A word on motivation….
I don’t have the energy or motivation to work out regularly.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. I’ve been hearing this so much recently that I wanted to write a little piece on the topic.
Energy isn’t just automatic, it needs to be created. Through eating well, resting, getting a good nights sleep, drinking lots of water, surrounding yourself with energy giving people….. Motivation is the same, it’s created through small achievable habits which help you to get on your mat and get moving.
I certainly don’t have energy and motivation all the time, but what I do have is small habits which help me to stay consistent. Adding good habits into your life feels more doable and lighter than constantly setting and trying to achieve goals, and making these small changes part of your lifestyle means you’re more likely to continue with them. Here are some of the things I do (both practically and mindset wise) to get me on the mat and get my Pilates on:
Set your mat and activewear up the night before
Work out on a Monday morning to start your week right and to help you continue with this mindset through the week
Get a good morning and evening routine, this has been a game changer for me. Morning - get up straight away with no phone scrolling, get outside, move, journal, meditate and shower all help me to get in the right mindset for a productive day. Evening - finish eating at least 2 hours before bed, no phone for 1 hr min before bed, read, unwind, get cosy and journal - these things help me to switch off my brain, rest and prepare for a good nights sleep.
Get yourself a workout buddy; do you know anyone else using PWJ Online? A buddy you can ask to hold you to account to make sure you get your weekly workouts in and vice versa? You could also use social media to hold you to account, posting vids or pics of you taking the classes and tracking your progress.
Do what you can - try to set yourself achievable goals. There’s no point trying to do the longest and hardest classes everyday. Firstly most of us don’t have the time for that, but secondly your body needs time to recover. This won’t be sustainable, so start small, be gentle with yourself and build from there.
Get a good nights sleep. Sometimes easier said than done, I know. However, studies have found that those who get a good nights sleep are more likely to stick to their exercise routine.
Get your favourite music on! Music totally pumps me up when working out, it definitely makes it more enjoyable and encourages me to push a lil harder!
Find movement you enjoy this is so important to stay consistent. You’re not going to want to keep coming back to movement you hate.
Be patient and kind to yourself. It can take anywhere from 21 - 90 days to make a habit, so don’t have unrealistic expectations. Hard work pays off if you’re patient enough to see it through.
The most important one for me and critical to making changes? Identify your ‘why’
- is it for your health, your kids, longevity, weight loss etc. Mine? Movement and eating well make me feel amazing and help me be a better person in everything else I do; work, relationships….. So I know that if I want to feel like this, then I need to prioritise the things that enable that. I will also not move and eat rubbish sometimes, I’m human! But I know what I need to do to feel good, and will always come back to it.
The hardest part is getting on the mat, once you’re there the rest will fall into place. PWJ Online makes it as easy as possible for you to get moving; click here, enter your details and get instant access to a huge variety of Pilates classes to meet you wherever you’re at today.
Still after some more ideas on habit setting? I’d recommend giving Atomic Habits, by James Clear a read. Interesting, useful and practical.