Finding your fitness motivation is something that everyone struggles with at some point – whether it be on a regular basis or just occasionally – but it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
It’s happened to me – there are times when it’s raining, I’m tired, it’s comfy on the sofa and I’ve just had a cup of tea with a chocolate biscuit. At moments like that, it’s definitely the case that my motivation is hiding somewhere and I’m not really in the mood to go and seek it out. Some days are just harder than others!
So what can you do in order to keep yourself motivated, stay focused and instead of groaning at the prospect of going to burn calories, actually look forward to a hard training session? The answer is to not only find ways you love to keep fit but also vary your training sessions. By doing this, your body will always be surprised and will respond better to what you throw at it.
I’m someone who loves to run and I spend a large chunk of the year working towards a big event, usually the London Marathon. I truly love this race and thrive on the build-up, the fundraising aspects and the adrenalin and experience on the big day itself. This year though, I’m having a break from the 26.2 miles and instead I’m spending my ‘running hours’ getting stronger, faster and working muscles that quite frankly I did not know existed. I’ve started training twice a week with Omar at Matt Roberts gym – an 800m sprinter who competes at national level. He’s pretty ripped and makes everything look easy!
He’s put me on a 12-week transformation programme, with the main goal being to strengthen my puny muscles and make me generally leaner.
When I train for the marathon, I don’t really have time to do weight sessions as well, as any extra spare time outside of work is taken up with being a mum! Now though, I’m attempting weighted squats, deadlifts, chest presses, a lot of press-ups, chin-ups and other moves I don’t know the name for!
In the four weeks I’ve been training with Omar, I am indeed stronger, my abs are getting a bit of definition (I’m just excited I can actually confirm I have abs!), my arms don’t really wobble when I wave them and my love handles have significantly reduced.
Running might have burnt calories but by only pounding the pavement I wasn’t really toning up that much or using my glutes. This change in fitness plan is really working and I absolutely love it!
Obviously everyone has their own idea of what works best for them, however I do believe that shaking your routine up a bit is a great way to keep motivation levels high.
So, as we hurtle towards bikini weather, why not try something different? The days are longer, the weather is certainly warmer and sleeves are getting shorter – it’s the perfect time to start shaping up for summer and trying something new might just give you the results you’re after. Good luck!
