Keeping fit isn\u2019t hard \u2014 if you\u2019re in the mood. It might be a different matter when you\u2019re facing your second rainy cycle of the week. The good news is that motivation can be managed. \u201cIt\u2019s not a thing you do or don\u2019t have,\u201d says Dr Mike McGreary, a sport and exercise psychologist. \u201cIt\u2019s a process that you can work with.\u201d Next time the duvet feels more tempting than the dumbbells, try these tips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1. Use the ten-minute rule<\/p>\n
The hardest part of a session is starting. \u201cYour brain is wired to look for a way out,\u201d says Benjamin Lucas, head coach for the Sydney Marathon. He uses the ten-minute rule. \u201cTell yourself you only have to begin. Warm up. Move for ten minutes. Then you can stop if you want. Almost nobody does.\u201d (Try this with children and homework too.)\u00a0<\/p>\n
2. Make it easy<\/p>\n
\u201cRemove small barriers that make starting harder,\u201d Lucas says. You might lay your gear out the night before or get your breakfast ready in advance. Use the power of habit too \u2014 if you exercise at the same time each day, \u201cit will become automatic\u201d.<\/p>\n
3. Focus on yourself\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cComparing yourself with those much fitter than you is misplaced energy,\u201d says Michael Betts, a teacher of personal trainers at Train Fitness. \u201cInstead ask, \u2018Am I better than I was last month?\u2019 Keep a log so you see yourself improving \u2014 and forget anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n
4. Go for bite-size chunks\u00a0<\/p>\n
Do the final lengths in the pool just feel like too much? \u201cThe brain often signals fatigue before the body is at its limit,\u201d Lucas says. So break your session into smaller slots. \u201cFocus on the next mile, the next rep, the next minute. Small wins keep you going.\u201d<\/p>\n
5. Be ready for low motivation<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most consistent athletes prepare for feeling unmotivated,\u201d Betts says. Those who visualise themselves doing the activity in advance are better at sticking to plans, like going for that freezing sea swim.\u00a0<\/p>\n
6. Find your real motivation<\/p>\n
Working out so you feel good on holiday may get you to the gym, but it won\u2019t keep you there once you land back at Heathrow. Betts suggests focusing on a specific thing you love about your workout. Even if that\u2019s getting off the bike after a spin session.<\/p>\n
7. Mix it up<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t be disheartened by plateaus,\u201d says Professor Dane Vishnubala, a sport and exercise medicine specialist. They\u2019re normal as the body consolidates changes. Switch routine every 12 weeks to keep things fresh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
8. Give yourself wiggle room<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s sensible to adapt your goals,\u201d says Penny Weston, founder of the Made fitness centre in Staffordshire. \u201cAdjusting your goals to fit a hectic schedule doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ve failed \u2014 it means you\u2019re listening to your body and life\u2019s demands.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Keeping fit isn\u2019t hard \u2014 if you\u2019re in the mood. It might be a different matter when you\u2019re…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":377295,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[565,134,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-377294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=377294"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377294\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/377295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=377294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=377294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=377294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}