FITNESS
REBOOT
YOUR WORKOUT ROUTINE
Creating a recipe for success will get you excited and motivated for exercise again. BY NICHELLE LAUS
I’m just kidding! There are days where everything hits just right and lines up perfectly, setting you up for success as you head to the gym to crush some iron; and then there’s every other day. So what are we supposed to do on days we just don’t feel like it inside, and our outside circumstances aren’t really helping to motivate us?
30 WOMEN'S WELLNESS
The vicious cycle that motivation creates is that while you are waiting to be motivated, motivation is waiting for you. And then once you get that “hit” of motivation, unless you figured out how and where it came from, and how to recreate it, you’re always going to be searching for your next hit or fix once it wears off. Just like becoming dependent on a substance isn’t a good thing, becoming dependent on motivation isn’t helping you because it’s not teaching you a lesson. Why am I telling you this? Because even though it sounds controversial, I really don’t believe in “getting” or “staying”
motivated. I know motivation exists, but how we go about creating it is what matters.
HOW WE CREATE OUR OWN MOTIVATION COMMITMENT – This is where we go back to previous articles and theories about your “why” and your purpose. Why do you want to get in shape? Why do you want to lose weight? Why do you want to gain muscle? What’s your reason for wanting to go to the gym in the first place? Remind yourself about a) what your commitment is and b) why the commitment is there.
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Yeah, me neither.
THE MYTH OF MOTIVATION
I read a great article in Psychology Today about “Valued actions.” OPTIMYZ.COM
PHOTO CREDIT: DAVE LAUS
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You know those days where you wake up without your alarm; the coffee is already brewed; the kitchen was cleaned the night before, so there are no dishes in the sink; your breakfast is equally savory and satisfying; and the right song comes on at the perfect time on your way to the gym?
