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Buddy up “Taking a friend with you to the gym or on a run will help keep you motivated,” says personal trainer Matt Ford (lifefitness.co.uk).
“You’re more likely to stick to training and let it become a habit rather than a chore if you buddy up. Plus, get them to spot you and keep an eye on your technique; a gym partner is an essential part of your exercise arsenal!” -
Stay positive Fitness instructor Georgia Graham (bamma.com) says: “The best way to keep focused when training is to be constantly challenging yourself. Feeling positive and confident about your progress is one of the best drivers for staying fit and healthy.”
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Mix it up “Varying your training is important both physically and psychologically,” says personal trainer Carly Wheatley (reebokclub.co.uk). In order for you to make progressive gains with each training session, your programme must not stay at the same intensity throughout, nor focus on the same muscle group each time. Avoiding changes will eventually lead to a plateau, and you’ll only improve up to a certain point. Psychologically, mixing things up is important to avoid getting bored. If your training excites you then you are more likely to train more often and achieve better results. Incorporate kit such as medicine balls and unfamiliar weights into your workout, a combination of which creates nice variety.”
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“Staying focused and working with consistency is important for achieving results,” explains fitness coach Hayley Morran, head of curriculum at fit training (fittraining.co.uk).
“Follow a workout plan that has a set of specific fitness tests at set periods throughout, as this will help you commit and also provide motivation through the results of the tests. A regular workout plan will increase fitness levels and create a greater sense of wellbeing, knowing you have something to follow instead of just bouncing from machine to machine.” -
Get a PT “Getting yourself a personal trainer is a sure-fire way of knowing you’ll always be kept on target to achieve your fitness goals,” says personal trainer Dominic Bowser (soundmindandbody.co.uk). “A great personal trainer will be a qualified professional who is dedicated to helping you succeed and stay focused. PTs are a passionate and committed bunch who’ll certainly keep you motivated. You’ll be supported with professional advice, while their years of experience will ensure you are progressing well.”
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Set yourself clear goals “It’s important you clearly map out a plan, ensuring it is written down in a simple, visual format,” personal trainer Carli Wheatley (reebokclub.co.uk) tells us. “Be sure in your mind of what you want to achieve, and how you want to go about accomplishing it. The next stage is to tell the people closest to you about your goal – this might be your training partner or simply a friend. When one or more people have your goal in mind, it straight away makes it that more powerful and real!”
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Utilise your playlist “It’s strange how music can stir up different feelings within us,” Dominic Bowser (soundmindandbody.co.uk )tells us. “Music can help you concentrate during your session by blocking out distractions and getting you pumped up. You’ll notice a lot of professional sports people wear headphones before competing. Psychologists now use music and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) to get them in the right frame of mind to come first – try it to make every workout a winner. Choose music that lifts your spirits, whether it’s an upbeat choice to run to, slower music to do yoga to, or music that gets you really fired up to lift more weight.”
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