Motivation Check In!

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Monday: 5.5m easy 8:35/pace, 20 min TRX triceps/upper back, 10 min abs

Tuesday: 7m speed pyramid workout (i’ll detail this out later, it was hard!!), 15 min glutes, 15 min abs

I just got a friendly reminder email from Gold’s Gym (and they have posters all over inside the gym) that this is the most common week of the year for people to give up on their healthy New Year resolutions.

GoldsGym.com

GoldsGym.com

I found this to be a very true statement this week because I had several clients tell me they’re just not motivated at all. They know they should be working out more, they want to eat better, but the motivation just isn’t there. So I tried my best to get them thinking and turn their motivation back on and I realized I needed a little too and I’m sure everyone out there can use a little pep talk!

January/February/March are difficult months to get through. The holidays are over but the cold is still here. We are all in desperate need of some sunshine + vitamin D, summer concerts, and warm weekends. Main points being that it’s okay to feel unmotivated, tired, and burnt out around this time of the year. It happens! Especially when working out, meal planning and doing cardio is a brand new thing in your life. But a healthy body– F*ck it– a sexy summer body isn’t built during summer. Those people you envy at the pool have been working out through winter so when summer rolls around and the clothing starts peeling off they look good. This got a good laugh out of a few of my clients but it’s true! We all want to look good & FEEL confident in less clothing.

Now is a good time of year to revisit your goals from January. Try a few of these and get motivated!

–Write down the reasons you started working out. This was your motivation at the start right!? Knowing why you’re going to the gym, why you’re taking 2 showers a day, why you’re up an extra hour early to run or why you’re spending extra time in the produce section is important to keep you going!

–Make copies and put your list in places you see often. Fridge, bathroom mirror, dashboard in your car, desk at work, tv at home, laptop screen. Trust me, your spouse or roommate, or dog won’t care about the sticky notes if that means you’re reminded to carve time into your schedule to look better, feel better, and be a happier person all around.

–Put on your bathing suit from last year. It’s cool, laugh at me, but be like Nike and JUST DO IT. Nothing will motivate you more than seeing what your body looks like in almost nothing.  This ends two ways, either you like the progress you see and you get motivated to keep going OR you’re not so happy with results and you know you need to work harder. Either way it will get your butt moving.

–Keep a gym bag packed in your car every single day. That way if you decide to go to the gym you won’t have to stop at home and get distracted. If you’re not a gym member get out your workout clothes, yoga mats, dvds, running shoes whatever you use at home–lay it out and have it ready to go!

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–How is your daily energy? Think about what changes you’ve made so far and how you physically feel. You might need an extra 1/2-1 hour of sleep from the workouts, you might even need extra calories (healthy!) throughout the day. Maybe you need to take an extra rest day per week if you’re feeling burnt out. Making small changes will keep your energy going strong.

Don’t give up everything you’ve worked so hard for just because it’s getting difficult to keep that motivation. Find it! It’s always there, sometimes we just choose to ignore it with other things.. like Netflix and a couch. BLAH. Get up, get moving and get your motivational lists out! We’re about 28 days away from spring keep moving through winter so you can welcome spring into your open, toned arms! 🙂

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shorts pic for personal leg motivation!

How is everyone handling this time of year?

This is my most difficult time to stay motivated, but it’s why i’ve been putting a spring 1/2 on the schedule. Can’t be lazy with that.

What resolutions have you kept or been working on?

I’m working on running speed!

Author: She's Going the Distance

Runner!

12 thoughts on “Motivation Check In!

  1. So creepy, but look at your legs!! I’m not going to say I love them because, weird, but I love them haha. I have shit taped up all over the place to throw my goals in my face every day which definitely helps 🙂

  2. This post is just what I needed! Hubby and I have been struggling with motivation for hitting the gym. I just keep reminding myself that summer bodies are built in the winter and it’s time to log those miles or do that extra set.

    I don’t do resolutions but I started getting healthy again back in November and for every 30 days I keep going, I get a treat. Nothing huge but things like nail polish or a Bondi Band, things like that. One of my favorite motivators has been getting new gym/running clothes in smaller sizes. Results keep this train rolling!

  3. Spring half marathon is what’s keeping me going and getting up to run in the mornings. I am a schedule girl! Also, not trying to be weird but what are those pants you are wearing in your instagram snap? They are super cute.

  4. I definitely keep hearing people talking about the challenge of keeping motivation going. I know that mid-January many people give up, and this ‘cliff week’ is when even those with good intentions have failed.

    I think you have some great ideas – and I hope they help keep your clients going!

    For me it isn’t a general sense of ‘lack of motivation’, but on occasion at this point when it is sub-zero again I get a definite ‘ugh’ feeling. Especially last week when we were originally going to have a warm-up but the ‘polar vortex’ came back and I was getting ready to go out and it was -8F with light winds. Ugh.

    What I do in those cases is I have a ‘basic route’ – it is 6.75 miles, and I can run it in my sleep. All I do is get through it – and that is victory. I reserve my ‘run with purpose’ – whether distance, speed, intervals, hills, whatever – for either the weekend or warmest day. That makes it more like a ‘treat’ for having slogged through another week!

    • Yeah i hear ya with the UGH. It’s finally getting warm here but the snow is taking it’s time melting away. I actually saw the snow going up your way and felt bad! You’re a trooper by still getting that 7 mile loop in!

  5. I’m fortunate and don’t have to deal with weather where I live, but I make sure to sign up for races to motivate myself. It’s great to have something to work toward!

  6. Such a good post! Every once in awhile I struggle with motivation. I think it has to do with the fact that I’m not on a team any more and don’t have that core group of friends to run with every day! Signing up for and running races helps to motivate me because then I can see the results of my hard work and want to keep working and improving! 🙂

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