Caitlin Reid Shares Some Tips On How To Keep Motivation And Fitness Going

The weather’s getting colder and you’re probably feeling your motivation for fitness cool off too. As a Physiotherapist, keeping my patients motivated to do their exercises and get better is key to their recovery so I have a few tips to help keep you going. So, if you feel your motivation waning, stop putting so much pressure on yourself and try these handy tips for maintaining your motivation.

Keep Workout Timings Short

Aim for 10-15 minute workouts rather than skipping the workout altogether. The days are shorter in winter, and it’s too easy to skip a workout if it involves a commute plus a solid hour at the gym. 

Thanks to lockdowns closing gyms worldwide in the past few years, there are plenty of free, high quality workouts available online. So if getting out of the house feels too much, stay in and try an online workout. Every minute you spend doing a workout counts towards your health and fitness goals, and there are workouts from Pilates to heavy weights sessions available to suit you.

Aim For Consistency Not Long Workouts

Too often we’re told we need to do at least an hour of cardio plus weights to get results. This isn’t true. What actually creates results is consistency. If you enjoy your workout and your healthy eating plan, you’ll stick to it and maintain the results you’ve worked hard to achieve over summer.

Many of my patients set out to go to the gym 5 days a week, but after 2 months they stop going. And never go back for years. They do too much! It feels too hard. Instead, I tell them to aim for twice-weekly workouts. One workout can be cardio like a hill walk with your dog or a friend. The other can be something for muscle tone such as Pilates on Youtube or weights. 

Top Tip: 

Find exercise you enjoy, and do that. Forget what social media tells you to do. Listen to yourself. Whether it’s yoga at home, hill walks, spin class, power walking, whatever you love, do it and it counts as exercise. Even once a week is better than losing interest after a month. 

Be Kind To Yourself

My best tip? Be kind to yourself. If you miss a day or a week? Don’t worry. Every day is a new start, and an opportunity to work towards your health goals. Forget what happened the day before. Guilt can send you into a spiral of poor self-esteem which is the opposite of wellness! 

Not In The Mood? Try again tomorrow.  Every day is a new opportunity.

I find my patients who are kind to themselves always end up sticking to their goals for longer, than those who are too strict or harsh on themselves. 

You’re doing an amazing job and you’ve worked hard all summer. Well done!

Now it’s turned into winter: Could you be kinder to yourself when it comes to your health and wellness goals?

 

About The Author

Caitlin is a holistic Physiotherapist and international wellness consultant at retreats and hotels. She is passionate about inspiring her patients and clients to live, move and feel their best through evidence-based strategies. 

Learn more about Caitlin and her brand here: www.aprivewellness.com and www.instagram.com/aprivewellness

Sharing Some Handy Links Below:

free, high quality workouts available online

Pilates on Youtube

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *