San Diego Fitness Psychology: Inspire Your Motivation
Whether you are a newcomer to The La Jolla Sports Club, have been around awhile, workout a couple of days a week or are a six day a week enthusiast, everyone needs continued motivation. We all reach a plateau, slip in adhering to a training program and find reasons for why we “can’t” get to the gym this week. It’s normal and natural, but it’s not necessary.
When you consider what motivates people to join and stay active in a gym, according to the latest research by the International Racquet, Health & Sportsclub Association, (IHRSA), letting exercise go just doesn’t make sense.
The following were the top reasons members selected for joining a club:
- To feel better about myself (59%)
- To stay healthy (56%)
- To look better (49%)
- To lose weight (48%)
- To maintain strength (45%)
Members continue using their club for a number of reasons:
- Overall health/wellbeing (61%)
- To get in/stay in shape/stay healthy (61%)
- It’s in a convenient location (52%)
- The variety of equipment (48%)
- To make progress with my personal goals (41%)
Given these important reasons for joining and maintaining an active gym membership, particularly health benefits, finding motivation to continue deriving these advantages is critical. Here are five tips for finding your motivation to get in, and stay in, the best shape of your life:
1. Convenient
If it’s not convenient, it’s likely to be a top-level reason to make exercise move to the bottom of the list. First thing to do is remove the obstacles such as, “it’s a pain to get to.” Pack your gym clothes the night before your workout, know your routine before you enter the gym, and keep to the “ideal 30 +/- minute rule.” What’s the “ideal 30 +/-minute rule”? Simple: Ideally, you should be able to get to the gym, dressed and start your first stretch within 30 +/-minutes. If it is much longer than that, it’s likely to add to your excuse list.
2. Results
If you aren’t seeing the results that drove you to the gym in the first place, you’ll probably keep driving past the gym. Keep track of your progress—that’s on everyone’s list of top motivational tools. Before you see results in your body, you’ll feel that working out is easier to do and you’ll realize that you are exercising harder and longer. By seeing actual growth in your progress chart, before you see it in the mirror, your motivation to keep going will surely increase.
3. Enjoyable
If it’s not fun, you’ll probably find your pleasure elsewhere. Getting bored on the treadmill? Is your free weight routine pressing you down? Have you tried the latest classes that might have more appeal? The explosion of group exercise classes means there’s so much more to choose from instead of solo exercise. Try a trainer for a month or two—he or she will surely shake it up for you.
4. Social
If you feel like a stranger in the gym, you’ll find it strange to be there. You don’t want to be among the 95% of exercise dropouts do you? A key reason these folks fade away from their commitment to healthy exercise is they have no social support system. Workout with a group of friends or join a group ex class, attend the gym’s member socials, find an accountability partner – trainer, coach, friend, family member.
5. Schedule
If it’s not a part of your weekly calendar, it’s not going to be a part of your week. Forty percent of people in a recent survey say they don’t have the time to exercise. Looking at busy schedules, family responsibilities, work pressures and other demands may seem like that’s entirely possible. It may be time to reevaluate your schedule. Can you get up earlier? Can you leave your child at the club’s child-care? What about breaking up your workout into smaller time sessions? Whatever you do, put it in your calendar.
