Having been in lockdown for what feels like an eternity, it’s not surprising that many of us have lost all motivation. You are not alone if you feel distracted and lack lustre when it comes to both work and working out. There’s no right way to feel or act at the moment as we’re all grappling with the loss of our everyday lives. If the best you can do is get out of bed then we salute you. But if you do want to use this time to track towards your goals there are some easy ways to get back into the swing of it. Sports Scientist, Kat Shaw, from Lucozade Sport, has given us some top tips for kick starting your motivation and to get you moving.
Organisation is Key
Focusing our energy on the things that we can control, like our daily routine, is a great way to help boost motivation and regain some sense of normality. Even if you didn’t have a big fitness goal like a marathon or a Tough Mudder before the pandemic, setting a new goal and creating a plan of how to achieve it can help give you back a sense of drive. Create yourself a new weekly plan with a good mix of cardio, strength and stretching to keep it interesting. Every time you exercise, you release endorphins which give you that post-exercise buzz. This helps relieve stress and lift mood, moving you a bit closer to your goal.
Mix It Up
When thinking about your weekly workout plan, the key is to mix it up to keep it interesting. You might have a certain number of workouts you want to do in a week, but these can cover a range of activities. Go for a run outside, throw in a couple of HIIT workouts and make the most of all the great live workouts available online right now. Don’t forget to add in some mobility exercises and stretches. Especially as we’re all sitting a lot more than we usually would.
You could even take on a virtual Tough Mudder Challenge and get your friends involved so you can still workout with your training buddy. Regular training doesn’t have to be boring, in fact it’s as varied and interesting as you want to make it.
Make it Fun
Fill your week with exercise that you love and if you don’t know what that is yet, now is a great time to find out. And it isn’t just about the content of your workouts that can make them a joyful experience. Create an awesome playlist with all of your favourite tunes that will keep you moving. Or find a new podcast to keep you company on your run. Perhaps wear your favourite workout kit (and maybe even your Tough Mudder headband) instead of that old t-shirt you’ve worn all week, you deserve the best.
Be SMART
You might have had a goal in your calendar already that has been postponed or even cancelled (we feel your pain) and that is definitely a hit to anyone’s motivation. But don’t look at this as an opportunity missed, but one gained. Can you add some smaller, shorter term goals to focus on in your training to lead up to your previous, now rearranged event, to better your performance in the long term? This could be a great time to reassess your goals and what you want to achieve.
Why not attached some SMART goals to your training? That’s specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bound for those of us who didn’t know. This could mean that instead of working towards a marathon time or completing a Tough Mudder, aim to increase your speed over short distances. Maybe try to nail the pull up that you’ve always wanted to do but been afraid of.
