January is almost through and that means some people may be needing a little help staying motivated and on track with their fitness goals. You should be seeing some good results after a month of work towards new year's resolutions, and sometimes, this can be the hardest part. A little bit of a result is better than none at all. Here are some simple tips for staying motivated through January and all year long.
Reward Yourself
An important aspect of staying motivated is to set short-term goals and reward success. If your overall goal is to lose 20 pounds, reward yourself with a new outfit after every 5 pounds. This is a great way to track success and keep motivated through the not-so-easy times.
Have Fun
Chances are, if something is not fun, it will not be done for long. Help keep yourself on track by making workouts fun. There are some great outdoor activities that do wonders for our waistline. Try rock climbing for some toned arms, paddle boarding for those washboard abs, or swimming for some massive calorie torching.
Sign-up for a Race
Having a goal that you know is coming is a great way to keep motivated. If you are having a hard time in the procrastination area, sign-up for a competitive activity. This can be as easy as a 5k in four months, or Iron Man. Having these timed and public goals can help kill the procrastination bug and keep you on track for success.
Remind Yourself Daily
It is important to have specific goals and remind yourself of them daily. Goals should be uplifting and in the mindset of already being completed. If you want toned arms, have a goal like," I am so happy my hard work paid off and my arms are stronger. My arms have muscle definition and look killer in tank tops!" Then, read this at least once per day.
Enlist Friends
Sometimes, we all need a little help from our friends. Friends help keep each other accountable and can make workouts quite a bit more fun. Get a few of your buddies together and sign-up for a certain workout class, or, agree to go on exercise outings together. Group fitness can take something monotonous and turn it into something entertaining!
Chart Progress
Seeing progress is one of the greatest ways to stay motivated. Chart before's and after's at the start and end of the month. These should include weigh in's and pictures if you are trying to lose weight, or distance and time if you are trying to increase running performance. Adding in a little excerpt on how you are feeling is also handy.
Sometimes the gradual changes in weight, performance, or energy are hard to be seen over a month's time; tracking them will help show what is working and what needs to be changed.
Splurge Wisely
One of the most detrimental things to a diet can be ignoring, then, splurging on cravings. Stay motivated through the diet days by having one day a week when you can eat what you want. Surprisingly, having one splurge day a week can actually help us lose weight! The influx of calories can kick our metabolism into hyper drive and help burn more than what we eat every other day of the week. Just be sure to have your splurge day be on a workout day as well.