Fitness - Finding Motivation

It's 187 calories I wouldn't have burnt by watching Made in Chelsea...

I hate cardio in the gym, it's true. Over the years and still to this day I've rarely done cardio sessions in a gym-based environment. Luckily for me, a mixture of playing lots of sports and having a very fast metabolism meant that I didn't really need to come face to face with the DREADMILL very often at all.

Well, in a way that's changed now. Now I'm at the grand old age of 33 and have started to notice that my shit is slowing down and it's much easier for me to store fat than when I was 21, despite the fact that I still do weights sessions, play tennis, dodgeball and football most weeks.

I've had to seriously consider everything I've been doing and what needs to be done so I can maintain a good, strong and mobile physique for as long as possible. I haven't really changed but my body has. Do I accept this and say, "Oh well, I had a good run and now I'm just going to accept that I'm getting older and give up?" or do I say, "I need to find a way that works for my body now and forget about what I used to do." Of course it's the latter.

Which is why this morning before work I got my arse up and dragged it 14 blocks (not really, it just sounded cool) to the gym to do the one thing I really dislike, run on a treadmill. I only did 20 minutes of interval training but I burnt 200-odd calories before my work day began.

This was a big step for me.  Don't get me wrong, I do train hard most days but that's usually doing something I enjoy (weights). The big step was doing something I don't really like but needing to do it for my goals. My motivation for results was stronger than my dislike for the exercise. Keep that balance and you're going to make progress, surely? Same with diet, my motivation for results is greater than my love of Pringles and dip. Say it to yourself, "my motivation for results is greater than.......".........make it an affirmation. Things begin to change when that happens according to the great Muhammad Ali. Who would doubt him?

Recently I've been feeling really grateful for how my body has served me. I look around at people in my year at school or those I've played football with and the amount of injuries, operations and wear and tear some have suffered is terrible.

And then there are those who have just generally let themselves hurtle towards middle-age, abusing their bodies and their overall health with alcohol, lack of exercise and bad diets. When I was sitting down the other day I realised that I've never suffered any injuries, never broken any bones, never had any health issues. God damn, I've played football for 25 years and don't recall ever pulling a hamstring! Which leads me to my next point:

"So, really, if you're like me who is able- bodied with access to exercise, what is your excuse? What/where is your motivation?"

The most common complaints I hear as a PT and instructor are: "I'm too tired", "Work have made me stay late"..."The dog needs to be walked"...."I don't feel like it"...."I've just been busy"..

Yeah, you're tired because you have a very poor diet full of processed food, you don't sleep enough and you don't challenge your body at all....ah hem.

Generally those are excuses, not reasons. Life is busy and we all get tired and stressed out but the first step to any progress is to STOP MAKING EXCUSES. I say that with me knowing I have made the same excuses before. Easiest thing in the world, to justify to yourself that you won't go to the gym because you're tired but deep down you know that it's you holding yourself back. It's nobody else's fault or responsibility that you CHOSE to get a pizza and watch Love Island instead of doing 20 minutes of exercise after work.

You don't have to spend two hours in a gym every night to see results. There are 24 hours in a day and you can't spare 20, 30 or 45 minutes to do something positive for yourself? I just don't believe it. With the information available these days on YouTube and Pin interest you can do a 20 minute workout in your living room that can have massive results. You just have to make your health a priority.

Diet? You don't have to starve yourself, you don't have to eat shitty, boring foods that make you quit.  You don't have to feel bad that you have some junk food. You can factor all of these things in to a plan that's achievable and good for the long run. I guess what I'm saying is, it doesn't have to be a miserable experience. All you have to do is take accountability. That's it.

If you're reading this and thinking, "hmmm this is me" then get your trainers on and go for a 20 minute walk. "I've really wanted to do this but....." drop the "but". DO IT. Send me a picture on my Facebook page of you doing it. When you have a community of people who are in the same boat as you it can help to keep you motivated and dedicated. I'll happily support anyone who gets off their backside and starts changing their lifestyle.

Here's a little help along the way: We spend so many hours, days, weeks and years of our lives working for others, meeting deadlines, getting stressed out and worrying just to go home after a long shift to eat rubbish food, go to bed late and repeat. Sure, it may give us a roof over our heads and allow us to pay bills but material things aside, what did you REALLY do for you, for your inner spirit?

It's important to remember that every day we wake up it is OUR day and OUR life. Do at least one thing a day FOR YOU. If that's going for a run, fantastic. Find something that motivates you and you feel passionate about. Make sure it's sustainable. Training hard because you've got a holiday to come is fine, but what are the chances that when it's been and gone that you go back to doing nothing? I'd say probably quite high. Try and think of the longer term future as well.

My motivation is currently so high that I look forward to every session but I had to work very hard in my head to get there. Small things matter.  My friend Phil said to me the other day, "Carl, you're so hard to hit in Dodgeball, you're so agile." I had a smile on my face for ages from that. I'm never going to be the biggest guy in the gym so my training has been focusing on barbell strength training, HIIT intervals and agility work. To have someone compliment you not knowing what you've been doing is a great feeling. Little positives like that can snowball into a complete lifestyle change because we all like to feel good about ourselves. (BTW I love agility training, nothing better than getting older but still being able to move like a cat).

Overall, I want to be able to play sports with my kids when the day comes without getting tired or out of breath. The thought of my son asking me to play football with him and not being able to stand up is scary. I want to be that dad that everyone respects because he's still in shape and looks a lot younger than his years. But it's going to take hard work and commitment. That's fine with me.

That's my motivation, Now what is yours?