5 questions that will help motivate you to stay active
Tune in to what matters to you most and find the motivation you need.
By Dr Nic Gill, All Blacks’ Strength and Conditioning Coach / Associate Professor of Health, Sport and Human Performance at the University of Waikato / Author of Health Your Self.
There are so many benefits that come with having an active lifestyle but sometimes we can find our motivation flagging. It’s cold outside, we’re tired, we’d rather sit on the couch and watch Netflix.
To reconnect with why you want to stay fit and healthy, we’ve put together some key questions to ask yourself.
They’ll help you to focus on what really matters to you and see how being fit and healthy plays a key role in that. Once you’re clear on where you want to be, both now and in the future, it’ll be much easier to stay on track.
1. What’s important to me right here, right now?
The good news is that there’s no right or wrong answer here. The key thing is to probe into what really matters to you.
Is it to have a good life balance? Is it sleeping better so you have more energy for your family? Maybe it’s having a better mood and feeling more confident and happy? If you’re unfit and unhealthy those things are hard.
We’re all in a bit of limbo right now, so for me it’s about making sure that I’m keeping up that routine of exercising, eating well and having plenty of family time.
2. How do I want to feel every day?
For this we need to reflect on our energy levels, our mood, and our ability to do all the things we want to do on any given day.
We know that exercise can help with low mood and anxiety and have a big impact on how we feel.
Want to figure out what is affecting your mood? Try using the Mood Tracker in the Mentemia app.
To be at our best, nutrition, sleep and exercise all play a role and they are all interconnected. If one thing goes awry it can affect the others too.
Poor sleep can be a big barrier to feeling good but regular exercise can also help us get on top of that.
3. Where do I see myself in 10 years time?
We can approach this a bit like the way we approach our finances. We don’t just think about today, we need to have an eye on where we want to be in the future. Our health is the same. Being fit and active today is an investment in your wellbeing in the future.
For me, I know that I want to be a really energetic grandparent one day. Where do you want to be in 10 years time? Maybe it’s just that you want to be alive and well? Ask yourself, what do I need to do to do that? That’s a lot of motivation right there!
4. What am I afraid of?
Fear can be a big motivator. It might be a fear of ill health or fear of losing some of your freedom because you can’t do what you want to do anymore. Maybe it’s the fear of restrictions on your life that could be a result of ill health? Is it the fear that you won’t be flexible or fit enough to keep up with your kids? Acknowledging our fears can help steer us towards what we can do to prevent them coming true.
5. What’s my idea of fun?
Figure out what you enjoy so that you can do more of it. For some people, going for a run is just not enjoyable. In that case, don’t do it. You just need to experiment with the options until you find one you like.
Try walking in the bush and enjoying nature, walk up a mountain so you can see the view, take up surfing. There are many incredible benefits of getting into nature, including boosting your mood and reducing stress.
Or do some yoga online, go for a walk with girlfriends at lunch. Figure out what you love and put it in your day.