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When it comes to fitness training, one thing is paramount: staying motivated. Whether you’re new to fitness, have a long history with the sport or have another, less personal project, motivation is central to your progress.
This psychological mechanism is the indispensable foundation of your progress. But staying motivated isn’t always easy. And too many people give up their efforts within the first few weeks. But there are many ways to stay motivated and make the most of your fitness. Here’s how it works.
The disillusionment stage and how to combat it
When you start fitness or any other sport, there will always be a moment when you hesitate about your progress and realize that your project is just an illusion. Rest assured, this is perfectly normal. This moment is called “disillusionment”. It will lead you to doubt your skills and see only your limits. You’ll devalue yourself and feel guilty for not being as good as you thought you were. You’ll want to give up. And this period of demotivation is natural. You lose your self-confidence. But you mustn’t let yourself go, and instead react quickly and decisively to keep up your sporting progress.
But staying motivated isn’t something you can improvise. You need to use different methods to regain your self-confidence.
First of all, you need to feel your purpose. To do this, you need to focus on what you want to achieve and what you need to do to get there. You’ll then need to program your mind to direct it towards your projects. Don’t hesitate and think about your fitness exercises with enthusiasm and motivation. You’ll need to visualize your goal. You’ll need to visualize your goal in great detail. Feel pride and satisfaction, and imagine your reactions.
You’ll also need to visualize your progress. Define an indicator that will determine your progress. You can use a tracing post. Make a graph illustrating your progress and post it where you can see it regularly. This is an excellent way of keeping you motivated.
It’s also important to always have reasons for taking action. List the reasons why you want to exercise and the results you expect. And consult this list often.
Confidence, an essential tool
To be motivated, you also need to emphasize your strengths. This will boost your self-confidence. Improving our weak points is a habit we value above all else. And yet, it remains demotivating. Ideally, you should devote just 20% of your time to your weak points. That way, you can work on your strengths and enjoy yourself more.
Mental training is also essential for your sports sessions. So, reinforce your motivation day after day, as I’ve already mentioned. It’s the key to success and will effectively boost your motivation.
The benefits of fitness motivation
Like all sports, fitness has positive effects on us, both morally and physically. In recent years, researchers have been able to identify the positive effects of this sporting activity. Overall, there are five of them.
Fitness will lift our spirits. Physical activity triggers chemical compounds in the brain. You’ll feel relaxed and happier. Levels of neurotransmitters (adrenalin, serotonin, dopamine…) will rise dramatically. You’ll really feel better.
Fitness also plays an important role in improving your concentration. Physical activity not only oxygenates your blood, but also your brain. The neurotransmitter BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) will be increased by your fitness sessions.
Fitness also has a role to play in reducing stress and depression. It relieves both physical and mental stress.
Fitness will also boost your self-confidence. Your self-esteem will be boosted.
Finally, fitness will improve your sleep, so you’ll sleep better and feel better. Exercise 5 or 6 hours before going to bed.
So, to sum up, the psychology of fitness plays a very important role in improving physical and mental fitness. It’s an activity that plays a major role in making you feel good, boosting your self-confidence and developing an independent attitude. So it’s important to stay motivated during your workout.
Rethinking motivation
It’s obviously important to find motivation. But it’s not just about setting goals. You also need to take action. Indeed, action is the central point of motivation.
Motivation comes from the Latin word movere, meaning to move. So it’s hardly surprising that action is central to the motivational process. Action is the key. Many neuroscientists have discovered that when the brain understands goals, challenges and obstacles, it will more easily send out the energy needed to achieve those goals. To get more motivation, you’ll need to “tap into” the left prefrontal cortex, which has a role in developing concentration and mental energy.
It’s essential to use methods that keep you focused on your goals. You’ll then find ways of using motivation as a springboard, of course, but also as fuel. Motivation is a means to progress.
It’s also useful to carry out actions you’re already familiar with. This will create feedback loops, making it easier for you to repeat the exercises and thus move forward. Imagining ways to design new habits is very important for building motivation.
You may also lack motivation when it comes to the things you have to do every day. The area of the brain that controls motivation is also the one in charge of everyday tasks. So you’ll need to sort it out.
Many researchers have been trying to improve motivation for many years. But it doesn’t happen with a snap of the fingers. First and foremost, you need to define a clear framework that will excite your brain (based on commitment and intention). This is the best way to trigger motivation and use it to the full. The best way to do this is to draw up a written list of your intentions.
Boosting motivation
To do this, it’s best to adopt a gradual approach. Get your brain used to one task at a time. Focus on small, clear goals. This will enable you to develop your motivation and use it to the best advantage in your fitness classes, so you can make better progress in your efforts.
