In the wake of so much uncertainty, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find the motivation to exercise. With many of us under tighter COVID restrictions, combined with the prospect of a long, dark winter, it would be all too easy to call every day a duvet day.
While taking comfort days is definitely good for the soul, working out will give you the endorphins you need to make you feel more positive and energised. Here Helen Murray, Eastnine coach, gives her top tips on keeping your workout motivation up in a strange world.
1. Plan your week
Getting organised and plotting out when you might work out in advance will make you more likely to stick to your ambition to get moving that week. Sundays are the perfect time to plan – so whether it’s a class or just a pocket of time – even 15 minutes when you know you can fit something in – schedule it into your diary like you would a work meeting.
2. Think about why you want to work out
So much of our day to day life can be out of control, especially right now, and it’s easy to fall into a passive mindset. Writing even just a few thoughts about what you want exercise to do for you, and how you feel afterwards can be really effective. Any time when you feel like you don’t want to leave your desk, or you’re too busy or can’t be bothered – take a look at those notes and you’ll be lacing up your trainers in no time. Commitment to an ambition or end result can see you through days when motivation lets you down.
3. Be good to yourself in the morning
Whether it’s getting up to go for a walk when the streets are still quiet, grabbing a ten minute meditation or stretch, or doing a quick strength session in between sipping a coffee – finding some time for you early in the morning can set you up for the day ahead. Lots of us think we’re not morning people, but getting into an earlier morning routine even if it’s 10 minutes can make a huge difference and become a habit quite quickly. If you leave your ‘you’ time until the end of the day, your mind will tell you a million reasons why you shouldn’t do that workout.
4. Get a support network
Whether it’s a friend you enlist to work out remotely with, the familiar faces of a regular class, or a coaching network like the Eastnine app (currently only available from the Apple Store, coming soon to Android) having a sense of community and feeling a part of something (especially right now) can make all the difference to your likelihood of getting up and into your leggings. We are naturally pack creatures, and we’re living in an unnatural time. Finding community through fitness can to some extent, replace what we’re missing in other parts of our life.
5. Celebrate what you’ve achieved
After every workout, after every week, every month – track your progress and give yourself a pat on the back. How you do this is up to you, it could be via a tracker like My Fitness Pal, ticks on a wall planner or via a workout app that updates you on your progress. Taking stock and appreciating your hard work keeps you motivated for the next workout, so give yourself those gold stars.
Eastnine is a fitness app that motivates, supports and guides people working out. Consisting of experienced personal trainers, professional athletes and even Olympians, the audio and video app is packed with workouts and programmes to support users in getting fitter, toning up and becoming more confident. Plus, the app is currently offering a free trial to new users.
