Struggling to find the motivation to exercise and eat healthily? You're not alone. As a personal trainer and owner of Hustle and Heart Fitness in Overland Park, I know first hand how challenging it can be to stay on track when life gets busy or stressful. So, what better topic to discuss than how I personally keep myself motivated and what I suggest to all of my clients.

The Importance of Fitness Motivation

Finding the motivation to exercise and eat healthily can be a challenge, even for a personal trainer, especially when life gets busy or stressful. I know how important it is to stay consistent with exercise and nutrition for long-term health and well-being. With that being said, I'll share why fitness motivation is important and how it helps me stay on track with my goals.

Setting Specific Fitness Goals

As a Personal Trainer, one of the first things I ask my clients is what are their health and fitness goals? The reason being, knowing why you are doing this makes achieving success much more attainable. You wouldn't just decide to make dinner tonight without any ingredients on hand or a recipe to follow. Goal setting for your fitness journey is no different. When I have a clear direction to work towards with measurable and time-bound goals, I feel more in control of my progress and more confident in my ability to achieve my goals. It's incredibly satisfying to celebrate my successes and adjust my approach if necessary to keep making progress. When I'm setting specific fitness goals, I try to make them challenging but achievable. It's important to be honest with myself about what I can realistically achieve and to break my goals down into smaller, more manageable steps. If my goals are too easy, I tend to lose interest and motivation, but if they are too difficult, I can become discouraged and give up. Finding the sweet spot of a goal that is challenging but doable keeps me motivated and moving forward. Another crucial aspect of setting specific fitness goals is making them personal to me. I take the time to consider why I want to achieve a particular goal and how it will benefit my life. For example, I might want to run a 5K because I love the sense of accomplishment that comes with crossing the finish line, or I might want to lose weight to feel more confident and comfortable in my own skin. By keeping my reasons in mind, I'm better able to stay motivated on the tough days and remind myself why I started in the first place. Finally, I've found it helpful to write down my goals and keep them visible as a reminder of what I'm working towards. I'll put them on a calendar, in a journal, or even on a sticky note on my bathroom mirror. Seeing my goals in front of me every day helps me stay committed to them and keeps me focused on making progress towards achieving them.

Finding an Accountability Partner

When it comes to staying motivated and committed to my fitness journey, working out with a friend or an accountability partner is what I do myself. I've found that having someone else by my side not only makes the experience more enjoyable, but it also provides a sense of accountability and motivation that keeps me on track. One of the main benefits of having an accountability partner is that it creates a sense of responsibility. When you commit to exercising with someone else, you're not only letting yourself down by skipping a workout, but you're also letting them down. This shared sense of responsibility can help keep you both accountable and motivated to show up and put in the effort. Another advantage of having an accountability partner is that it provides an opportunity for healthy competition and encouragement. By working out with someone else, you can push each other to try harder, lift more weight, or run further. This friendly competition can make your workouts more challenging and exciting, and can also help you both achieve your fitness goals. Finding an accountability partner doesn't have to be complicated. You can start by asking a friend or family member who has similar fitness goals if they would like to join you. Alternatively, hiring a Personal Trainer will help hold you accountable. Having an ongoing appointment set and the financial investment tends to hold most people accountable. This is why we offer monthly membership packages that are designed to help keep you consistent, and hopefully in return getting you the results you desire. There are also online forums and communities where you can connect with like-minded individuals and find someone to keep you accountable. In summary, having an accountability partner is a great way to stay motivated and committed to your fitness goals. Whether it's a friend, family member, your personal trainer or online community, having someone to exercise with can make the journey more enjoyable and effective. So, what I recommend is to find someone to join you on your fitness journey and experience the benefits of accountability for yourself. This is one of the major reasons why we offer Semi-Private Personal Training Sessions for our clients.

