Whether you are an experienced fitness fanatic or brand new gym goer, sooner or later we all hit a wall or fall into a rut. The causes and reasons behind why this is can all be different.
-Financial struggles causing us not to be able to prepare for our routines like we normally do.
-Familiar routines that we are use to doing several times per week eventually leading to boredom.
-Tragedies and eventual life changes drawing our attention and time away from workouts or meal prepping.
What can you do to prepare for this eventual lack of motivation and what can you do to breakout of it if you are already in it? Here are some ideas that can start you back on the right path today...
1. ReEvaluate Your Goals
For anyone that has known me for longer than a moment knows that I'm a huge advocate of writing down new and revisiting old goals every month. Physically writing your goals down and putting them somewhere that you could see them daily helps providing "realism" to the current thought and also provides a huge kick in the butt.
Having an accountability buddy to remind you to check your goals frequently can be a huge help as well. I would occasionally call a mentor and share my progress with him which would help tremendously due to the fact that afterwards, he would share his thoughts on where I'm currently at and he would ask me the tough questions on what I could be doing better.
2. Change Up the Routine
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. Our bodies are incredibly smart works of God and they eventually always catch on to what we are doing. If we train at the same times every day, if we do the same movements every day, if we eat the same foods every day, EVENTUALLY the body will catch on to what you are doing and requesting of it.
We have to change up our daily routines every few months. If you are a consistent runner, start a swimming or rowing program. If you are an avid follower of performing traditional bodybuilding routines, join a Crossfit gym for a month. If you eat nothing but chicken, rice and veggies as your meals, broaden your horizons and explore the amazingness that is salmon, avocado and sweet potatoes!
3. Enjoy the Ride
I see so many gym goers become fitness enthusiasts after seeing a few months of progress. Unfortunately, I see many turn this new excitement into an addiction. They believe more is better while never realizing that this leads to "burnout," plateaus or negative hormonal health results. Take a step back every once in a while! It is okay to skip the salad and eat a pizza every once in a while (if you know that you earned it.)
Always remember, fitness should be fun! Instead of the dreaded 30 mins of slow cardio on an elliptical, why not go play a sport you enjoy? Find outdoor activities to do with friends and family that also gets your body moving. Rock climbing, trampoline parks, hiking areas, wakeboarding, surfing, basketball, soccer, etc. And these are just a few ideas that can have you enjoying working out and being fit!
4. Plan & Keep a Schedule
This is an area that I fall into occasionally. When sudden changes in life happen, it is very easy to just go with the flow and take on my new challenges at 100% while forgetting about everything else, even the things in my life that are important to me. Planning my meals and workout times in my calendar is key for me to develop (and keep) healthier habits. Having a calendar keeps you accountable when a person can't.
At the end of each day, you either check the boxes or you don't. You either accomplished your daily goals or you didn't. Simple as that. Whenever there was an evening when I looked at my calendar and noticed an empty box that wasn't checked off, you get a rush of motivation in you to make sure that item gets checked off before you go to bed. I highly recommend this strategy.
Remember, regardless of your wellness goals, living a healthy life is a gift and should always be fun! In a world filled with illness and preventable deaths due to malnutrition, it is our choice every day to make good decisions for our bodies. Eating certain meals and performing certain workouts shouldn't feel like chores but should excite us. So, if you aren't excited every day for your workouts or daily regimens, I would highly recommend implementing some of these strategies. Did I miss any tips? Leave your suggestions down in the comments below and as always,
God Bless,
Coach Taz