How to Stay Motivated
As you probably already know, exercise releases endorphins. Sure, it can be uncomfortable going all out on a set of kettlebell swings while you’re feeling tired. But after we finish our workout, we get a sweat on…muscles are firing and we feel waaay better for it.
Your body and mind thanks you for it.
& Deep down you know you NEED it.
And on balance, this is actually a good thing. Some people never come to love the physical discomfort of training hard. And it can be hard to relate your training session to the other positive — but more long-term — benefits of fitness. But we all can enjoy the feeling of being accomplished.
And the feeling of… that workout ‘high’
…Is unmatched. While this is a net positive, we need to be aware of the other side and potentially feeling de-motivated after periods of intense bursts. It’s no joke to say you can develop addictive behaviors around your own brain chemistry.
So, what should you do? How can you pursue your workout buzz in a sustainable way?
1) Monitor your volume of cardio activities with the repetitive movement
By all means, if you love running, you should totally do it!
Activities like running, spinning, rowing, or swimming can be great elements of your fitness diet. You’ll just want to monitor the total volume to prevent joint overuse injuries. Especially with running being higher impact. I’m not against it by any means….we have our DM Elite ‘Run Club’ and its great to get outdoors…but BALANCE.
Now sadly, I have no guidelines to give you, as this is highly individual. But if it hurts, you should stop.
We can train your muscles, heart, and brain — and get you the buzz — without sending you to a physio.
2) Vary your movement patterns
Prioritize fitness activities that vary up your movement, take joints through a full range of motion, and minimize repetitive impact.
Everyday we program for DM Elite we mix up between upper/lower/core/cv work but then also doing deeper…different planes of motion and different energy systems are built into that so that it’s NOT one dimension, cookie cutter and repetitive.
You also don’t need to worry about putting that all together for yourself as we will do that for you AND ensure you do it properly at the correct intensity.
This is why good program design is such an important piece of long-term fitness success. Sadly, this isn’t something you can count on with run-of-the-mill group fitness classes or personal trainers. It’s something we take very seriously at DM Elite because we want to do everything possible to keep you injury-free whilst chasing health, fitness and wellness goals.
3) Take care of your recovery
Proper nutrition and sleep are a big part of the equation here, as they’ll help your body heal. Additionally, regular soft tissue work with a massage therapist or a trusty foam roller can go a long way to love your muscles and keep your joints happy.
And of course, proper warm-ups will heat up your body temperature and coax your joints into a full range of motion. Warm-ups are your friend here. Resist the desire to dive into a vigorous training session without priming your body for it.
I made This Video last week for members to do at home in their own time in the morning/evening/or for pre working out.
Feel free to swipe and use it.
Last but not least, don’t try to get as high as possible every single time you workout.
It’s important to build in some movement into your life that helps the body recover; even if you don’t get an aggressive endorphins burst. Consider adding in some gentle yoga, lower intensity, longer ‘zone 2’ style training sessions, and long walks into your weekly fitness diet.
4) Add People
Do you know what’s better than getting the workout buzz alone?? Getting high with friends!
Doing fitness with other people invariably allows you to go harder because you can “draft” off each other in a group setting. It also builds in accountability, and frankly, makes it more enjoyable. You can talk life, what you did at the weekend or about the next Sweaty Betty release. We are social creatures so it’s important to have that outside of your regular home/work life structure.
And of course, based on the activity and the climate/ time of year, getting outside is almost always going to be a great choice. Whether it be some walks, doing your workout outside, or going for a hike, there’s something different about getting your fitness ‘high’ outside that just makes it that much better.
Hope this helps,
Dan
PS
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