Surya Gabriel. Iacono on how to stay motivated past your initial fitness goals

Whatever you set out to do, you’ve achieved it. You ran that marathon. You reached that that goal weight. You built that muscle. And now it’s time to take a break from your fitness regime, right? Wrong. If you ditch all your routines, and lose start to get complacent, all of your hard work will be undone.

And this happens faster than you think. The key is to look at your training as a lifestyle change. It’s a long-term commitment, and when you’ve gone through the excitement of achieving your initial set of goals, it’s time to switch it up and find extra motivation.

So, how do you stay motivated?

Start thinking long-term. The first thing you need to adjust is your mindset. When you switch from focusing on one main goal and adjust your training to take in the rest of your life, adjustments usually need to be made.

For example, if part of your training and fitness plan included weight loss goals, it’s helpful to devise a programme to take you past those. It’s always tempting when you reach your ideal weight to just treat yourself a little bit more. This can escalate before you know it.

A good long-term nutritional strategy that will help you keep motivated is to refuse to deprive yourself. Yes, you need a calorie deficit to lose weight, but when you’re there, you need to be realistic. If you need to treat yourself, do it. But always keep it guilt-free and don’t stress. That way you’re less likely to overindulge and put yourself back at square one.

Find something you love

If you’ve been hitting the gym and it’s getting stale, think about switching it up. Get outside and run to find out whether the Vitamin D boost is what you need to keep your motivation up. Or try something you’ve never done before. If you need to be away from busy places to get the most out of your workout, consider getting a personal trainer to help you devise a home program that suits your zen nature.

There are so many ways to keep moving, keep exercising and keep improving. The trick is to find the joy, over and over again.

Change your way of thinking

If you think like an athlete, you’ll become one. If this sounds too simplistic, don’t dismiss it until you’ve tried it. Look at your workouts, whether they’re in a class, with a trainer, in a gym, or outside, as some ‘me time’. We all need to focus on ourselves sometimes, regardless of how busy our life is outside of training.

By putting your fitness needs at the top of the list, you will learn to prioritise exercise as much as possible. The idea is to make it a habit, so it comes as naturally as having a shower and cleaning your teeth.

Set new goals

You’ve run that marathon? Sign up for another. You’ve reached your lifting goal? Make it higher and harder. There is no limit to how much you can improve physically, other than a defeatist mindset.

As you progress through your own personal challenges, at any level, you will find yourself wanting to achieve more and more. Be your own life coach!

Create a workout plan just for you

Some people thrive on regular gym sessions. Others like to mix it up. As long as you achieve your own personal goals, don’t be afraid to go your own way. Classes and fancy gyms aren’t for everyone, and it’s totally fine to do it alone. It’s always a good idea to check in with a personal trainer or fitness expert every now and again to ensure you’re continuing in the right direction.

Get together with others

On the flipside, some people thrive in a group and find it super-motivating to work alongside others towards their goals. If this is you, reach out to others in your local area. You can do this at your gym or get online and start networking. You are sure to find others who are into the same kind of exercise as you. Meet up, train together and reach your new goals together.

About Surya Gabriel. Iacono

Surya G. Iacono is a fitness and wellness expert and blogger based in London, UK. Surya Iacono’s fitness blogs are aimed at keen gym-goers and exercise fans already well into their journey and looking for tips, tricks and ideas to take it to the next level.