With
the winter fast approaching, along with colder weather and darker
days, we sometimes find it harder to motivate ourselves for training and proper
nutrition. Understandably everyone at some point in the year will lose that
motivation, which will affect their training levels. This can lead to
a loss on motivation in other areas of your life, such as your job, or
diet.
I
certainly feel it’s the winter where most people struggle, especially when it
comes to sticking to their training regime. Everyone likes to start training in
the New Year, or start getting in shape a month before summer starts so they
look good on the beach. But I’m going to talk about keeping on top of those
motivation levels ALL year round, which will lead to better performance not
only in the gym, but in your job and a better relationship with your
friends and family too, which in the long run will help keep yourself and them
happier and healthier.
Nutrition
Nutrition
is key when it comes to training, mood and energy levels. Get your nutrition
right and it’s a good start to getting that motivation back. I myself notice
that when I go through a few days of poor nutrition, my mood becomes worse,
energy levels drop and as a result my training isn’t as effective. I’m also
generally a lot happier when I find myself eating right. When I mean eating
right, I’m talking about foods that will benefit me in and out of the gym.
Animal
protein such as chicken, beef, pork, turkey, lamb, fish and other foods rich in
protein such as eggs, milk, yoghurt (Greek), beans, pulses, nuts and seeds.
Unrefined carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, brown/basmati rice, wholegrain
pasta/bread (avoid white/refined carbohydrates) and of course eat plenty of
vegetables with the addition of some fruit. The more variety of colour in your
diet the more vitamins and minerals you will get.
Avoid
foods high in sugar, processed foods and foods with trans-fats. Also avoid
foods with artificial sweeteners. This ranges from fast food, cakes, biscuits,
pastries, fruit juices, fizzy drinks and foods containing gluten. If you can’t
pronounce the ingredients on the back then it’s probably a sign that it’s no
good! And finally limit your alcohol intake, a couple of beers or a glass of
red wine at the weekend won’t hurt, but if you're serious about your training
and nutrition, alcohol will seriously hinder your progress in large quantities.
Finally
drink plenty of water every day. Your body is 70%
water. Every function of your body depends on it, digestion needs lots of it,
your joints are cushioned with it. Your brain is more than 90% water. Even your
bones are 5% water.
These are
just some ideas of a good base understanding of nutrition. Always think food
first before considering supplements, nail the diet and if you feel you would
benefit from some supplements then think about investing in some to further
enhance your training and nutrition. Remember there called supplements for a
reason, because they supplement your diet. This is just scratching the surface
when it comes to nutrition but hopefully I’ve given you a better understanding.
Goal setting
Set
yourself goals, short-term and long-term. Where do you want to be next month, 6
months, a years’ time and so on? Make it specific, achievable, realistic and
put a time frame on it. Hit those short term goals consistently, which will
motivate you to build up for that long-term goal. Don’t quit, we're bound to regress
from our goals from time to time, if you find yourself in that situation,
re-focus and concentrate on your short-term goals. Get back on track. It’s
cliché but think to yourself it’s going to be worth it in the end!
If
you find yourself low on motivation and all you need is a “pep” talk from
someone to pick you up and get you going again, then look up to any sort of
motivational figure in your life. This could be a professional
sportsman/athlete, bodybuilder, personal trainer, actor, musician, mum, dad,
brother, sister, whoever inspires you. We're all human, we can’t do everything
on our own and we do need guidance from someone else whoever they are. Watch a
motivational video, or listen to a song, speak to a family member. If it’s
something small, look around, there’s tons of motivation out there, you just
need to find it.
Motivational
music
This ties in with the previous point, but
music is a powerful motivator. It’s proven that the right music for the right
individual before and during, will increase their sporting performance or in
the gym by 20%. Create a playlist that you like, full of songs that will raise
your intensity. Everyone is different and different songs motivate different
people. But when you next go into the gym, have a playlist that will motivate
and inspire you to get the best out of that gym session.
Rest
My final point is to get enough rest.
There’s is no point in training every day and making yourself tired, this will
affect your training and nutrition. Get at least 8 hours sleep a night to
recover from a long day’s work or a training session. Your muscles need time to
rest and regrow to come back stronger. Also enjoy yourself on your rest days,
have something to look forward to at the weekend with your friends or family,
for example, eat good food and forget about training. If your mind is
constantly on working out and eating right non-stop, you’ll just create stress
for yourself. It’s all about getting that balance right which can be hard at
first, but once you get into that routine you’ll reap the rewards and
the benefits of a balanced and healthy lifestyle. After a good day or
two’s rest I always come back more energized, motivated, focused and ready to
train hard!
Simon.
