Staying On Track in 2015

By Anthony Bischler, BS, CSCS, Certified Personal Trainer

Along your fitness journey, it is inevitable that you will encounter setbacks and obstacles. There are a few techniques that can be done on a daily basis to keep your motivation high, enabling you to complete your goals.

When making goals, think realistically. Write them on paper and place them in places you will see every day. This technique will help serve as small reminders to go to the gym. It will keep your goals fresh in your mind, and serve as a constant reminder as to why you chose to start your fitness journey. Sometimes a motivating picture or quote can be used in a similar fashion. These small reminders can help motivate you to exercise on the days you lack motivation or time. Find what motivates you and make an effort to constantly remind yourself of that.

A common obstacle people encounter is a lack of time. People have busy lives and several obligations. For some, time restrictions are a true issue. However, there are alternative ways to arrange your time to include a daily workout. Another obstacle that impacts your time is children or grandchildren. Many facilities offer child care services at a reasonable rate. An additional obstacle is the lack of energy people experience. After work, most people look forward to going home to eat dinner and relax while watching their favorite TV show. While watching TV can be enjoyable, taking 30 minutes to an hour of that time to exercise instead can go a long way to helping you achieve your fitness goals. Many people have time during the week to exercise, however their time is not prioritized around it. When exercising becomes a priority, it becomes a habit causing many excuses to fade away.

Another way to stay on track with your fitness goals is to find someone to workout with. Whether that person is a friend, colleague or even a trainer, someone holding you accountable is crucial, especially for someone who needs motivation to stay on track. Even if you are usually motivated to exercise most of the time, occasionally, there may be that day where you just don't feel like working out. On those days, having someone else counting on you to show up is helpful.

If you find yourself straying from your goals or finding it hard to stay motivated, give these ideas a try and keep yourself on track towards your fitness goals!