If you want to lose weight, get stronger, or add a few more miles to your long runs, these easy hacks will help you find the direction you need and lead you to success.
1. Find Your Fitness Goal, Then Write It Down
A lack of planning may be troublesome and lead to a lack of interest. According to research, aimlessly “going through the motions” at the gym can lead to missed sessions and outright boredom, which can lead to depression.
Once you've found yours, creating an attack strategy is as simple as writing it down in a notebook.
According to psychologist Edwin Locke, setting concrete goals and writing them down provides order in a person's life. This allows the athlete to see the end goal they are aiming for and puts them on a consistent path to success.
Keep day-to-day logs of all you do in the gym and the kitchen, including good and bad days. You'll see what you did right and wrong over time (hopefully not so much of the latter). When the results are visible—on paper, in the mirror, and on the scale—achieving the target becomes a little easier.
2. Visualize Your Success
It might sound a little New Age-y, but visualizing your success through meditation, yoga, or other mind exercises may significantly boost strength. A novel study discovered that people who only visualized their success prior to testing increased their power by nearly 15%. Although the gains are not comparable, the study does demonstrate the advantages of using the mind to make gains.
Daily meditation or yoga practice is thought to help us break away from impulsive thoughts in our everyday lives and remain focused on the task at hand. Meditation can also help athletes perform better on the field. It's no surprise that top athletes like Michael Jordan and LeBron James already use meditation to their advantage.
Yoga and mindfulness will also help you find a better balance in your and regimen.
3. Build Your Ultimate Workout Playlist
According to researchers, whether you're doing a few extra squats or sprinting on the road, the style of music and pace matters.
Sports psychologist Costas Karageorghis, Ph.D., a music and performance expert, discovered that music with a tempo range of 120-140 beats per minute—think upbeat techno—is perfect for aerobic workouts. If you're doing a lot of leg work, try a 95-125 bpm range; "Welcome to the Jungle" would be a better option.
Including music in your exercise routine, regardless of genre, will help you remain inspired to meet your fitness goals.
4. Get a Workout Accountabiliabuddy
If you are keeping someone waiting, you are less likely to miss the gym and watch TV. Whether you hire a personal trainer or ask a friend to join you on a morning run, getting someone to keep you accountable can be just what you need to get started.
For all of us, it is much easier to let ourselves down than it is to let anyone else down. If your monthly gym membership isn't enough, find a good trainer or a friend who can track you down and get you going whenever you need it.
5. Make it Routine, Then Change it Up
Making a habit easy to replicate is the only way to make it last. And the only way to do this is to employ programs. Every way you can reduce friction and make your exercise routine more enjoyable, the more likely it is that you will stick with it. After all, we give up on most stuff because they are too difficult or simply inconvenient.
If you have to go out of your way to exercise, try a home workout routine or find a fitness centre on your way home from work. Figure out how to easily incorporate your workout routine into your everyday life, and sticking to it will become much simpler.
If you've been going to the same fitness class for a while, try something different, such as yoga or other types of weight training. Just as our bodies need different muscle groups to remain in shape, our minds need a shift in stimulation to stay motivated.
Do you need more motivation? Download this free 12-week fat-loss exercise schedule. All you need to burn fat, lose weight, and tone up in 90 days, including weight lifting and endurance.
Molin is a fitness expert with several years of knowledge in providing fitness consultation to clients. She regularly writes articles and blogs for a number of guest posting sites.