Physical activity is essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If you feel a loss athletic motivation, here are 8 advices that will motivate you to go back to the gym.
1. Choose a sport that makes you happy
Practicing sport is useless if you do not feel any pleasure while practicing it. We have to say that this is the biggest secrets of sport progress. Whatever activity you do, it is important that it suits with your desires to last over the long term. It is the best way to keep motivation. So, to choose a sport that you like and that fits with your purpose is the ideal.
To motivate you playing sport, be sure to decide on an activity that you love. Break the routine !
To change daily habits can also be a sport motivator. In fact, most people live according to a well-defined pace to be more productive and satisfied. That is why it is necessary to change the routine.
If you still tend to put your training for the next day, you have to go beyond these motivational cuts by setting new goals. Start slowly to create a new routine. The best is to fix one or two days a week to go to the gym. This will be a kind of appointment that you will have to honor.
2. Practice sport with a group for boost your motivation
When you go back to sport, the hardest part is staying motivated for the long term. The sessions are particularly demotivating when you train alone in your corner. The solution is to train in a group. Doing sport with others will allow you to regain self-confidence and get out of your comfort zone.
Working out with friends also increases endorphins, researchers say. This is the case with certain activities, such as Training. Otherwise, playing sport in a group involves your commitment to your friends. By being engaged, it will be difficult for you to cancel your sessions and miss your sport training.
To motivate you in your sport journey, contact one or more of your friends and ask them to accompany you. Together you will achieve your goals, while supporting each other.
3. Start smart
If you have not practiced physical activity for a while, start first with simple exercises. Give yourself time and make it step by step. The key of success in long term resides in the progressivity and regularity.
Set achievable aims by starting with a program adapted to your level. It is crucial that you stay reasonable; otherwise you may become demoralized and abandon efforts you have already provided.
4. Note the progress you are making
To motivate yourself playing sport, it is also important that you stay focus on your evolution. The main idea is to analyze the results of each courses realized.
After weeks of practice, it is possible that you do not see the evolution like you want. So, you will have the feelings to train for nothing. To take note of your progress is therefore important to see a part of your efforts.
Besides, the training log will allow you to report on your efforts and become aware of your progress. To see the numbers increasing session after session will make you to go further and will motivate you more. If by cons, you seem to be late, this log will stimulate you and inspire you to do better.
Moreover, this tool allows you to focus on your purposes and to never give up.
5. Set yourself achievable goals
Like we already explained previously, to set achievable goals is important to not lose motivation. The more your goal is difficult to achieve, the harder your fall will be in case of fail. So, it is better to be reasonable.
To set your goals, try to answer to these two questions: why you want to stay healthy?
What it will really change in your life?
Write 10 goods reasons that motivate you:
- to fill up on energy
- to stay positive and to be happy
- to be handsome, to be charismatic and to keep a dream body
- to impress your wife
- to be a good example for your child
- to win against your partner in tennis
- to have an athlete torso
Once you have listed your motivations, now think about what will happened if you don’t get your body goal.
Of course, this exercice seems to be difficult but it works to boost motivation.
- No more energy to do home tasks
- Your friend have more luck to surpass you in your favorite sport
- Your colleagues will make fun of your physical appearance
- Your work may be affected
- Your breathe lacks extremely and you become tired after doing a little effort
- You have more and more pain in your back and knees
- Your extra pounds become unbearable
- Your wife may leave you for another guy
- Your children become like you and blame you for that
Write these purposes down on a piece of paper and note the most stimulating reasons. To maximize your success chance, do not hesitate to define your SMART goals.
6. Find yourself a model of motivation
We always say that we learn by imitation. That is why children imitate theirs parents. Leonard de Vinci said: « poor is the pupil who does not surpass his master ».
In sport (like in any activity), to have a model can extremely be useful to self-motivation. This one can help to stimulate your will and to encourage you to give the best of yourself.
By this way, you can use the tips, experiences, and photos that your model shares to inspire you.
7. Regain self-confidence
Realize that if you are making all of these efforts, it is above all for you. Do not be so hard on yourself and avoid comparing yourself to others. Every athlete has his own background, level and story. Build your own road and be confident in your ability.
Do you want to take care of yourself? Know your values? Work on your image and have more confidence in yourself? Share your opinions in the comments.
