Lost Your Mojo?
It's no secret that I love working out.
I am a massive fan of the classes available in my local gym- group exercise works well for me and I love the variety. I like to supplement this with self-directed activities too. But sometimes... well, I just can't find my workout mojo!
I'm sure we've all been there, haven't we?
No matter how much you know that you love exercise, need to do it, and know that you are committed to it, it doesn't always feel like something you want to do.
I get the impression that is commonly viewed as being weak-willed, or having poor self-discipline, but I really don't see it like that.
 |
| What's Your Motivation...? |
Hitting a Plateau
I like to think that these blips in training can give us much-needed pause for re-analysing our goals.
It's useful to think about just why you're not fired up: do you feel a particular workout has taken you as far as it can? Is it too easy, or even too hard just yet? Are you bored? Remind yourself why you personally began working out anyway.
Sometimes, of course, you might get a dip in motivation because it is your body telling you that you are over-doing it. It is necessary to challenge the status quo in our workouts, otherwise we are simply maintaining form rather than improving it. However, there is no benefit from overtraining to the point of causing physical damage and emotional stress.
 |
| Plateaux can be Overcome! |
Ideas for overcoming burn-out:
Occasionally, a change in the content of a workout is just what's needed to get you fired up again about getting sweaty. Whatever you normal routine is, why not mix it up a little?
If you usually hit the gym after work, why not try getting up early for a week and going before you clock-on? If you're strictly an indoor person why not try an outdoor run now that the weather's nicer? Perhaps plan a long hike- it's not high intensity, but it's still exercise and you'll be burning fat. Why not find a workout buddy? Or try something completely out of your comfort zone like paragliding. Ok, not so much of the paragliding, but my point is that by trying something completely different you might remember why you started to exercise in the first place, and you might even realise how much you have already achieved.
 |
| Stay Positive! |
Another idea to motivate yourself is to think of a treat that you'd like just for you: some people look forward to a bubble bath, or there might be a book you are saving, or a workshop you'd like to go on or a day out you'd like to have... whatever motivates you personally is a useful reward: decide what you will do before you will take a reward, stick to it, and enjoy the sense of achievement when you get there.
Sticking to it is also a key thing to mention: if your workout schedule has come off the rails, be sure to ask yourself whether it was realistic in the first place. Do you have as much time to devote to exercise as you thought you did? It's easy to get demoralised if you've set your goals too high.
For me personally I find that doing a few good workouts at home can out me back on track: as much as I like a good class, sometimes going to the same ol' place can begin to wear me down. And at heart I am a home body, so it suits me to stay in my bedroom with the laptop sometimes.
Stay Positive:
Stepping away from working out for a little while doesn't make you a failure! And it doesn't make you bad at keeping fit either. For all the reasons above (and I'm sure many more that I haven't thought of), taking a short break to regroup is no bad thing.
This is another reason to ask yourself why you need a break- if you don't then the feeling that you are not doing what you "should" be can overwhelm you. If you can keep whatever is dragging you down in perspective then it's likely you can solve it and bounce back into a fitness regime (even if it is a modified one).
 |
| Reflect! |
Favourite Sources of Exercise Videos:
I've put together some recommendations if you fancy giving exercise videos a try- YouTube is of course full of 'Best Workouts Ever', so I thought it wouldn't hurt to give you some tried-and-tested tips.
1. Sweaty Betty click here
This is a great little resource- just enough variety to keep you entertained! Personally I am a big fan of the Barresana and also the Boxing Yoga.
2. Udaya click here
I've reviewed one video from here on a previous post, but I have tried quite a few and they've all been a challenging workout. This is not a free resource, but when I joined they were only charging £5/month. Even if you're not a dedicated yogi I suggest you give something a go as they are really great workouts that you can do without much space. Just beware of any containing the splits of handstands which might throw you a little
3. Beachbody click here
30 days free? Yes please! Includes Insanity, Piyo, and a whole bunch of other exciting workouts.
No comments:
Post a Comment