Winter Blahs: How to Stay Motivated

You made a New Year’s resolution to stick to a fitness program and a healthy diet. Great news! But now it’s mid-February and you’re just not as motivated as you were on January 2nd. Maybe you started a fitness program and diet, but you’ve allowed some of your plans to fall by the wayside. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Many people start an exercise and diet program only to stop after a few weeks and fall back into their old routine. A personal trainer can help keep you motivated and there are ways to stay motivated on your own.

Re-evaluate your goals. You may have set fitness goals that are unrealistic so that you are not seeing the results you expected. Design a new fitness program with short-term, intermediate-term and long- term goals. Try committing to completing a 10 minute walk 3 times each week for the next 4  weeks. After that, increase your walking time by 10 minutes for the next 4 weeks. Continue increasing your time until you walk for 30 minutes 3 days each week. On the days you are not walking, commit to doing 5 minutes of morning stretching exercises, followed by a healthy breakfast and then 5 more minutes of exercise. Gradually add afternoon and evening exercise. 

Have you lost your motivation because you are bored with your routine? Change your routine or start playing a sport that you enjoy. Take up dance aerobics or swimming. Try a Latin dance class or join a martial arts program. Invite friends and family to join you in exercise. Organize a fitness club at work. You are more likely to stay motivated and reach your fitness goals if you are having fun. If finding the time to exercise is a problem, a personal trainer can also help you design a program as part of your regular schedule. Give yourself a reward when you reach a particular goal. Go shopping for new clothes to fit your slimmer figure.