Treadmill & Elliptical Reviews

Motivation is key to success with home fitness. What are your real goals?

TJ Hunter
June 27, 5:06 PM
There are many things that we try to do to motivate ourselves to work out. We hire personal trainers and purchase fitness equipment for the home. We set up diet and workout plans and post them on the fridge. We read motivational articles about weight loss and watch the Biggest Loser every week. What we don’t realize is there are even more forces driving us to quit. Our subconscious is a hard headed, stubborn fool and if we don’t win those battles each and every day, we are doomed to fail. Motivation has to, and should, come from within. No more searching articles for the quick fix or a good reason to start.

Take a typical day in Tampa, Fl for instance, its 5:30 PM and it’s storming out. If you had planned on running the neighborhood then you have to rethink your workout. Even if it stops raining by the time you reach home, the 100% humidity is going to hit you square in the mouth. These are things that will effect whether you succeed or not and you have to have a game plan. Fitness Professionals talk about commitment to health and fitness, and let’s explore that briefly. It’s not a commitment to just working out, it’s to achieving better health. If you went to the doctors last week and they told you that you need to lose a few pounds or that your cholesterol is too high. What’s the solution? The solution is to get in better shape and to really make the commitment to be a healthier person. This is the basis of any successful program, a driving force.

It doesn’t have to be a health issue per say. It can be your daughters wedding, your wedding, or even just a 10 year high school reunion. There has to be a desire to get in better shape. Now I know what you are saying, “isn’t it ok to just want to be in good shape?” Yes, but if you can pinpoint why, then you have a much better chance at succeeding at it. Think about the last time that you got in really great shape, and ask yourself what the motivation was. You will realize that you had a goal in mind and you went for it. That goal may have been sparked by something like the doctors visit gone bad, or the wedding dress you are dreaming of. Those are valid motivational pieces to your health and fitness puzzle and shouldn’t be ignored.

Getting in shape isn’t easy and each time you attempt you have the possibility to fail. Motivation can provide a good key to unlocking your potential and getting that healthier person lying inside. Without the proper motivation though, you will always give in to bigger and better temptations. Its up to you to find that right element to continue on your journey to a healthier body and a healthier life.