Are you one of those individuals who found themselves fully enthusiastic about starting with their fitness goals and have the motivation to be healthy but then, weeks later, relapsed into feeling demotivated, or your busy schedule makes you feel tired at the end of the day?
There could be several reasons you’re experiencing lapses in your journey to being healthy, and having a fully packed schedule is one of them.
We understand that it can be hard sometimes to squeeze in a gym session because you’re already tired physically and mentally after you clock out of your 9-to-5 job. It’s also common to grab pick-me-ups in between the day for a snack or eat fast foods during lunch because it’s less time-consuming and not as stressful as meal prep.
That’s why, as part of building your momentum and keeping you motivated to be healthy and fit.
Here are some lifestyle modifications that you can make:
1. Breakdown your goals
The key to developing a habit of a healthy lifestyle is baby steps. Remember that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. It is easy to get discouraged if you constantly fail to hit your goals. That’s why if you lower your goals, you’ll be able to achieve them more often. We also encourage you to set “SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.” This way, you’ll gain confidence if you continuously achieve each goal you’ve set, and later on, it motivates you to keep progressing into higher and more challenging goals.
2. Start with quick workouts
Ideally, the required time allotted for exercise per week is 150 minutes. That is approximately 30 minutes per day for 5 times a week. Although this is a short time, it can still be hard to squeeze in a 30-minute quick exercise, especially if your work is physically and mentally taxing. However, a quick exercise is much better than no exercise at all, so rather than doing a full 30-minute workout, you can do a quick 10-minute routine thrice a day to achieve the recommended daily exercise duration. You can do high-intensity interval training in the morning, chair yoga between your breaks to stretch your muscles, or a 10-minute walk around your neighborhood at night. What’s important is that you get your heart rate up and work up a sweat.
3. Eat a healthy diet
We understand that it can be difficult to remove unhealthy foods from your diet plan because this is something you can easily prepare without exerting too much effort or consuming too much of your time. That’s why it is better to incorporate what is lacking in your diet, such as adding more vegetables and fruits. Pack baby carrots or nuts for a snack rather than grabbing chips or other junk foods. Put lemon or cucumber in your water to substitute for sugary drinks.
4. A Buddy to Work Out With
Try to ask your friend or colleague to join you in a gym session or yoga class; this way, there will be someone who will constantly remind you that it’s time to drop the paperwork and give your body time to stretch or strengthen your muscles. Workout with a fitness buddy is always more enjoyable and can make you accountable. You can also sign up for your local gym classes if you can’t find someone to work with. Gym classes have a definite schedule meaning you can sync it with your work/personal calendar, allowing you to plan to commit to this.
We build good habits to improve ourselves better than we were yesterday. Thinking of this idea can push us to stick with the good habits we aim to do. Moreover, being active is a good investment. Do not devote your time and effort to bad investments like a poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle, as it can lead to huge losses like pain and chronic diseases.
Your next challenge would be to keep this motivation until you reach your goal. Motivation isn’t something that happens to you but something you create for yourself. Exercise may be all about moving the body, or diet may be about cutting off some carbs, but you won’t get anywhere until you move your mind first. Getting past these mental roadblocks can open the door to new ideas and attitudes.
Your daily habits can play a big role in helping you overcome your demotivation. It’s tempting to slip into bad habits such as sleeping irregularly, overeating to relieve stress, or drinking too much to fill the lonely nights. However, adapting to a healthier daily routine can improve your mood, make you feel more energetic, and boost your health.
