Fitness: Mental strength and ways to stay motivated

By Jane Fite, NFPT Certified Personal Trainer, Bay Tennis & Fitness

Physical Strength or Mental Strength? Which is more important?
How to make this summer different than all the rest!!!

Hands down, it is mental strength! The physical strength will come. It is our mental strength that gets us every time; yet if developed can keep you going all year long, and for years to come.
   

There are many reasons why we may not reach health related goals:
   

-Have you perhaps gotten overwhelmed by the big goal, always thinking about what you want to achieve and how far away it seems, saying: “I’ll never get there”?
   

-Time, ah who has enough, summer is so short & so full of activities – let’s face it none of us have the time! Do you sacrifice your health because of other priorities? We need to make the time, make your health a priority!
   

-Does insecurity get the best of you?  We all face insecurity of some kind. Have you ever thought, “I’ll go to the gym when I get a little more fit“? Or are you concerned people might be watching you?
   

It could be all of the above or perhaps other personal reasons too. Don’t let insecurity stop you from being able to be the best you ever!
   

There is an endless amount of good advice out there, however if your mind isn’t pumped up, your body won’t follow. You know what you need to do, so let’s get down to the underlying problem, or we could say the missing link!

Your mind is a powerful tool! Use it for good. Get motivated and stay motivated!

How to stay motivated & mentally focused:
1.) No excuses -  there will be many, granted some very legitimate, and some not. Fight back, these excuses are just obstacles or simply a mental battle with yourself (don’t let your mind win).

2.) Take one day, one week, & one month at a time - we all have setbacks, so don’t allow discouragement to take over and then stop you completely. Just start new the next day! We can’t change the past, but we sure can affect our future.

3.) Be positive  - I can’t tell you how many times I have heard the word “BUT“. What happens is we tend to negatively focus on how far we need to go. We may say, “I have come this far, BUT, I have so far to go yet. Drop the BUTS, and commend yourself for what you have already done.

4.) Be patient - old habits die hard and new ones take time to develop. Don’t give up on yourself!

5.) Put away (even throw away) the scale - the scale is more mental than you think. Sure we all want to measure progress, so measure it in other ways. For example: get a body fat composition analysis. Or simply measure how you feel. Do you have more energy? Do you feel better about yourself? How is your clothing is fitting, or how does your next doctor visit go?

6.) Don’t compare - we are all guilty of this so I am going to say it again - DON’T COMPARE, to other people; and don’t compare yourself with what you used to do or look like years ago.

7.) Have a plan  - write it down and stick to it! Use a food diary; put your workout schedule on your desk, the dash of your car, or the fridge as a constant reminder.

8.) Find support - whether it is a weight loss program; or a personal trainer who is there for you and can help you be and stay accountable; or perhaps an on-line support group; or just a best friend to spur you on because you are in it together!

9.) Keep your head in the game - once you have the right mind set, keep it. Don’t allow yourself to take it easy once you’re at the gym (make the most of your time & money), and don’t rationalize poor eating choices. Stick with the mind set you first had - fight to keep it! By all means have fun - we tend to stick to things we enjoy doing!
 

10.) Be good to yourself - View yourself as important. Don’t sacrifice one of the most important things, your health! Make time for yourself, de-stress and feel and look good! YOU DESERVE IT!

(Jane Fite is a NFPT Certified Personal Trainer with Bay Tennis and Fitness in Harbor Springs)

 

This is part of the online edition of Northern Michigan Life.

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