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Do you feel like you’ve been working tirelessly in the gym, but have little to show for it? Are you struggling to get to the next level in your workouts? Do you find it hard to push yourself? If you’re finding it tough to reach peak performance, there may be several reasons why. Here are some of the most common fitness obstacles and some tips to help you overcome them.
Motivation
A lack of motivation can hold you back when it comes to putting the work in and reaping the rewards. We tend to start a new exercise or training regime with renewed energy and enthusiasm, but this can soon start to wane, especially if you’re not getting the results you want. Some days, you may skip to the gym without a care in the world. Others, you may struggle to prise yourself from the sofa. If you’re not motivated, you’re not going to give that workout your all, and you won’t get as much from the session.
If you are struggling with a lack of motivation, think about why you wanted to get fit in the first place. Are you exercising for health reasons? Are you trying to improve your body confidence? Are you working towards a competition or trying to beat personal goals? If it helps, write down a list of all the reasons, and carry it with you. When you feel like pulling the duvet over your head and hitting snooze or heading straight home after work instead of going to the gym, get your list out and read it. It’s also hugely beneficial to set yourself goals. You may have an end result in mind, but establish milestones along the way. That end goal may take a long time to reach and setting targets on the way can help you to maintain motivation. If you need more motivation tips and tricks on a rainy day, check out this page https://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/tips/workout-motivation-tips/. Always remember that if you can muster up that little bit of energy, you’ll feel so much better after your session than you would if you had decided to skip it.
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Determination
If you exercise on a regular basis, you’ll be aware of the difference determination makes. If you’re doing everything you can to beat your time on the treadmill or lift a heavier weight, you’re going to make it happen. If you’re not really bothered and you’re just there because you’re feeling guilty about not working out the day before, you’re not going to push yourself. Go into every session with the right attitude. Be confident and keep your focus.
Health
Exercising can be incredibly beneficial for your health, but if you’re not in good shape or you’re prone to illness, this can prevent you from performing well. Think carefully about the lifestyle choices you make. If you’re hitting activity targets, but you smoke, or you tend to eat a lot of fast food, you’re not going to be in peak condition because you exercise on a regular basis. Exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle, but it doesn’t guarantee good health. If you’re a smoker, for example, this will have a major impact on your lung capacity, and it can also affect your blood pressure and heart health. If you do want to hit the dizzy heights and raise your game, giving up smoking will make a massive difference. Talk to your doctor or visit vaporescence.com to learn more about vaping. Many people are turning to e-cigarettes as a means of cutting down. If your diet is your problem, follow a healthy eating plan and try and cook at home as much as possible. If you order takeouts all the time or you buy ready-made meals, you don’t really know what you’re eating. Cooking from scratch enables you to take control of the ingredients, and you can also decide how to cook your food. Baking and grilling are generally better for you than frying.
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Injury
If you’re carrying an injury, you won’t be able to perform to the best of your ability. If you sustain an injury, it’s so important to let it heal and enable your body to recover fully before you train again. If you continue to exercise, even if you’re doing gentler workouts, you may do more harm than good. See a doctor, listen to their advice, and rest for as long as it takes. Once the healing process is underway, you may be able to introduce movement gradually. Be patient and don’t rush. The last thing you want is to be out of action for longer.
Sometimes, it’s impossible to prevent injuries, but there are often ways you can reduce your risk. The first thing to note is the importance of doing a thorough warm-up and cool down. The warm-up should consist of stretches and low-intensity cardio work. You should always warm up for a few minutes before you start a workout to get your blood pumping and increase oxygen flow to your muscles. If you don’t warm up, there’s a risk of injuries like pulled and strained muscles. After the session, take time to cool down. This part of the workout is designed to bring your heart rate down gradually and prevent lactic acid build up. Stretch all your major muscles out, and you should find that you feel fine the next day. If you stop exercising abruptly, this can make you feel dizzy and lightheaded, as your blood pressure may drop quickly.
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Making comparisons
It’s human nature to compare yourself to others, but making comparisons can be damaging. Think about how you feel when you look at pictures of fitness models on social media, or you take a glance over at the impossibly toned bodies on display in the weights area of the gym. Does it motivate you or does it make you feel inadequate? For some people, comparing themselves to others can be a source of inspiration, but this is not always the case. If you find that looking at other people gets you down or makes you lack confidence, don’t do it. Take a break from social media, put your phone down, and focus solely on what you’re doing in the gym. The person you see lifting huge weights or bending into impossible positions on the mat may have been working out a lot longer than you, they may be naturally more athletic, and they may have a lot more time to devote to fitness. It can be really difficult not to make comparisons but try your best.
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Time
Surveys suggest that a lack of time is one of the most common excuses people give for failing to stick to fitness plans and workout regimes. The truth is that we all have days when it seems impossible to find time to exercise, but in the majority of cases, if you really wanted to, you could find a spare half an hour or so. If you have a hectic schedule, try and make the most of the time you have available. If you can’t get to the gym, work out wherever you are. Do a workout at home with a DVD or follow a YouTube session or take your gym gear to work and go for a run during your lunch break or after you finish. If you struggle to find time for exercise, it’s also worth looking at different types of activity. If you’re used to running for an hour in the park, or you like to swim, try something more intensive that will enable you to hit your burn much faster. If you do a high-intensity interval session or a spin class, for example, you only need to spend 20 or 30 minutes working out.
If time is an issue, try and manage your diary and set aside time for exercise. You could get up half an hour earlier or start going to the gym on the way home to save on travel time. If you struggle with finding childcare, try working out at home or find a regular slot that suits you, for example, evening yoga, boxing or dance classes. There are almost always ways around a lack of time, and you may just need to make working out more of a priority.
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Are you finding it difficult to lift your level of performance in the gym or are you struggling to push yourself on the field or in the ring? Whatever type of exercise you do, it’s common to encounter fitness hurdles along the way. The most important thing is being able to overcome obstacles and continue moving in the right direction. Set yourself targets and goals that are realistic and achievable, focus on what you’re doing instead of comparing yourself to others, and think about why you wanted to start exercising in the first place. Look after your body, and make your health a priority. There’s no point in treating your body like a temple in the gym if this goes out of the window the moment you leave.
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