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How to Stay Motivated Long-Term
Whether you want to lose weight, build more muscle or improve your overall fitness health, having a workout routine that you enjoy doing is essential. Instead of adopting the exercise program of some bodybuilder on YouTube, you should do what works for you. After all, your body knows what it can and can’t do. If you push yourself beyond your limits, chances are your body will send counterproductive warnings to your brain, telling it to abort whatever it is you’re doing. Keep this in mind, and heed the following tips to be more enthusiastic about exercising.
Surround Yourself with Positive Things that Inspire You
You can get a healthy dose of inspiration from just about anything, especially from music. Therefore, consider unplugging your alarm clock, and program your stereo to play your favorite track at the time that you want to wake up or work out. Any song that compels you to get up and take action will be perfect. If you’re exercising to trim your gut a bit, take out some jeans that you can no longer slide into, and hang them up near your mirror. Doing this will keep you mindful of your goal. The more you picture yourself prancing around town in those special jeans, the more you’ll be motivated to stick with your workout routine.
A Can-Do-Won’t-Stop Attitude
Before every session, tell yourself that you’re up to the challenge. It would also help if you thought about the heroic figure Hercules and compared his seemingly impossible feats to the obstacles that you face. Focus on mustering up the same level of determination that Hercules possessed and used to perform 12 labors. By doing this, you’ll develop a can-do-won’t-stop attitude, and your exercising goals will be more feasible.
Take a No-Mercy Approach
Let today be the day that you stop giving up on yourself. By taking a no-mercy approach, you’ll have to show yourself a degree of tough love. No more running from the truth. Throwing in the towel is going to have consequences. If you write down those consequences and look at them often, your desire to quit is bound to diminish because you’ll understand what’s at stake.
Get Competitive
Put on your game face because there’s no room to be lazy. You have to approach your workout routine in the same way that you would approach a gambling game because one of the keys to success is betting on yourself. If you put all your money on the table when exercising, you’ll be more likely to stay the course since it’s your money that’s on the line.
Put a Muzzle on Your Inner Critic
According to the research that has been done, self-criticism isn’t a good motivational tool when you’re trying to stay true to your workout program. This is because when you’re putting yourself down, you’re thinking negatively, and the harsh things you tell yourself may hurt your self-confidence and discourage you. Therefore, the next time you find yourself belittling your efforts, don’t hesitate to tell your inner critic something positive. Strong words that inspire are needed when you feel like skipping a portion of your workout routine.
Be Reasonable and Decisive in Everything You do
If you’re decisive, you’ll be earnest and dead set on your plan of action. If you’re reasonable, you’ll be practical when you make a list of the things that you want to achieve. Exercising can be physically and mentally draining, so why waste time by setting unrealistic goals for yourself? While it’s definitely OK to put yourself to the test, you’re more likely to have success if your target is within your reach. As you start seeing results, you’ll be better motivated to carry out your fixed plan of action.
Give Your Smartphone a Job
Your smartphone is capable of doing many things at the click of a button, so use it to make your workout routine more manageable and more enjoyable. The Google store has plenty of intuitive apps that can keep track of your goals, display your progression level and keep you motivated. Whether you’re doing high-intensity cardiovascular exercises or moderate strength training, if you want some pivotal tips, all you have to do is search the Internet on your smartphone for inspirational videos.
Stand Up to Your Fears and Do What Makes You Comfortable
Your fears can make you less motivated to give 100% effort. That’s why you’ve got to face your fears before moving forward. Go to the gym with a carefree attitude if you’re too embarrassed to work out in front of strangers. You’ll look and feel amazing in activewear by Fabletics. If you’re uncomfortable exercising outside of your home, invite a friend over to work out with you. If your friend is energetic and goal-oriented, you won’t have to look any further for motivation.
Thank you to Fabletics for the guest post! You can check out how Fabletics is changing the trajectory of online shopping.
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