#WellnessWednesday: Rekindle Your Fitness Spark! 5 Great Ways to Stay Motivated

Posted by Sarah B. on Sep 23rd 2015

This week’s Guest Blogger is Sarah B. (@squatsinskirts):

Motivation is hard to find and harder to keep. Committing to health and wellness is not always easy, and it’s ok for there to be times in your life when you de-prioritize health and fitness. If you miss a workout, eat half a pint of Ben and Jerry’s in one sitting, or tailgate with perhaps too much enthusiasm unknown to mankind (guilty), you’re NOT off track. You’re human. There are like seven billion of us. Welcome. However, if you find yourself ‘falling off the wagon’ due to stress and a busy calendar, here are some tips.

  1. Remind yourself why you committed to a healthy lifestyle.

Remember, working out and nourishing your body well come out of self love, not self hate. Take care of yourself because you want to thrive-not because you want to punish your body.

  1. Focus on ability, not aesthetics.

You may not have a visible six-pack or biceps of steel. That’s ok. It’s so much more important to focus on what your body can DO as opposed to how it looks. You CAN run around, and lift heavy things, and walk to class, and hug your friends and family, and hold planks, and dance like no one’s watching… the list goes on.

In the long run, aesthetics are impacted by a variety of factors including diet, exercise, genetics, and neurotransmitters, some of which you can’t even influence no matter how hard you try. But ability? That comes from hard work. Shift your perspective. The motivation will come.

  1. Spice up your routine.

Maybe you’re losing motivation because you’re bored. That means its time to switch it up! Tired of steady-state cardio? Try Tabata or HIIT. Take a spin or Zumba class. Bored of your traditional back/bis-chest/tries-legs split? Add in a plyometrics day or focus in on KILLING a particular muscle group. Do things that challenge and interest you. The gym is your playground – don’t be afraid to experiment with equipment and routines that you’ve never tried before.

4.Find some external motivation.

Workout buddies are the best. For example, I have a standing 6:30 AM gym date with one of my sorority sisters. She always pushes me to keep going for one more set, 30 more seconds, 10 more pounds. Some mornings, I wouldn’t be able to push through my workout without her support! Friends can act as mirrors and cheerleaders – they encourage and push you to reach your goals.

  1. Think happy thoughts!

A positive attitude can move mountains. You have to believe that you are worth making this change. Do it for the endorphins! For the #gainz! Above all, for yourself. You’ll be glad you did.

~Sarah B. –@squatsinskirts

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