Home » » Fitness » Let's Get Motivated

Let's Get Motivated

© Kelly Smith

One of the most important lessons I have learned about getting healthy is that a majority of it is state of mind.

I can not even tell you how many years I have started and stopped, started and stopped. It was a roller coaster. I read all the magazines, tried every diet pill and weight-loss drink, joined health clubs, fasted, bought exercise equipment (they make great clothes dryers!), wrote New Year's goals and still wouldn't feel motivated. What finally pushed me to get serious was when I turned 30 years old and felt more like 50! It was the inner drive I needed.

Is motivation one of the biggest hurdles people have to get over when they want to get fit?

"Yes," replied Jonny Bowden, M.A., and Certified Nutrition Specialist, "Motivation is usually in stages: it starts with a vague awareness that something needs to be done and progresses to determination that it actually get done. It rarely starts out with determination," Bowden said. Bowden is a respected fitness expert, fitness coach and author of "Jonny Bowden's Shape Up!"

AFLCA certified personal trainer Kelly Ottenbreit agrees. "Even if there is a goal set, you need to find that driving reason why you want to succeed," Ottenbreit says. Ottenbreit is a personal trainer for World Health Club in Calgary, Canada.

What motivates you? Here are some tips and tricks to get you off the couch:

Driving Force
You must first determine why you wanted to get fit in the first place! Do you want to be on the next cover of Shape magazine or are you worried about your health? Do want to gain muscles, stamina or lose a few pounds? I am willing to bet there is more than one reason. Bowden says finding the inner drive with his clients is one of the solutions for the lack of an immediate reward.

"I constantly keep the conversation going so that the person is always reminded of the reasons they wanted to do this in the first place," Bowden said.

It is also a good idea to write down your reasons so you can take a look at them for motivation instead of worrying about when the next CSI episode is on. That is what VCRs are for!

Set Small Goals
Set goals small and doable so that there is a sense of accomplishment from the beginning. This can also be done by not focusing on the "end product" (i.e. I'm going to lose 100 pounds) but rather on the day's goal (today I'm going to walk on the treadmill for five minutes)," Bowden said.

The copyright of the article Let's Get Motivated in Fitness is owned by . Permission to republish Let's Get Motivated in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.