Mental games to keep you focused on your fitness workouts

I’m just like anyone…sometimes I just don’t feel like exercising or I’m having to stay really focused to get through a workout.  But I hardly ever miss a workout so I must be doing something right!  I believe in order to have solid consistency, you have to sometimes play mental games to get through workouts.

Here’s some examples of what I mean…

• Sometimes when I’m really tired, I tell myself that I will just go out for 10 minutes and that will be enough to get me going. And then pretty much 100% of the time, once I get out there, I start feeling better and more energized and complete a full workout.
• When I am really tired I never tell myself “I’m too tired to workout!”  Instead I say “I’m so tired that I need to workout to get some energy!”
• I find interval training breaks things up mentally. So instead of doing a 40 minute cardio workout on one machine, I will do 10 minutes on 4 different machines.  Or instead of doing 30 minutes straight endurance, I will do one minute hard, one minute easy 15x. I find it easier to get through the workout and the time passes more quickly.
• Running, walking, biking, hiking OUTDOORS is always easier mentally and the time passes much more quickly than on an indoor machine.
• Recruiting a buddy to workout with you will hold you accountable to being there and the conversation also makes the workout seem so much easier.
• Music is a motivator so if you need it to distract you from your workout, strap on your IPOD and away you go.
• Movies – I know many people who exercise while watching a movie or their favorite TV show and find that their exercise consistency and duration is much better.

Please leave a comment with any tricks that you use to get you through your workouts.  You may just give someone a tool that will totally change their life!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri