Motivation in Fitness
How to get it + How to keep it
Motivation is the driving force behind our actions, it’s the process that initiates, guides and maintains goal-focussed behaviours.
See, the thing about motivation is that it can be more prevalent in different seasons of your life and we can’t always rely on the feeling of “motivation” to push us through.
As women, our cycle can even impact our motivation due to our change in hormones driving that feeling of “motivation”.
So, this is when healthy habits play an important role as the foundation block of sustained motivation.
When it comes to motivation in your fitness journey, it is important to understand the factors that need to be considered in order to build motivation in the first place.
Today, I will dive in on 4 crucial factors that helped me stay consist with my personal motivation when it comes to health and fitness.
KNOW YOUR “WHY”
Finding the initial motivation to exercise and maintain this as apart of your routine is through actively showing up for yourself and a simple place to start is understanding “why” you are choosing to do just that.
Your WHY will most likely be different to mine and it’s important to remember that it is completely unique to your individual needs and goals. Having a reason to show up for yourself on your fitness journey is knowing why it is that you are choosing to do this. Is is because of the way it makes you feel mentally and physically? Is it because you are prioritising the longevity of your health? Is it because it allows you to show up as the best version of yourself? Does it allow you to take the time out of your day to do something for you? Is it a space for you to connect and socialise with others that you don’t otherwise get much in your day to day life? Do you have really important goals of building muscle and strength?
As you can see, there are an infinite amount of reasons why you might choose to exercise and please note, you can absolutely have more than one. In fact, I can relate to most of these myself.
Writing these down & making sure they resonate with you is the starting block to gaining the motivation on your fitness journey.
LEARN TO LOVE YOUR MOVEMENT
Now, it’s time to build on the habit of exercise itself.
How can we do this? Firstly, we need to genuinely enjoy our movement.
Whether you are at the beginning of your fitness journey or exercise is well and truly apart of your routine, having diversity in your workout routine can be a fantastic way to keep it fun and intersting.
Spending the time to try different ways of moving allows you to figure out what leaves you feeling the best, what you genuinely enjoy doing the most and what type of movement works for your mind and body.
Whether it be strength, workout classes, Pilates classes, running, swimming, boxing, cross fit, sports activities or a mix of all, I guarantee there is going to be something out there for you.
So, don’t be afraid to try new things and if you feel a plateau in your fitness journey, this might be a sign to change it up a little to keep up that motivation.
ARE YOU A MORNING OR AFTERNOON PERSON WHEN IT COMES TO EXERCISE
This one is surprisingly important in my opinion, especially throughout my own fitness journey. For some, mornings are when they thrive (this is me!). These people find it quite easy most days to get out of bed and get moving, it might be the only time they have in the day to fit in some movement, and they go in to their day a much brighter and motivated version of themselves. However for others, mornings is not their time and the afternoon/evening simply works better for them. Whether that be they are mentally feeling more motivated to get some movement in after their day is complete, or their schedules simply don’t align with a morning workout. The afternoons might allow them to switch off from the day that has been and find some time to focus on themselves.
I believe it is important to recognise what time of the day works better for you to fit in your movement. When do you thrive most? Is it morning or is it the afternoon? This will allow you to schedule in time for it and find classes and activities that align with your schedule.
REST + RECOVERY
Rest and recovery is vital for your self motivation. Burnout is real!
If you don’t allow you mind & body the proper rest and recovery it needs, you will not experience sustained motivation as easy and you will also slow down the process of achieving your personal fitness goals.
Scheduling in days of rest is essential and light movement is a great way to maintain motivation whilst allowing your body to recovery. Active recovery might look like a walk in nature with friends, a sauna to help with overall muscle recovery, a light beach walk and swim. There are lots of ways you can keep your body active whilst still prioritising that rest and recovery.
Another important factor in the recovery process is fuelling your body with the right nutrients to keep on going! It is so important to understand that by doing more exercise, you are burning more energy which means you need to be fuelling yourself with more energy. I highly suggest if you feel that you don’t know enough about this side of your fitness journey, you seek the guidance of a professional to ensure you are fuelling you body with the food and love it deserves.
Remember, motivation will come and go in different seasons of your life and that is okay! With these 4 hacks, you can ensure you are doing everything you can to maintain that feeling of motivation through building healthy habits that create consistency in your fitness routine.
With so much love,
Bell xx
