Fitness 101: Staying Motivated

Top: ProjectX | Shorts: Reebok | Sneakers: Nike 

Can you believe that we are already half way through the year? It really amazes me how time seems to fly by! Maybe some of you already gave up on your New Years Resolutions...or slacked off a bit. Or are finding it hard to stay motivated. It's okay...it happens to the best of us. I have some fitness tricks that help keep me motivated through the slump.

1. Set REALISTIC Goals. Don't set goals up like "I want a booty like J-Lo" because when you've done two months of squats and notice your butt isn't as plump as J-Lo's rear you're going to be pretty bummed. Instead set goals like "I want to run a full mile without stopping" and then give yourself a deadline..."I want to run a full mile without stopping in one month."Setting up goals with time limits will make you more dedicated to try achieve your goal but also once you hit it you'll keep making new ones. Maybe it's that next mile or going up in weight.

2. Find Your Weakness and Work On It. We all love doing things we are great at and we hate admitted things that we are bad at. Work on something your not good at, whether its running or doing push-ups, throw it into your routine. I love seeing progress in my workouts and work on things that I'm not so great at whether it's working on my push-ups, pull-ups or even running. I notice that I keep getting better the more I work on those things. 

3. Switch Up Your Routine. If you're starting to feel bored with your routine throw in some new classes or new workouts. When working out by myself I like to use apps like NTC (Nike Training Center) for some new workouts and "classes." They have quick ones that are just 15 minutes or ones that run a little longer (30 to 45 minutes). I love that they have variety to chose from so you can always switch it up. I also recently added a boxing class to my schedule. Truth be told I get pretty frustrated sometimes because I'm not great at it...but it gives me a good workout and allows me to be able to work my way up at being better at it. It also has helped create a new variety of workout in my schedule, and workout new muscles. 

Read here for some of my favorite outdoor workouts. 

4. New Workout Clothes. Any reason to go shopping is a good one to me! But seriously sometimes a motivation is new workout clothes. This will motivate you to throw it on and tackle your workout. Read here on what workout clothes to invest in. 

5. Find a Workout Buddy. Find a friend, family member, or a partner that will help you get motivated. Sometimes workout by yourself can get lonely or boring, so find someone who wants to/likes to workout. My husband and I take a lot of classes together and sometimes outside of class we do workouts together. I like a little friendly competition, it's what keeps me focused and pushes me to do a little more.

6. Sign Up for a Race or Event. There's nothing like having to train for something. Sign up for a 5K or a mudder race or something else that you're interested in doing to get you motivated. Like I said before I love little friendly competition. So I want to be my best on game day, so I do my best to train for whatever the event maybe, My husband and I plan on for the second time competing in the CMC (Civilian Military Combine). This race includes not only an obstacle run but also includes a AMRAP workout before your run. I love it forces me to train outside of just running and really forces me to push myself.

7. Think Outside the Gym. You can stay fit and have fun outside of the gym. If your into sports why not try joining a local team. Companies like ZogSports makes it easy for you to join a team, make new friends, and stay active. If you don't have a Zogsports or something similar try different Meet-Up groups.

8. Buy a Fitness Tracker. There are some mixed feelings out there about fitness trackers like Fitbit, Nike Fuel Band, Garmain, etc.. I happen to think that these fitness trackers are great motivators to get up and get moving. Ever since I got my Fitbit I walk a lot more, wanting to hit that 10,000 daily step goal. I now opt to walk instead of hoping on the train, which also has allowed me to see some different parks of NYC that I haven't seen. It's a real eye opener on how stagnate you remain throughout the day. If I can't get to the gym or it's my "rest day" I still like to make sure I hit my step goal, it makes me feel like I achieved something that day.

9. Add New Music. Sometimes the best way to up yourself up is with a new soundtrack. A good song can always get you motivated and ready to take on a workout. When it comes to workout music I like to listen to Spotify's Top Hits and New Music Tuesday to find some new tunes to add to my workouts. Find what motivates you during your workouts and set up playlist. I have different playlist for different moods and workouts. I generally like to listen to hip-hop/pop music when running and rock music when doing weights and more general training workouts.