Even before all this lockdown situation happened, “motivation” was/is a word thrown around a lot in the fitness world. Now that gyms are shut and you are spending more time at home, how can you keep “motivated” to keep up your training regime? This is something I get asked a lot, so I’m here to break myths and inspire you to be consistent!
MOTIVATION – A WISHY WASHY GAL
I want you to view motivation as that friend who you’ll invite to an event but you aren’t really sure if she will show up or not. She’s very fleeting, sometimes she will rock up and sometimes she won’t. She will most likely bail last minute… you JUST CAN’T rely on her. That’s motivation. She’s that friend.
Knowing this, we also know that results come from consistency and good habits. Girl, you are only human, you are gonna have days where you wake up feeling good – and want to get shit done, and you are going to have days where you won’t. That’s just life, our emotions are up and down. This is the benefit of having a good coach in your corner, calling you out if you are being lazy, or if you need to rest, and having a good plan in place!
I want to highlight that when you have joined gyms in the past have you struggled with motivation before? I mean, maybe you have experienced or witnessed yourself/other people struggling with motivation even though they are at the gym. Reality is being at home more means we can be more time efficient, meaning there is no better time than now to establish a good routine and understand YOUR WHY.
KNOWING YOUR WHY
I’ve been training for about 12 years, do you think I woke up being like “yasss, squats, can’t wait to do some squats!” or “lunges, can’t wait to do a bazillion of those!”
Heck no, I have days where I really struggle. Where I feel tired or just don’t feel like it. With my job, waking up early, coaching and training people all morning and then trying to train myself before/afterwards can sometimes be really hard. This is where I self talk myself a lot and understand WHY I am doing it. So I’ll say to myself:
“Look Ellie, if you don’t do this right now you are going to feel sluggish and tired the rest of the day.”
OR
“Ellie, you don’t want to be a hunched over old lady…you want to be a strong old lady later on in life.”
That’s literally what gets me started.
Now i know a lot of you gals are saying “I want to be this weight” or “I’m aiming to lose 10kgs” — maybe that is your why right now.
I hear you, but LONG TERM it gets old. Trust me, I’ve been there.
You hear stories all the time about people who may lose lots of weight in a short period of time (going about it the wrong way, by the way) but once they get there they think that’s it! They get there and ask themselves well “what now?” Feeling like they’ve accomplished all they needed to, the weight creeps back on (and most likely more) because they haven’t had the long term picture in mind. They haven’t built those habits. They just go back to their old ways and end up back where they started.
So yes, shorterm maybe the scales, measurements, pictures, are your driving factors, but look at the BIG term picture as well.
THE BIG PICTURE
The long term game, habits, consistency, feeling good, improvement of mental health! This is the stuff that will get you moving and make it STICK long term. So eventually when you do reach your “goal weight” and you have those solid habits in place you can maintain it, without absolutely smashing yourself.
I want to highlight that exercise and a good food understanding (flexible dieting and good balance), not feeling deprived, having treats without feeling guilty, having a good exercise program in place & consistency DOES NOT overtake your life.
It’s ENHANCING it. After training you should feel good, you should feel more energetic, you should feel like you’ve achieved something! Look, sometimes you may not feel this way, but some days you will! Emotions go up and down, remember gal, you are human! But overall, these habits should enhance everything. So if you are craving 24/7, smashing it everyday, feeling exhausted, dreading training…. something is wrong, and you need to rethink your strategy.
COMMUNITY, A COACH AND GUIDANCE
This stuff is priceless. A good coach in your corner pointing out your blindspots, rejigging your program, your food understanding, things you don’t notice yourself or where you don’t realise you are going wrong!
Let’s be honest, a lot of people don’t feel “motivated” to start again because they weren’t going about it the right way initially. Think of a rigid written diet plan, you can’t stick to it forever – however you may beat yourself up if you deviate from that plan, and then be scared to start again! However, my gals know that through understanding food and flexible dieting you chose your own foods! You write your only fricken plan and choose your own treats. So even if the only thing left at the supermarket is a frozen pizza, you are clued up enough to make it fit into your day and still get results.
The power of community, and having gals standing by you in your journey is massive. Women going through similar struggles, standing by your side, supporting you and encouraging you is motivating in itself.
Coaches, a good community, push you to take good action everyday. No matter how small. Accountability and a good support network means consistency. Which means whether you are feeling motivated or not, you will take action.
So my queens, know your why, look at the BIG picture and surround yourself with a supportive community and an amazing coach.
Any questions or queries about joining my QUEEN TEAM please reach out… email me, DM me, or simply reach out by CLICKING HERE.
While you’re here, make sure you read my other popular blog “FAT LOSS DURING LOCKDOWN, IT’S NOT ALL DOOM AND GLOOM”
Speak soon!
Ellie x