Everyone, at one point in their life has said “I am going to start going to the gym, for reals this time”. Yet, not everyone crates a good relationship with fitness simply because they ultimately do not understand how it fitness development works. People often quit not due to the physical pain they experience, rather because they do not comprehend the mental aspects of training. I have listed four key elements you have to dominate before creating any sort of fitness goals.
Exercise is not a punishment.
Yes, it is painful and at times, excruciating to start training repeatedly. The mind stays motivated for a few weeks after exercising constantly. Although, after your “gym hype” decreases, the brain starts correlating the physical pain with punishment. It usually starts after failing your routine, such as not being able to exercise two days in a row or eating a delicious treat before cheat day. To fix this unconscious perception individuals develop, you must see exercise as a challenge, not a punishment. “I have to do extra cardio today since I ate out last night”, this is where it all starts. Your view on punishing your body after a poor decision is the wrong idea of exercise.
Ask yourself, what can my body do? Human bodies, anatomically speaking, are amazing creations. Exercise is all about what can the human body do. Today, your body might only be able to 7 push-ups. What about tomorrow? Can it do 10 in a week? Taking this approach will remove the perception of punishment. Admire the process and treat it as an opportunity to push your body to new limits. Humans naturally react better to challenges than duties. It is not your duty to exercise, make it your joy. The process is meant to be enjoyed and challenging and this is how you start.
Track your progress.
Everything in life has to be measured at some point in order to progress. Measuring your current fitness performance will help you develop the challenging mentality discussed above. That means, track or write down every single exercise you do. Keep a notebook to track the amount of sets and the weight or time it took to complete. This creates a constant, healthy battle within yourself. Every day you do that same routine, you must strive to do a better job than last time. It could be as small as one more
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