What gets you motivated?
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| photo source: http://www.crescentsolutions.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/motivation.jpg |
Hi again everyone, so for
my second ever blog post, I tried to figure out where the fitness journey
begins. I think this is important because I want to help those of you who
haven’t started but want to. And even for those of you who are fitness
enthusiasts or “health nuts” as you may have been called, it is something we
should investigate.
There are many different
ways of looking at this, but I think what gets you started on the road to a
healthier life is motivation. Motivation is what will drive you to seek
out information, make time for your workouts, skip the dessert, and continue to
keep on going day after day. You may know someone you admire who is in
really good shape, who eats well and has the kind of personality that makes
others happy and is always energetic. And maybe you think, “How does he
do it, how is he so motivated?” Well I want to tell you that even if you
think you can’t be motivated, you can- you just need the right fuel.
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| photo source: http://www.nexercise.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/exercise_motivation.png |
What do I mean by
fuel? Well it’s my way of saying what gets your engine burning, that fire
inside of you that drives you to do something, passion might be another way of
putting it. If you have never felt that way about working out, don’t worry,
you can. First of all, there are a million ways to work out, so it is
important to explore your options. If you think your options are limited
to running on the treadmill for 45 minutes and doing machine exercises for your
muscles, no offense but no wonder you aren’t motivated! I find that
boring too!
But maybe you never thought of dance, or martial arts as a workout, but these are great ways to exercise. Or what about some outdoor options like skiing, biking, kayaking, paddle boarding, or sports- beach volleyball, hockey, basketball, you name it. Or maybe something like Crossfit, or swinging kettlebells or clubbells gets your heart pumping. Whatever it is, you won’t know unless you explore your options so to get motivated, learn about as much as you can.
But maybe you never thought of dance, or martial arts as a workout, but these are great ways to exercise. Or what about some outdoor options like skiing, biking, kayaking, paddle boarding, or sports- beach volleyball, hockey, basketball, you name it. Or maybe something like Crossfit, or swinging kettlebells or clubbells gets your heart pumping. Whatever it is, you won’t know unless you explore your options so to get motivated, learn about as much as you can.
Now if you search, and you
find something that motivates you to live better, don’t try to put a strangle
hold on that one thing. What I mean is, cross train. If you find
out you LOVE running, don’t just run and run, eventually you will burn yourself
out, physically and mentally. Try to do something else a couple times a
week or whatever fits your schedule. Try a yoga class or a spinning class
to mix things up. Not only will your body thank you for the new
challenges allowing it to bust through plateaus, but your mind will be
revitalized as well.
And secondly, your interests will not always be the same. If your interests change (and they will) over the course of your life, simply readjust. Well I suppose it’s not always so simple, if you have invested a lot of time in martial arts for example, it may be difficult to let go when the spark fades. I’m not suggesting we be flimsy or shallow in our pursuits, you must stick to your efforts to see results, no matter what you do. But if you don’t have the same enjoyment for your sport or activity that you once did, let it go and find a new routine or hobby that DOES excite you again.
And secondly, your interests will not always be the same. If your interests change (and they will) over the course of your life, simply readjust. Well I suppose it’s not always so simple, if you have invested a lot of time in martial arts for example, it may be difficult to let go when the spark fades. I’m not suggesting we be flimsy or shallow in our pursuits, you must stick to your efforts to see results, no matter what you do. But if you don’t have the same enjoyment for your sport or activity that you once did, let it go and find a new routine or hobby that DOES excite you again.
Me after Run For Your Lives
in PA, most fun I've ever had running.
I’ll finish by saying that
for me, my interests have changed many times, as I mentioned in my first
post. Currently though, what gets me to train when I’m feeling tired and
sore is the thought of winning a shiny new medal at one of the many obstacle
course races I am going to do this summer. Some people may not find that
to be terribly motivating and that is perfectly fine. What motivates you
is unique to who you are, and unless you are motivated by something morally
abhorrent, who is anyone else to judge? If you only want to work out to
look good with your shirt off, and that gets you out of bed at 5AM and to the
gym, I say good for you! By the way, everyone wants to look better,
don’t let them fool you.
So in summary- explore your
options, find something you can enjoy or atleast hate less ;) and allow your
interests to adjust over time to stay motivated.
I will leave you with a
picture of my newest creation, my own obstacle course training wall to get
ready for run for your lives, Spartan sprint, and warrior dash this
season. Maybe these races could be the perfect thing to get you moving
too.
Obstacle race info links below
- The Spartan races, from 5k Sprint to 12 mile Beast
- Run For Your Lives! zombie infested 5k
- The Warrior Dash, get a medal AND a fuzzy viking helmet!
Explore your motivation…
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