You’ve weighed yourself for the first time in weeks and, shock horror, the number staring back at you is somewhat larger than you remember it. Your shirt fits you a little tighter and your jeans don’t button up quite as easily, but that can be put down to shrinking in the wash, right?
If this sounds familiar, then you can take solace in the fact that you are not alone. Many have fallen victim to failing to maintain their latest health kick, falling off the wagon seemingly directly into a barrel of carbohydrates and other sweet treats. The first step to staying motivated is to work out what causes you to lose that burning desire to get fit and tackling it head on – the second step is to get right back on that bike!
Why You Lose Motivation
It is likely that the reason you lose motivation is because you have set yourself unrealistic goals that are either not attainable, or you have elected for a crash diet mixed with a high number of workouts that you are struggling to fit into your routine. Just some of the reasons cited for losing motivation are:
- No time to get to the gym
- The price of gym memberships
- Not enjoying their new diet
- Not seeing results quick enough
- A lack of nutritional knowledge
In order to live a healthier and, ultimately, happier lifestyle you don’t necessarily need to make wholesale changes. For example, if you are not currently active at all then just a little exercise will make for a noticeable difference. Changing one or two unhealthy snacks or meals for healthier alternatives will also have positive effects on your body.
Of course, the more changes that you make (and can keep to), the more noticeable the difference will be over time. That doesn’t mean that you must suddenly wake up one morning and adopt the same nutrition and exercise routine as an elite level athlete, it just means identifying areas where you can make healthier choices.
To Gym or Not to Gym
Working out doesn’t mean you have to head out to the gym, which is a mistake than many people make – one that eventually costs a lot of money in membership fees. Hitting the gym isn’t for everyone, and that’s perfectly fine. Instead, investing in your own home fitness equipment could be the way to go, depending on how much disposable space you have available.
Equipment such as treadmills, bikes and cross trainers can all be purchased for nominal fees that you can set up at home. If space is at a premium, then foldaway options are your friend, meaning you can quickly set up your machine and put it away again once you are finished.
At home, you can set yourself up in front of the television so as you can binge-watch your favourite show whilst getting fit. This thought may have already crossed your mind if you are in the market for spinning bike for sale. Escaping into your favourite programme, or simply having something else to focus your mind on, can make it feel as though time passes by quicker.
Getting Back on the Bike
If you are feeling as though you have already fallen off the bike and there isn’t any pointing in getting back up, then think again.
There is no shame in falling down, but there is failing to get back up again and that’s exactly what you have to do – get up off the floor (or the sofa) dust yourself off (brush off those crumbs) and get back on that bike (or treadmill, treadmill, cross trainer or whatever piece of equipment is at your disposal).