Our weaker self can be very powerful. It robs you of all motivation. Pick up after work and go to the gym? Our weaker self has countless excuses: it's too hot, too cold, too late, too early, too dark, too wet, too far away. From now on, that's it! We will show you how to trick your weaker self and how to train properly motivated.
Tip 1: Do not train alone
This is what your weaker self does: when training by yourself it becomes powerful and takes the upper hand. However, in the company of other athletes it becomes very meek.
How you overcome your weaker self: make regular sports appointments with friends or colleagues or join training groups. Let the group feeling pull you along: Joint success in training motivates you and makes you want to do more. Cancellations and excuses are not so easy to make in front of your training partner - before you expose yourself, you should grit your teeth and train.
Fixed weekdays and times are advantageous. So you can always plan your sports days exactly and a pleasant routine develops. At some point, it will become a matter of course for you to go jogging on Thursday and to the gym on Sunday, for example.
Tip 2: Set realistic training goals
This is what your weaker self does: it's a swashbuckler. Your weaker self starts with far too high expectations and is then quickly disappointed again when these do not come true. Then it has again found a reason not to train or to stop training completely.
How you overcome your weaker self: set realistic training goals that you can achieve. Lose 5 kilos in two weeks? Get in shape quickly before the beach holiday next month? That will never work. And it's certainly not very healthy either. Rather work towards feasible goals.
You know yourself best: what can you do in terms of time? What sports do you enjoy? Do you prefer training in the morning or in the evening? Design a training plan that is easy for you to implement. It is best to plan in small stages: In the first week you want to jog for as many minutes as you can, in the second week you'll add ten minutes of jogging, and in the third week you'll add ten minutes of strength exercises. Every stage success will motivate you and encourage you to continue. Don't be afraid to correct your course every now and then if you notice that you can't manage something like this or that you expected too much from yourself.
Tip 3: Just not too complicated
This is what your weaker self does: it loves distraction. When everything around it is constantly changing, it has reason to say: Look! It's no use anyway. New training times, changing sports partners, long journeys. Even if it sounds paradoxical: Make the weaker self comfortable and it will doze off calmly and not keep you from training.
How you overcome your weaker self: make it as simple as possible: Try to remove all obstacles that might prevent you from exercising. Find a gym near you. Long journeys or crowded public transport to the studio are demotivating. The shorter the distance, the more often you will exercise.
Pick a sport that doesn't require a lot of equipment to carry around or set up. Windsurfing is certainly a fun and challenging hobby, but it requires sports equipment that is not very practical and handy, and above all it needs a strong wind - a factor that you can hardly influence. Better suited are pure and practical sports like jogging or fitness exercises, for which you need nothing more than a pair of comfortable sports shoes.
Make your training easier with the right tools: Wrist bandages make training with barbells and dumbbells easier. Your arms will be stabilized and injuries - and thus absolutely demotivating forced breaks - prevented. Knee bandages support and protect your knee joints during heavy exercises such as knee bends.
Rely on routine: What sounds a bit boring is a helpful tool for athletes to motivate themselves. Plan fixed training times, stay with training partners with whom you harmonize well and stick to sports that you enjoy and in which you achieve good training results. Unless, of course, you are someone who constantly needs variety. Then the rule is: always try something new - for example these trend sports with fun factor.
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Pictures: © istockphoto / jacoblund, istockphoto | djiledesign
