Losing the motivation to keep Exercising!

We all make promises for the New Year to keep fit, loss weight, eat healthy etc.  At first your progression of your fitness improving, weight starts to shift, feeling better about yourself  which helps us wanting to carry on.

However, the changes start slowing down or stopping even though you’re doing the same thing for the last 4-5 weeks. This creates us to think what is the point!!

The point is that you just need to make a few changes to keep your progress to carry on.

Below are a few pointers on how to keep you reaching your goals:

1. If the exercise don’t challenge you then your body won’t make changes e.g. if you been going on the treadmill for 20 mins each time on the same speed and you been doing this for 4 weeks then your body will get use to the exercise (no intensity) so minimal changes will take place. However, if you set yourself small realise targets then your body will adapt and your fitness/ weight loss will progress. So start on the treadmill a comfortable speed for 3 mins, if that speed is ok increase the speed slightly for a further 3 mins. If you find that the speed is ok then increases again. You will eventually get to a point that you feel you have workout.
2. Keep to a set Rest time: This will not only keep you with a structured program but help you encourage your fitness levels and help burn extra calories. Stick to a 30-60 second rest time period between sets will make a difference to help improve your fitness. E.g. Dumbbell squats for 20 repetitions then rest for 30-60 seconds and then repeat another 20 repetitions.
3. Train with a friend: By training with a friend can help you keep motivation as you can encourage each other to push that little bit extra and also create some competition.
4. Change your fitness route every 6-8 weeks. By doing the same program/routine for more than 8 weeks the body will get use to the exercises and so you will start to plateau (stop progressing) and even get bored.  By changing your program will keep you interested and you be able to use different muscle groups and energy systems to keep you on the right path towards your fitness goals.
5. Classes: Get good encouragement not only the instructor but from others who are taking part in the class as you are all there for the same reason.  Plus get to learn new ways to exercise and learn next exercises too.