Struggling to Find Fitness Success? here’s 3 things you can do to change that.
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Let’s be honest: exercising can become boring.
This happens when you find yourself plodding through repetitive reps and sets, when progress is slow and standards are arbitrary.
I lift heavier weights than the guy working out next to me. So what?
In a perfect world, everything would go according to plan - we stick to the ideal diet, the ideal workout plan and the ideal lifestyle without getting restless or distracted.
But we’re no superheroes. How can you make sure you don’t lose sight of motivation and meaning in our fitness journey?
1 / Manage your expectations
Do this by setting realistic plans and achievable goals.
Why? Because to sustain your fitness journey for the long haul and move the needle on your own progress, you need to prioritise adherence.
Adherence means sticking to diet and workout plans that carefully consider your discipline, your commitment levels, your lifestyle and your social obligations, among many other factors. This will guide you through small, consistent milestones in the path towards success. If you’re not confident of doing this yourself, have a personal trainer step in to help.
2/ Keep your eye on the prize
The reason why many of us even start exercising is because we want to improve our baseline fitness - for good.
And we can do that by taking small but steady and achievable steps for long-term success, rather than sprinting towards impressive goals that are likely difficult to sustain.
Expect setbacks to come by often enough. For example, if an upcoming 2-week business trip - during which you will not have access to the gym - is set to disrupt your workout regime, how do you manage your expectations and goals? By failing well.
Know that your fitness/strength standards may dip if you compare your workouts before and after the trip. But what’s equally important to know is that if you return to the gym consistently after every business trip you have to take, you will work your way to becoming stronger and fitter than you were a year before. One step back but two steps forward - you’ll move miles in due time.
3/ Do the things you love
It’s no mystery that we’re more willing to move towards a goal when it involves something we enjoy doing, or what is known as hedonic motivation.
So our advice is simple: find something you love doing. Cycling, playing tennis, working out with friends - it doesn’t matter. When you value seeing yourself get better at this activity, all the other stuff that once seemed boring or arbitrary - namely lifting weights and cardio-building exercises - will now take on new meaning. And when you find meaning, the more likely you are to invest in this journey and the higher chances of success will be.
Embrace your grind
Pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth talks about grit - a combination of passion and perseverance for a singularly important goal - as the hallmark of high achievers in every domain.
“Staying on the treadmill is one thing, and I do think it’s related to staying true to our commitments even when we’re not comfortable. But getting back on the treadmill the next day, eager to try again, is in my view even more reflective of grit. Because when you don’t come back the next day – when you permanently turn your back on a commitment – your effort plummets to zero. As a consequence, your skills stop improving, and at the same time, you stop producing anything with whatever skills you have.”
Angela Duckworth, author of New York Times bestseller Grit: Passion, Perseverance, and the Science of Success