12th February, 2014
One morning, not long ago my motivation was at a major low point.
I had plans to meet a friend at the aerobic class, but when I woke at 7 a.m., it was raining, I had a cramp in my leg, and, frankly, staying in bed and finishing that dream about great exploits seemed a thousand times more appealing than yanking off the covers and heading out into the gym.
But then I heard an urgent whisper in my ear: “Get up and get your workout out of the way now; you can always rest later!” It was my fitness trainer speaking. He would always remind me that Yes, that Janet Evans, the Olympic swimmer who won four gold medals at the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games. She mentioned this mantra in an interview I watched decades ago. I stuck it in my back pocket back then, and I pull it out for the ultimate kick in the butt when I need it most.
Mantras, rewards, and other little tricks of the mind can be the perfect way to jump-start your motivation on days your energy is lagging, says sports psychologist JoAnn Dahlkoetter, PhD, the author of Your Performing Edge. “If you find a ritual that works for you and repeat it over time, your body will instantly respond when you need that extra push,” she says. So I decided to ask a few world-class athletes, trainers, psychologists, and FITNESS readers how they get motivated to move it.
Get An Internal
Motivation To Move
“When I used to play hand ball it was always for external goals, like scholarships or world records,” Now it’s more personal. I remind myself that I’m showing my pretty daughter that if you set a goal and work hard for it, you can achieve anything. Yesterday she said to me, ‘Mommy, you don’t get tired! And I said, ‘Get used to it, girl!'”
Go For Instant
Gratification.
Sure, working out can help lower your risk for cancer, heart disease, and a slew of other scary illnesses. But those long-term benefits seem awfully abstract when you’re trying to tear yourself away from New Girl to go to the gym.” Our research found that the women who stick with exercise programmes are the ones who do it for benefits they can experience immediately, such as having more energy or feeling less stress,” says Michelle Segar, PhD, the associate director of the University of Michigan Sport, Health and Activity Research and Policy Center for Women and Girls. She suggests starting a journal to jot down reasons to exercise that will pay off today — to be more alert for an afternoon meeting, to snap less at your kids — and reviewing it when you need a push.
Temperature Affects Exercise Heart Rate
An extremely important factor affecting exercise heart rate is temperature. Warmer temperatures cause the heart to beat faster and place considerable strain on the body. Simply put, when it is hot, the body must move more blood to the skin to cool it while also maintaining blood flow to the muscles. The only way to do both of these things is to increase overall blood flow, which means that the heart must beat faster. Depending on how fit you are and how hot it is, this might mean a heart rate that is 20 to 40 bpm higher than normal. Fluid intake is very important under these conditions. Sweating changes blood volume, which eventually can cause cardiac problems. The simplest and most effective intervention to address high temperature and heart rate is regular fluid intake. This helps to preserve the blood volume and prevent the heart from beating faster and faster- an excerpt from Heart Rate Training by Roy Benson and Declan Connolly.
Visualisation Is A Great Tool
“I see myself at my healthiest, fittest, and strongest, doing different athletic endeavors. This motivates me to go the extra mile and skip the junk food,” says Jennifer Cassetta, a celebrity trainer and holistic nutritionist in Los Angeles. “Picturing yourself accomplishing something may create a neural pathway in your brain in almost the same way as actually completing the feat would,” “It also gives you a burst of confidence that you can succeed, which makes you more likely to continue your training.” Use all five senses to make your internal blockbuster as realistic as possible: See the clock at the finish line, hear the roar of the crowd as you turn the final corner of the race, and feel your arms pumping as you stride across those last few yards.
Heart Disease
Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women, causing one in three deaths among them each year. Even young, fit women are at risk. Here’s how to keep yours healthy:
A weeklong walking plan designed to burn 1,300 calories and firm trouble zones that an average walk ignores.
How It Works
Check out the latest skinny on walking: Women between the ages of 18 and 30 who walked at least four hours a week were 44 percent more likely to lose weight during the 15 years they were tracked than those who didn’t walk at all — regardless of what other exercise they did, according to a recent study. To hit that magic 240-minute-a-week total, follow this simple plan. You’ll not only burn off 1,300 calories this week but also firm up trouble zones that your average stroll ignores.
Aim to rack up at least 45 minutes of walking on most days, alternating your usual steady walks. You’ll melt about 240 calories in each 45-minute burn-and-firm session as you “sculpt from abs to calves and build more push-off power,” . For an allover makeover, give equal toning to your top.
I think is high time we began to bid farewell to sedentary lifestyle. Sedentary activities include sitting, reading, watching television, playing video games, and computer use for much of the day with little or no vigorous physical exercise. A sedentary lifestyle can contribute to many preventable causes of death. Screen time is the amount of time a person spends watching a screen such as a television, computer monitor, or mobile device. Excessive screen time is linked to negative health consequences. Now these sedentary activities can be replaced with interesting activities such as walk. You wonder why WALK?
Walking is a great type of exercise that is not only guaranteed to help you lose weight and improve your current health status, but can also be an enjoyable activity for people who are just beginning an exercise routine. The great thing about walking is that it can be done anywhere, by anyone, with no fancy equipment or clothing.
For beginners, start off slowly, and gradually build your time and intensity. For example, start by walking for ten minutes twice a day for a total of twenty minutes. Gradually increase the time you are walking until you can exercise for sixty minutes at one time. The Surgeon General has found that exercising at least sixty minutes on most days of the week is essential for both good health and weight loss. If you are concerned about your motivation to keep walking, you may want to consider inviting a friend. Research has found that people who exercise together are more likely to stick with their routine than those who exercise on their own.These interval routines will not only help you burn fat, they’ll boost your heart health, too. Find one that suits your style, whether you prefer the treadmill, bike, brisk walk or no equipment at all.
Remember that you have to eat properly and nutritiously to obtain that desired result you have always long for.
You need a steady stream of glucose throughout the day to maintain optimal energy and to prevent metabolism from slowing down. Eat breakfast every day within one hour of waking up, then eat a healthy snack or meal every three to four hours. Try not to go longer than 5 hours without eating a healthy snack or meal to keep your metabolism steady.
Send relevant questions to me at bodyconfidencefitness@gmail.com