about it, there is no harm done if you skip just one day at the gym (that’s how it always starts). On the other hand, bailing on a friend simply feels wrong.
2. Breaking the routine
Another thing you need to consider is whether you are actually sick and tired of training or just doing the same exercise over and over again. The simple way to check this and spice things up a bit is to change your training routine. Switch to other exercises that target similar muscle groups and see if it can make your training at least a bit more interesting. Due to the fact that you will shock your body (with new weights, motions and patterns), you might even see better results.
3. Get yourself a new gear
Positive behavior should always be encouraged, so why not treat yourself to some new gym gear. You can start with the basics, such as a nice pair of weightlifting shoes and some gym clothes. Next, you can get yourself some bodybuilding gloves and even a weightlifting belt. Not only will this reignite the spark and get you pumped up to hit the gym once more, but it will also keep you much safer. There is nothing that can minimize the chance of injury like training in adequate gear.
4. Take weekly pictures of your progress
Sometimes, you will get so accustomed to your own look in the mirror that it will be incredibly hard for you to notice any progress. The best way to deal with this particular problem is to take pictures of yourself without your t-shirt once a week (set an exact day and time) so that you can compare your fitness efforts much more accurately. Later on, you can even use these images to create a transformation story.
5. Make an inspiring soundtrack
Finally, if you are currently training without music, then this is probably the first thing you need to try out. Get yourself a nice MP3 player, seeing as how they are both more compact and less distracting than a smartphone and make a playlist. Here, you can go with anything from your personal favorites to the classics like Eye of the Tiger or Final Countdown. You just can’t know what will work for you until you try.
Conclusion
The best thing about the above-listed five items is that they can enhance your training even if you aren’t dealing with the lack of motivation. The better you feel while training, the greater results will you achieve. Keep in mind, though, that working on your health and fitness isn’t a race but a marathon. Therefore, you need to focus on finding solutions that give you the greatest results in the long run. Once you find this winning combination, there will be no limit to your athletic achievements.