Planning Ahead for Fitness Success

Scheduling workouts and meal prep time in your calendar is a game-changer when it comes to sticking to a fitness routine. I used to struggle with finding the time to exercise (mainly because I'm training everyone else all day!), but once I started scheduling it in my calendar, it became a non-negotiable part of my day. By treating my workouts and meal prep like important appointments, I was able to prioritize my health and fitness goals. To plan ahead for fitness success, start by looking at your weekly schedule and identifying times when you can realistically fit in exercise and meal prep. This might mean waking up earlier to fit in a morning workout, or setting aside time on the weekends for meal planning and grocery shopping. Once you've identified your available time slots, schedule your workouts and meal prep time in your calendar and commit to sticking to it. Another helpful tip is to prepare for the week ahead on Sundays. Take some time to plan out your meals for the week and do some meal prep, such as prepping vegetables, cooking grains, or grilling chicken. This will help you stay on track during busy weekdays when time is limited. Lastly, be flexible and willing to adjust your schedule as needed. Life happens, and sometimes unexpected events can derail even the best-laid plans. If you miss a workout or a meal, don't beat yourself up about it. Instead, adjust your schedule and make a plan to get back on track. Remember, consistency is key when it comes to achieving your fitness goals, so make sure to prioritize your health and fitness as much as you would any other important aspect of your life.

Focusing on Progress, Not Perfection

When it comes to fitness, it's easy to get caught up in the idea of perfection. We see images of chiseled abs and perfectly toned muscles in magazines and on social media, and we begin to believe that anything less than perfection is a failure. But the truth is, perfection is unattainable, and striving for it can lead to frustration and disappointment. What I've learned is that progress, no matter how small, is worth celebrating. Making sustainable changes to your habits over time can lead to significant improvements in your overall health and fitness. Instead of trying to overhaul your entire lifestyle all at once, focus on making small changes that you can stick to. This might mean swapping out soda for water, or adding an extra serving of vegetables to your meals.

It's also important to celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small they may seem. Maybe you were able to run for an extra minute on the treadmill, or you were able to lift a heavier weight than you could before. These small victories are important milestones on your fitness journey, and they deserve to be recognized and celebrated. When progress seems slow, it can be easy to get discouraged and give up. But by focusing on progress, not perfection, you can stay motivated and continue to make strides towards your fitness goals. Remember that change takes time, and every step you take, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction.

Practicing Self-Care for Fitness Motivation

Finally, what I do myself is remember that rest and recovery are just as important as exercise and nutrition. When life gets busy or stressful, taking a break from intense exercise or meal prep can actually be beneficial for your overall health and well-being. Remember, to get results you don't have to be perfect all of the time. Just be consistent! Take a day off here and there, eat the slice of pizza or birthday cake. Those little actions will not end your progress, as long as one piece of pizza doesn't turn into binge eating every day. You know your struggles and habits better than anyone. It's important to take that into consideration too. When my wife decided she wanted to get more fit, she set a goal to not eat out at all for 3 months. She wanted to remove that completely from her life, that way she didn't even accidentally eat something she was trying to avoid. Don't tempt yourself if you know it's hard to get back on track. Once you've gotten some results and know you have changed your fitness and eating habits, then you can relax a bit on your food choices. (I'll talk more on the success she's had with her diet and exercise in future blogs). Take time to practice self-care, such as meditation, gentle yoga, or a relaxing bath or my favorite, using the Infrared Sauna! Prioritizing self-care can help reduce stress and prevent burnout.

I hope you find this information helpful if you're struggling to find the motivation to keep going day after day. Though it can be challenging, and to be honest not even Personal Trainers are motivated to eat right and workout every day, it is worth it to be consistent as much as you can. Finding time for yourself and your fitness goals is extremely important to living an overall healthy lifestyle. Find what works best for you and your schedule and make even a small change today. Remember, it doesn't have to be all or nothing. Small adjustments can equal big success. You just have to start, and keep going!

At Hustle and Heart Fitness, we offer infrared sauna sessions to help clients relax and recover. Give us a call at (913) 671-0318 or visit our website at www.hhfitkc.com to learn more.

For more than fifteen years, Ryan Isern has been helping clients achieve their fitness goals. Over five years ago he opened Hustle and Heart Fitness and has helped clients throughout Southern Johnson County and the surrounding area with their health and fitness needs. Want to give us a try? Click Here for a Free Workout or fill out the form below, and we’ll answer any specific questions you may have. We are not your typical gym. We are a boutique fitness studio that focuses on whole health centered around exercise, infrared sauna use, and nutritional therapy. We design workouts to fit anyone’s needs!

Hustle and Heart Fitness | (913) 671-0318 | Overland Park, Kansas

Hustle and Heart Fitness Studio | 8300 W 151st St | Overland Park, KS 66223