We all start the year with the aim of being healthier, happier and fitter. How long this lasts, however, is varying, and for some it is admittedly not a great length of time. This short lived motivation is evident in the influx of January gym-goers.
I joined the gym three years ago when I was in my first year of Uni, and thanks to my gym bunny friend, I stuck at it and loved it, I went from thinking people who paid £25 per month for a gym membership were insane to trying to convince each one of my none gym attending friends that joining would without doubt improve their lives and they simply had to do it. Having since left uni, moved away from my motivating friend and started full time work, my commitment has at times waned, however, I have found the key to keeping it up lies in the following:
1. Always associate the gym (or whatever your health goal is) with positive things, for example, instead of remembering how bored I got during Body Pump last Tuesday, I think of how good I felt afterwards for having done it, and how the muscle ache the day after improved my mood tenfold because it made me feel like I was one step closer to having Adriana Lima's abs.
2. Make realistic (and short term) goals. Kinda cliche, but it works. My (kind of) New Years resolution is to go to the gym three times a week, I know this is possible even whilst working full time, because I have done it for the past two weeks with ease - I now have no excuses. I chose three times a week specifically because I knew it was do-able. This is the key to keeping motivated: don't set yourself a goal that is too difficult, if you fail to do it once, you are more likely to give up altogether.
3. Focus on short term goals. There are many reasons you might want to go to the gym or eat healthier, to lose weight, improve skin health, gain muscle, tone up, improve general health, long term health, well-being... There are so many positives that come out of being healthy, but what you need to focus on is the here and now. In simple terms this means keep your mind focused on what you want from today, when you wake up, don't think 'ugh I need to go to the gym so that I have abs for Ibiza in August', think 'I am going to go to the gym today and complete my routine, then I can chill and feel proud of myself tonight'.
4. Don't make stupid excuses. My main reasons for not going to the gym when I plan to have been along the lines of 'its dark, its late, it's far away, why should I bother, I deserve a break'... Although these things feel like legit excuses at the time, I still without fail feel happier if I push past them and get myself there (probs endorphins). Once you're there it is no big deal, there are other people managing it and you feel so proud of yourself for tackling laziness, making the gym buzz a whole lot better.
5. Stay inspired... Instagram is one of my favourite apps, so I make sure I follow some motivating pages, here are some of my favourites...
Best for recipes and meal inspiration:
DeliciouslyElla -
Admittedly, I rarely make many recipes I find on Insta, but just seeing the yummy looking meals on my feed makes me crave veg.
Best for making food look pretty and inspiring you to feed your complexion:
Cleanskinco
