Get More From Your Workout With Mental Preparation

Preparing to work out requires more than lacing up your sneakers and filling your water bottle. There's a mental aspect too. You need to prepare your mind as much as your body.

In many ways, it's your attitude more than your muscles that determines whether you'll make it to the gym and stick to a consistent schedule.

If you want to reap the benefits of an active lifestyle, try these strategies for overcoming some of the most common mental barriers to exercise.

Building Confidence:

1. Take a first step.

Getting started is often the most difficult part of working out. Once you manage to run your first mile, you'll start building momentum to keep moving.

2. Break things down.

If looking at your entire fitness plan overwhelms you, divide it up into smaller chunks. Focusing on one exercise at a time creates small victories that add up over time.

3. Set goals.

Another way to feel more accomplished is to establish targets that will encourage you to focus your efforts and track your progress. Think about your destination and how to get there.

4. Be positive.

Use your self-talk to challenge your doubts and remind yourself of your strengths.

Believing that you can do something increases your chances of success, whether you're trying to lose weight or lower your blood pressure.

Maintaining Motivation:

1. Remember your purpose.

There are many reasons for working out, so figure out the benefits that are most compelling for you.

Maybe you want to have more years to spend with your family or maybe you're looking forward to being able to wear smaller sized jeans.

2. Seek inspiration.

Surround yourself with individuals and objects that make you feel excited about working out. Tape a picture of an Olympic athlete to your refrigerator door.

3. Plan for setbacks.

If you exercise long enough, there will probably come a time when other events interfere with your workout plans.

Decide in advance how you'll handle sick days or extensive business travel.

4. Reward yourself.

Give yourself something to look forward to. Buy yourself a new outfit when you work your way up to doing 10 pushups without a break.

Other Tips:

1. Play music.

Listening to upbeat songs provides an instant boost. Even on days when you're feeling sluggish, your favorite tunes can turn things around.

Work out at a studio where you like the like the music selections or create your own playlist.

2. Socialize more.

Team up with a workout buddy and discuss your progress on social media with others who are trying to shape up. Share encouragement and feedback. Enthusiasm spreads quickly.

3. Practice mindfulness.

Living in the present moment enriches any activity. That's especially true for physical exercise.

Giving your full attention to each movement will help you to maintain proper alignment, so you accomplish more and reduce your risk of injuries.

4. Make it a habit.

Your body and mind will be primed to exercise if you make the decision to work out more automatic.

Develop a regular routine so you head straight to the gym after work instead of trying to resist the temptation to go to happy hour or watch TV.

5. Think broadly.

Integrate exercise into the rest of your life. Healthy patterns reinforce each other.

When you're working out regularly, you'll want to eat green vegetables and go to bed on time.

6. Have fun.

Remember to enjoy your workouts. Pick activities that you love, like playing volleyball or doing yoga.

Train the smart way by engaging both your mind and body. When you're mentally prepared to work out, exercise becomes easier and more effective.

You'll reach your fitness goals and enjoy more energy and wellbeing.

How to Improve Your Morning Run

Have you ever wondered how so many people could enjoy going out for a run at the start of each morning? It’s simple. Running early in the morning has a lot of benefits.

Not only are you more refreshed and relaxed after getting some exercise, but if you achieve your running goals, you start your day accomplishing something important. This gives you a great confidence boost.

The biggest problem with the morning run is you need to figure out how to build up the motivation to go out there and do it.

Pushing yourself to go for a run when all you want to do is hit the snooze button is tough. This is particularly true if a glance outside tells you it’s going to be a dreary day.

Here are some tips to improve your chances of a successful morning run.

Start with Enough Sleep

You’re going to have a much easier time getting up in the morning if you’re not exhausted from the night before.

Although maintaining a consistent sleep schedule can be difficult at times, you can improve your chances of a successful night’s sleep by committing to getting up and going to sleep at the same time every day.

Ensure that you’re getting around 7 to 8 hours of rest before you have to pull yourself out of bed in the morning.

When you do get up, drink a full glass of water to help chase away the grogginess of sleep and prepare you for your run.

Be Prepared

Getting enough sleep is only part of being prepared. It’s also a good idea to think about getting your clothes and other necessary items ready the night before.

If you already have your running outfit laid out at the bottom of your bed when you wake up, you’ll be more likely to jump into action.

Having a bag filled with your power bank for your phone, a bottle of water, and anything else you need for the morning will be helpful too.

This is particularly useful when you’re getting up early before the sun has come up. You don’t want to be fumbling around to find socks in the dark.

Run with a Friend

If you struggle to convince yourself to go for a run each morning, one of the best things you can do is get a friend to help you.

Having a friend to run with, even if it’s only some of the mornings out of the week, will help you to hold yourself accountable.

It’s a great way to ensure that you don’t allow yourself to make excuses too often.

At the same time, running with a friend will often be more fun than running on your own. You get to enjoy some company and stop for a chat and a drink of water from time to time.

This can be an excellent way to push yourself into action as a beginner.

Take it Slow

Don’t expect to be running marathons from day one. You’ll still need to consider your physical and mental abilities, and how often you can really run, for how long, before you need to rest.

Avoid setting unreasonable goals for yourself, or you’re going to feel let down when you don’t achieve them. However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t challenge yourself at all.

Try to get an idea for what you can reasonably accomplish each day with a little practice, and then set timely, attainable goals you can work towards over time.

If you don’t reach your goals as quickly as you’d like, don’t panic. Be kind to yourself and remember it’s a work in progress.

Stay Fuelled Up and Cool

Finally, if you’re going to be going for a decent run during the winter months, it’s important to make sure you have some extra fuel on you, like a protein bar when you’re at the end of your run. You should also ensure you have plenty of fresh water available.

Avoid taking a thermos of coffee with you on your run, because that’s not going to be easy to drink.

At the same time, consider your clothing choices carefully. You’ll need to stay warm during the winter without overly heating yourself with sweaty, thick clothing. Layers are often best.

In the summer, make sure you can keep cool without exposing yourself to too much dangerous sunlight.

Now that you know how to improve the quality of your morning runs, you can start putting a strategy together that allows you to enjoy the time you spend on your feet.

Get out there and start discovering the benefits of the morning run for yourself!

Learn more about your health online when you read the rest of our information here about: fitness exercise guide and also download the free health report available there!

Warren Tattersall has been a full time nutritional consultant for over 35 years and works with people all over the world to help them improve their health, increase their personal energy levels and to use supplements to assist with diet related health issues.

Just send him a note on the form here - Contact Us - to request a personal no obligation one-on-one consultation with Warren

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