ML Coaching
How many times have you sworn to yourself that you'll start getting into shape and begin training in the new year — only to end up back on the couch with a pizza in hand by the end of January?
I get it.
Many people resolve in January of the new year to get fit, because they didn't stick to their resolutions from the year before. By February, once we've hit truly cold winter temperatures here in Switzerland and the streets are covered in snow, things look different. Most people have far less desire and motivation to push aside the warm duvet and head to the gym. Why go out into the cold when it's so warm and comfortable at home?
We have a million reasons why we can't go to the gym. We find the excuses because we experience training as a kind of physical torture: a duty imposed on us, while we'd rather be doing anything else. The only thing you need to change is your perspective, in order to turn your fitness ambitions into reality. If you're already dreading having to lace up your trainers, you won't even make it to the end of January before you find the first creative reasons to break the health promise you made to yourself.
New Year is the perfect opportunity to change that. 2019 is a blank slate. It's your chance to build a new image of the gym for yourself. From now on, training isn't a duty you have to get through — it's a gift you get to receive.
Easier said than done. People hate training for various reasons; you can't turn yourself from a couch potato into a fitness fanatic overnight. But there are simple strategies to conjure your long-lost love of fitness back out of the hat. Pick your favourites and make this the year you finally see and feel your results.
1. Be S.M.A.R.T. about your resolutions
Before you set foot in the gym, every (good) personal trainer will have you set specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound goals. I do the same with my clients as a personal trainer in Zurich. The most important thing here is to stay realistic. Don't try to lose 20 kg by the end of January. Because when the deadline approaches and you haven't reached your goal, you'll wonder why you put in all that hard work for nothing. Challenge yourself, but set a goal you can reach with a healthy level of commitment.
2. Pay attention to your sleep
As already mentioned in the last blog post, sleep is one of the most decisive factors for reaching your goals. You surely know the feeling of being irritable all day at work and having your nerves on edge because of a short night's sleep. Trust me, it won't take long before you simply skip training after work altogether. So pay special attention to getting at least 7 hours of sleep every day.
3. Find the type of fitness that suits you
If my New Year's resolution were swimming, I'd already quit after day 2. Don't force yourself to do a type of training that really doesn't suit you at all. There are so many options available to you, so pick one that's actually fun for you. If you force yourself to grind through a type of training you literally hate, the excuses will show up in no time.
4. Don't go it alone
Bring your best friend, partner, mother or coworker along to sweat with you. People who train as a team are more likely to stick to their goals long term. That's because you have a commitment to your training partner (you'll feel bad if you let them down), and there's a bit of friendly competition (you won't skip the last rep if your training partner is pushing you).
5. Hire a personal trainer
Another way to motivate yourself is to hire a personal trainer. What matters is that you really have a good personal trainer by your side. When choosing a personal trainer, beyond know-how and experience as a coach and athlete, the interpersonal component is especially decisive. If the chemistry isn't right, even the best personal trainer won't be able to help you.
Working with a personal trainer won't just motivate you. It also creates a commitment to show up for training regularly once appointments are set with your personal trainer. You can find more on this topic, and how my personal training with my clients in Zurich works, here.
6. No monthly subscriptions — commit to an annual membership
There are different opinions on this. In my view, monthly subscriptions for a gym membership don't make much sense. Quite simply because the likelihood that you'll quit again after a month is relatively high. That's why I recommend an annual membership, since it creates a certain level of commitment. Since an annual membership usually isn't exactly cheap either, the money you've spent will give you extra motivation to actually go to the gym.
If all else fails, simply combine your gym membership with working alongside a personal trainer. That way you're guaranteed to actually follow through on your fitness resolutions.
7. Celebrate yourself and reward yourself
Let me set a new hashtag for you for 2019. It's #gymlove. There's a simple trick for motivating yourself for training right away. Reward yourself after every successful training session! This could be a massage, for example, where you truly relax and give your body the recovery it deserves before the next training session. If you make a point of rewarding yourself after every session, you'll stop seeing training as a kind of punishment and start seeing it as an investment in your health.
Still have questions? If you're interested in working with me as a personal trainer, I'm happy to help. Just send me an email via the contact form on the website. I look forward to hearing from you.