MTB Event
Exercise is a funny thing. Some of us hate it, some of us can’t get enough of it. It’ll soon be the New Year and people all over will be making plans to do more of it. If your New Year’s Resolution is to get fit, what’s the secret and how do you stick with it?
You really need to make a habit of it. We all know what its like, the first couple of sessions feel horrible and hard work, but the next few actually start feeling good as you get used to it and start improving. After 6 or 7 sessions though you hit a plateau and the excitement and enjoyment start to wane. You then miss a session because its raining, you have a cold or some other commitment gets in the way. You then do a couple more sessions but something else comes along and you miss another, then another and before you know it you are back doing nothing again.
So what do you do to make sure you stick at it?
Make a Plan.
Having a plan of action can help.
Rather than just going out for a run or a swim when you feel like it, sit down, work out your weekly routine and decide when you can fit some training sessions in. Maybe a lunchtime swim a couple of times a week, or cycle to work instead of driving. Once it’s written down and becomes part of your weekly routine it is easier to stick to it.
Better still, tell others of your plan, post it on your blog, publicise it on Facebook, tell us here. The more people that know of your plans, the more encouraged you’ll be to stick to them.
Keep a Diary
Keep a record of what you actually do. There are loads of software applications out there that will help you with this and chart your progress. Not only does it allow you to see if you have been keeping to your plan, but you can see improvements as they happen which will help with motivation.
Couple this with a GPS and Heart Rate Monitor and you can have a really interesting and fun way of analysing your performances. I have written review of Training Software for Macs and you can now even get apps for your iPhone that will do much of this. Keep fit and geek out at the same time!
Train with Others – Join a Club
Training with others has to be the best way to keep you motivated. If you aren’t feeling like an exercise session today, the fact that you’ve made arrangements to meet someone else and would let them down if you didn’t turn up will get you out there. Once you’ve done it you’ll be glad that you did.
Joining a club that meets every week at set times is also a good way to start making a habit of exercise. This goes back to ‘making a plan’ and having set times each week where you do certain types of training. Being part of a club is also a great excuse for a bit of socialising. Being around others who train regularly will encourage you to get out more. Their enthusiasm for sport will rub of on you. The added motivation of a bit of competition is also a great aid to spurring you on to do a little more.
Award Yourself
Award yourself with a meal out or something else nice if you stick to your plans and achieve your goals. Maybe a new pair of running shoes or something new for your bike. The award acts as an incentive for sticking with your plans and the new toy encourages you to get out there more.
Spice it up
Variety is the spice of life, so keep yourself motivated by spicing it up a bit. Instead of running your usual routes, head off to the hills, the woods, the beach or somewhere new for a run. Encourage others out to join you. Try some interval training or something a little different now and then.
Running Event
Enter an Event
There’s nothing like having a specific event to train for to focus the mind and make you get out there. There are countless numbers of running events, triathlons, duathlons, mountain biking events and much more to choose from. Most are inexpensive to enter and make for a great weekend away. Look through the listings, choose something you’d like to do, get together with some friends and enter. You won’t regret it.
If you do these things and manage to stick with it, before you know it your training sessions won’t just be a few random runs or swims, but you’ll have a structured training program and most importantly it will become a habit.
Habits are difficult to break so making a habit of exercise is a good thing. Just make sure it doesn’t become an obsession!
You know what it’s like sometimes with sports. You should really get out there and do it but for one reason or another you just can’t be bothered. More often than not if you just get out there and do it, you not only enjoy yourself but you feel much better for it too.
Today was just such a day. I was up early to do some work and then had a busy morning at a class followed by the tying up a few loose ends and more work. The wind was blowing, the sun was shining and I should really go for a windsurf. I didn’t have much time though as I was due to make the school run at 3pm. So, in some ways a cup of tea and yet more work was fairly inviting.
I didn’t let that get to me though, With only 2 hours to spare it was going to be a short session by the time I had got into my wetsuit, got my kit ready, walked to the beach, rigged up and got on the water. I then had to leave time to do all of that in reverse and still get to school in time to collect Morgan. It was worth it though as I had a nice hour of power windsurfing in decent conditions here at Ynyslas. Yes, there could have been a little more wind, and yes, it did pick up nicely once I got off the water but the hour I had was good enough. It certainly beat working and I feel so much better for it now.
My busy day continues though, off to get Morgan now and then time to motivate myself to go back out for a swim session this evening. At least I know I’ll feel better after having done it.
I can’t find a suitable ‘motivational’ photo, so here’s on of the beach at Borth. That should be motivation enough to just ‘get out there and do it’.
The Beach at Borth
So, how are you all doing, no doubt many of you started a fitness regime in the New Year and now its crunch time. Have you kept to it? Are you still motivated? How can you keep it up?
