Awaken your inner athlete

I found an article that said that 78% of people who buy fitness books never open them. That is a really sad figure. Why don’t they bother? What happens to them when they get home or open the Amazon package?

One idea is that the idea of ​​getting in shape is amazing and exciting at first; however, the reality that it requires effort, not so much.

And of course, there are also the excuses:

1. “I don’t have time today, but I will do it tomorrow.”

2. “The show starts on a Monday and today is Thursday. I don’t want to mess up the days, so I’ll wait until Monday.”

Number two actually sounds like a legitimate excuse! I have been there myself. There’s something about starting a bad day that just doesn’t work for me. On the other hand, by the time Monday rolls around, I’ve lost that initial enthusiasm that got me excited at first. It’s one of the reasons I don’t like set fitness programs for days. I understand why they do it, but it also promotes procrastination.

So how do you keep that motivation and make that fitness plan that you invest in? Have a goal. I know, “Oh shit, I’ve heard that line before.” But it is not a line. When a goal is connected to something outside of you, you can do anything.

Here is a great example. I’ve recently been watching some people on Facebook who are out of shape and overweight, but because they saw a cause they wanted to contribute to, they started running.

His original goal was not to get in shape. The goal was to compete to raise funds for a specific charity. Unless they got out and ran, they couldn’t contribute. It wasn’t just any charity that motivated them, it was one they were passionate about. So the idea of ​​not going out there and running, not being about to compete and contribute, was unacceptable. It wasn’t something they could live with.

In other words, the idea of ​​not helping the charity was more painful than the idea of ​​going out in the morning when it’s raining, or you just don’t feel like it, and training.

Over time, that passion for helping raise money for charity sparked his inner athlete. It is no longer just about raising money for charity, although it is still an important factor. He now he is competing against themselves. Wanting to have a faster time in the next race. Want to do longer distances. No more fun runs, it’s time to do 5k, 10k, and that half marathon is on the horizon.

That original goal, which was also their motivation, is to make them fit athletes. But what was the goal and motivation? When they couldn’t do it for themselves, they found they could do it for others. Not others within your own family, we have all seen them fail repeatedly. But the goal of helping those who have been hit by tragedy, or who are less fortunate, that’s what got them out the door.

What are you passionate about? What touches your heart, and I mean deeply? There are all kinds of breeds out there. Active Payment. Enter your State and you will find races everywhere.

If the idea of ​​racing doesn’t appeal to you, why not try something like Pounds for Peace, where you contribute as much as you like for every pound you lose? Some people even get sponsors, like friends and family, to pitch in as well.

Whichever path you choose, the idea is to seek out events you’re passionate about and use them as encouragement to be part of the 22% that take action and get fit.