Give your motivation a boost!

Effective fitness plan in place? Check! Great people to train with? Check! Perfect location and facilities? Check! Know what your fitness goals are and how to achieve them? Wow! You're all set, right? So why do you feel that your motivation is flagging or that it has taken a dip just when you need to up the ante and face a new fitness challenge head on? Just as you need to maintain your activity levels; you also need to give your motivation a boost at times too!

Let's presume that you have had the motivation to realize that you want to improve your lifestyle and fitness levels with some good quality training. Now, let's go one step further and accept that you are motivated enough to turn these thoughts into transformational goals. Surely, with the right exercise and nutritional strategy you're all set? Well, you're certainly a certain way there for sure. However, it is the day-to-day inspiration and motivation that can sometimes wane or go off track and may need a boost. Here are five tips to lift your motivation:

1. Motivation comes from habit
Motivation is often portrayed as a fiery need-to-do feeling that forcefully fuels your actions. This can be true when it comes to flashes of inspiration that change your life. However, the everyday reality is that motivation comes from doing something and then doing it again and again. Keeping in shape isn't an idea it's an action. If your mind and body get used to working out then the motivation to keep active will flow naturally.

2. Question your motives
Have you ever wanted to want something but in all honesty didn't really want it? Did you ever feel that you should want to go in a certain direction because it seemed like the right way to go? Sometimes it is easy to lose track of what is motivating you and without this anchor motivation is cut adrift. Take time to look at what shape you want to be in and why, as well as for what purpose. Then look at what steps you are taking to achieve this. Do the two match up?

3. Don't be afraid to be flexible even with fixed plans
Determination is a great attribute when it comes to moving forward towards success. If your goals are too hazy then there's a chance that your approach might waver too. However, it's one thing to be committed to a goal and quite another to be unable to add an element of flexibility into your fitness plans. You change, your body changes and of course so too do your ideas. Being too rigid can inspire boredom and make working out become a must-do routine rather than an adventure.

4. Be honest about why
When motivation flags you may well reel off some excuses as to why without giving much thought about whether there are other reasons which are more accurate. If you're too tired then look at why? Be open about how you feel when you set-off for a workout, how you feel when you get there and also when you've finished exercising. Reflect on what might be impacting your get-up-and-workout spirit. It might be a small, solvable issue that you've overlooked but is having a big effect.

5. When the novelty wears off
Just as is the case at the start of any romance, the beginning of a new fitness path can be a real novelty. You don't have to draw on other reserves to keep your interest levels piqued. However, as time goes on the chances are that some fitness days are going to be less enthusiastically welcomed than others. Add some spark with a new exercise, a different routine or shake your fitness journey up completely with a new training program and fitness strategy.

Next month we'll look at more ways you can move your motivation onwards and upwards.