Getting in shape : Psyche yourself

I’ve decided, that I’m going to do a short series of posts on fitness – the ‘Getting in shape’ series. It’s an amateur guide, not because it’s aimed at amateurs, but because it’s written by one i.e. me. Hehe.

Well, before you can really set off with a strenuous workout routine, it’s important to set motivated. Remember you need to plan out your workout routine, for example, 3 days a week, or 7 days a week, or something along the lines of that. This is important because unless you’re able to motivate yourself to stick to this routine, the future will be bleak. Very.

I do my run-cum-workout at 5:00 in the morning. Many of you know this already. The reason why I do it in the morning, and not in the evening is simple: the neighbourhood park isn’t crowded. At the same time, it’s not deserted, so even though it’s dark, it’s not unsafe. Plus, it’s the weather’s very pleasant in the morning, with a cool breeze blowing.

Thing is, if  like me, you plan to getting up in the morning, you’ll need to be properly motivated. You can draw inspiration from a number of things, that is, if you really want to get in shape. If you’re really out of shape, you might consider channelling ridicule from peers into a driving force. If your parents nag you to get a move on it, consider it an ‘in your face’ kind of determination. If you have a special somebody in mind, get in shape to see if you can catch their attention. If you are in a relationship, get in shape to demonstrate your will power (optionally, you can try and impress the aforementioned spl. somebody with a ripped body, but that might not work as intended. Or simply, get in shape just for personal satisfaction, like me! Anyway, the point is, choose one of the above reasons, or come up with one of your own.

The reason why motivation is important is simple: after the first few ultra-spirited workouts, the new demand for energy begins to take its toll on the human body. It takes a while for your body to adjust to these new demands, and it is at this very delicate stage, that many people simply drop out. If you’re motivated, this will not be the case. Every time you feel like quitting, or like in my case, not feeling like getting up in the morning, just re-motivate yourself by recalling why you started working out in the first place.

The motivational factor is not just about getting started, or to prevent you from dropping out. As I will explain in later posts, the correct motivational techniques will help you make your workout more rigorous. The next time you feel that you’ll do 20 push-ups instead of 30, just remind yourself of your motivational factor, and you’ll see a new kind of hidden energy coursing through your body. More on that later.

Bear in mind, that this guide is primarily intended to be a self-help kind of guide. You won’t need a gym, or special equipment, just a spacious park, with a running/jogging track, a stopwatch (which could be in your mobile phone or portable music player). I’ll add periodic posts to this series, so keep an eye out for them, if you’re interested.