by Daniel Lucas…
Taking some personal time to get quiet and get in touch with what truly motivates you could be the key ingredient for success in your health and fitness program! At Nimble Fitness, we recognize that motivation works on many levels: personal, social, financial, and family or work related, just to name a few! Understanding your deeper motivations for being healthy will help make your program consistent and sustainable.
So, what motivates you? What life energy can you tap into to take your health to the next level?
Is it your family? Having loved ones that motivate you to take good care of yourself is always a huge positive. Whether you’re a mother, father, sister, brother, wife, husband or partner, your health affects everyone else in your life. And the people that are closest to you are the ones that are affected the most, either positively or negatively. Health radiates out, and allows you to take care of those who are not as healthy. Poor health closes your horizons and can become a drain emotionally, physically and financially.
Is it your own long-term health? At the heart of any personal training program or nutritional regimen is the goal of improving your life experience–your health dictates how many and how full those experiences will be. Optimal health is the gold medal of your training program. Without it, not much else matters!
Is it vanity? We all have at least a hint of vanity built in to our DNA. At some level, we all want to look good for ourselves and for loved ones. Why shouldn’t we tap into that little stream of vanity for motivation? Because it works! If looking good is a major motivator, than I say run with it. Just remember that looking amazing is only one facet of your health, and it can never dominate or push aside other health factors like nutrition, hydration, proper rest, movement and stress release. In fact, all of these tie together, and looking great is always a result of getting the other health stuff right.
Is it to release stress? Speaking of stress, it’s an interesting fact that most people that walk in to Nimble Fitness for personal training or coaching don’t mention stress reduction as a major goal. Instead, most people express a desire to change their body composition for the better. The secret to success in changing body composition, however, starts with a body that is less stressed! Stress reduces energy and inhibits important body functions, like metabolism. And if you want to up the intensity of your strength and conditioning workouts, a body that is relatively stress-free recovers much better than an over-stressed body! Training to release stress is an excellent motivational basis for your program.
Is it to feel strong and vibrant? I don’t think anyone sets out to live a weak and unhealthy life, but until you’ve really dedicated time and energy to building full-body strength, you’ll never know what it feels like to be strong. In Nimble Fitness we coach all clients to have the intention of integrated and functional strength.
It’s pretty clear that our motivations for being healthy can be all over the map! Here’s the good news: the secret to fulfilling all of these diverse health goals comes down to one thing: establishing sustainable lifestyle habits. You’re already familiar with all of these habits: conditioning and strength for your body; making great food choices; getting enough sleep; reducing your daily stress. Every house needs a foundation—make these habits your foundation, then energize them with your motivational fire.
If you need help in setting up or refining your health program, consider hiring a personal trainer or lifestyle coach. At Nimble Fitness, we know that being healthy is about so much more than picking an exercise!
Namaste
Daniel