It can be difficult, work and family commitments get in the way, the weather isn’t great, the days are still short and you have learned to live with the extra few pounds put on over Christmas, but don’t give up now. Staying motivated is difficult, but you’ve put in a month of work to develop a base to work from so stick with it. Hopefully this article will provide you with a few tips for staying motivated.
Record your Training
Athletes record their training so that they can track their progress and find out what works for them. Now, i’m no athlete and you might not be either so you may think that recording your exercise sessions isn’t necessary, but it all helps with the motivation. It is all too easy to miss a run because it is pouring with rain or not go for a swim because it is cold and dark outside and there is something on TV that looks interesting. Such things are fine, but before you know it you haven’t done any exercise this week, and then that becomes none for two weeks and that’s it, game over your new exercise regime has ended. Keeping a record of what you’ve done makes it easy to look back and see just how good you have been. Lazy weeks are fine, but knowing you have had a lazy week means you can make up for it the next week. Seeing lots of entries in your training diary is a boost and helps keep you motivated to do more.
It is up to you how far you take this, you can use sophisticated fitness training software to analyse your performance, track distances, times, heart rate, diet and much more, or you can just make a note of each session you do in a simple diary / notebook, but keeping some sort of record is a great way to stay motivated.
Spice things up
Fitting training into our busy schedules often means a quick run around the block or local park and doing the same route time and time again can get monotonous. Try to spice things up a bit, plan a run or bike ride somewhere you haven’t been before. Not only will it make you look forward to it, but the new sights will take your mind off the training and make you enjoy the experience.
Alternatively, do something different. if you always just run, then go for a bike ride or a swim. Go to the gym, play squash, anything really. It’ll break the monotony, motivate you and will also work different muscles and maybe teach you new skills. After all, if you can enjoy your exercise then you are going to stick to it.
Spend some Money
Always a good one for me. if I spend some money on a new toy; new running shoes, new bike, heart rate monitor, then I feel compelled to use it. I do of course love gadgets, so getting a new one motivates me to get out there and use it. Once again, it adds a new dimension to the monotony of training and helps me stick with it. It doesn’t have to be a new toy either paying for a gym membership can work just as well.
Train with friends
Training with friends can be a great way to keep you motivated. Once again, it doesn’t have to be full-on training, just taking a friend out for a nice bike ride is enough. First, if you make arrnagements to meet someone to go for a run, bike ride or for a game of squash etc. then it isn’t so easy to just not bother. They are relying on you to be there so whatever the weather and other excuses that may have persuaded you not to go on your own, you;ll still turn up. You’ll enjoy it more with company, and often the comnpetition element will spur you on to work just that little bit harder.
Training with people of varying abilities is good too. If they are a little better than you then you are motivated to try a little harder and being a bit better than someone ele is a great morale booster.
Learn to enjoy it.
It is all to easy to think of your exercise sessions as a chore. But why? No doubt once you are out there doing it you are actually enjoying yourself and the sense of acheivement afterwards makes you feel great. So, why is it a chore. More to the point, however reluctant you are to get out there, it has to be better than work or slobbing in front of the TV. Spice it up, do something you enjoy and excrcise becomes something to look forward to rather than dread.
Join a Club
There are clubs out there for all sorts of sports, joining one can provide you with motivation, new training partners and the ability to learn new skills. Almost all clubs cater for and welcome beginners, so don’t worry about being the slowest. In fact you’ll probably be surprised as there is almost always other beginners, some of whom may be less fit than you, which can be a great motivation boost in itself. And even if you are the slowest then you will be welcomed with open arms/
Think of the benefits
I’m not going to go into the health, weight, physical or physcologial benefits here. We all know them and we are all exercising for one reason or another. But remind yourself of these now and then to keep yourself motivated. It felt worthwhile doing it when you started, so it is still worthwhile now.
Think of the downsides
For some people thinking of the benefits is enough motivation in itself, but thinking of the downsides can be more motivating. Don’t just think of the health risks of not exercising but think of the work you have put in until now. Stopping now will undo all of that just as you are getting to a point where it is starting to do some good. Progress can be slow, especially to start with and building a suitable base takes time, but once you have done the exercise sessions become more enjoyable and the improvements really begin. Don’t stop now and undo what good you have already done.
Set yourself an aim
Your first aim was probably just to do some exercise. Now that you’ve started why not challenge yourself. maybe you could enter a race? Its not as mad as it sounds, most races have entrants with all levels of abilities and having something to aim for can keep you motivated and training hard. if racing isn’t your thing then just set yourself goals to run for a certain distance or time, to cycle a certain number of miles in a week. Having an aim can make it all seem more worthwhile and the feeling of acheivement when you fulfill your aims keeps you going for the next challenge.
So, there you go. No excuses now, get out there, get fit and ENJOY IT.
