The single biggest obstacle to getting fit and healthy is lack of motivation

• Do you find it hard to motivate yourself?
• Do you find exercising mundane?
• Do you have a lot of “off” days?

It’s easy to find an excuse not to work out or go to a class or even just drag yourself away from the telly sometimes. We’ve all been there at some point but help is at hand Here are some suggestions that might help:

Ten Tips to help you Stay Motivated

• Have plenty of variety in your training. Try a new class or a new sport like swimming or cycling as well as using the gym.
• Instead of training everyday like clockwork without tangible results, Have a fitness test or do one yourself and then repeat it after a period of time - this will let you see how far you’ve come.
• Train with a partner who has a similar fitness level to yours. You’re less likely to call off a trip to the gym or pool if your friend is relying on you for a lift or just for some company, and you can help to motivate each other.
• If you are having an off day, do the least favourite parts of your work out first and look forward to the bits you really enjoy.
• Try listening to your favourite music while you work out or in the car on the way to the gym. Watch a motivational film or read an inspiring book before you set out to exercise.
• Get an appointment with a gym instructor for a programme review or book a session with a personal trainer. They’re qualified to advise, inspire and motivate you and can recommend ways to change your workout and tackle boredom.
• Buy yourself some new gym gear. Dressing differently can make you think differently and help you to feel more confident.
• Get a friend to take a photo of you in swimwear and envisage how you’d like to look. The image in the photo is how you’ll always look unless you take action to change yourself.
• Make friends in the gym or a fitness class. These can be sociable places, not just for toil and sweat, so strike up a conversation.
• Keep a training diary/schedule with clearly defined and realistic goals. At regular intervals write down what you want to have achieved by that date – anything from “to have had a gym induction” to “lose12lbs”). This way you always have something to aim for.

There are 168 hours in a week. If you spend 5 days working 10 hours each day, sleep for 10 hours a day (70 hours) and do nothing but relax for 2 hours a day that still leaves 32 hours of spare time a week in which you exercise. You can get fit and stay fit in this time!

Good luck, and if you need any help or feel you’re getting bored, speak to your instructor and they’ll gladly offer some help.