I imagine if you've been around Bloom for awhile, you have your own reasons for WHY YOU BLOOM... what motivates you... what keeps you coming back. Although health reasons are typically what initially makes us each set foot in a gym... it can sometimes take more motivation than that to continue returning week after week.
And hopefully by now, you've also realized that along with a workout... you'll find a COMMUNITY at Bloom... a group of like-minded women... who are all here cheering each other on. It certainly does make working out more fun!
But if you ever find yourself hitting snooze on the alarm in the morning, or having trouble sticking to your evening workout routine... here's an excerpt from an article at yogiapproved.com that may help change your thinking.
Trust me, none of us are born with discipline... but you can train your brain to think otherwise...
1. Understand the Science of Habits
We all know workouts are good for us. It’s been proven time and time again that exercise works to reduce anxiety and depression by balancing the ratio of neurotransmitters in our brains. This is exactly how prescription drugs work, by the way.
Workouts become addictive in the best sense of the word. We realize they create pleasure and link them to enjoyment. At the end of the day, our habits are created (good ones and bad ones), because of how we link a certain behavior to pleasure or pain.
This is why we Netflix binge, eat comfort foods, and avoid checking our emails. We’ve associated pleasure or pain with these behaviors. It’s that simple! Luckily though, when we understand this, we understand that we can retrain our brains to think about behaviors differently. And we can link things to pleasure that we once thought of as pain-inducing. Workouts are the perfect example of this.
2. Realize That Motivation Is a Myth
A big myth we could all benefit from ditching is that motivation reigns supreme. Have you ever caught yourself saying something like “I’d love to workout, I’m just not motivated,” or “I was doing really good, but then I lost my motivation.” Waiting for your motivation to “strike,” like some powerful, invisible, magical unicorn galloping into your life, is as unproductive as it is untrue. Motivation is not some external thing that graces some lucky people and is lacking in others. Truthfully, you’d benefit from ditching the term “motivation” altogether, and instead replacing it with “discipline.” That’s where it all starts.
Motivation is great. But discipline is what separates those who work out consistently and who have made it a lifestyle from those who are great at starting new routines but quit when life gets tough. (Which, by the way, when is it not?) Discipline is that thing you use to do things like fold your laundry, pay taxes, floss your teeth, and walk the dog. Treat your workout the same. While you will almost certainly develop a deeper, more spiritual motivation for continuing your workouts, it’s very likely going to be discipline that gets you going when you’d rather not.
3. Schedule That In
Our brains crave rhythm and routine, and we work best in all areas of our life when we have it. Think about it this way: if you scheduled a meeting with your boss or a dentist appointment, you’d show up, wouldn’t you? Of course. Treat your workouts no differently.
First, pick a realistic time each day when you know you can get it done. Saying “I should really start doing that” and actually planning the times in your planner are two very different things. When you have a set time of day to sweat, after a week or two, your brain will start to adjust to this habit and look forward to it.
4. Switch Your Wording
Ever caught yourself complaining about how you have to “drag” yourself to the gym and how “ugh I’d sooo rather not do this workout, but I gotta” etc.? Of course you have, if you’re human! It’s almost trendy to complain about our workouts, like they’re a chore.
While it may seem harmless and like the common thing to do to commiserate with a friend about your workout, the problem is that what our brains hear, they believe. What we repeatedly say, we believe.
In other words, your words are a powerful thing. Try saying things like “I am so looking forward to my workouts today” (even if you’re not) and “I’m so grateful I GET to move my body and get stronger.” Your mind will follow suit.
5. Find Something You Enjoy
The best workout sucks if it’s not one you’re going to enjoy. While it may take some discipline (spoiler alert, it will) and you will absolutely have off days where you’d rather skip, your workout should be something that you at least mostly enjoy. If you absolutely hate cardio and are trying to force yourself to be a runner, forget about it. Likewise, if weightlifting isn’t your jam but you love boot camp, do that! Find something that you actually enjoy, even if it’s hard to get started, and you’re halfway there.
6. Get Accountability
While it’s one thing to skip on yourself, a layer of accountability makes you far more likely to follow through on your fitness plans. Grab a friend or coworker with similar goals and plan a time to hit the gym before or after work, or on your lunch break. Not only does getting social make you see your workout as more of a fun event, you also have a built-in buddy to help hold you accountable. Make sure you share your goals with each other. This way, when you’re feeling the urge to skip, your friend/gym buddy can remind you, “Hey, remember why you started this?”
We'd love to hear why YOU Bloom? What keeps YOU coming back?
Your WHY could be just the inspiration others need to walk in those doors and become a healthier version of themselves... ♥
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