What Fuels You Can Fuel Your Fitness: What’s Your Why?

Setting and achieving goals is a motivating, exciting part of the process of getting healthy—and at the Fitness Together® brand, the reason behind your desire to get fit matters. The brand believes that understanding your why is vital to creating a drive that stands the test of time.

Here, let’s explore why motivation is so important when it comes to keeping up with healthy habits, how to determine what makes you feel your best, how to begin the process of finding your why, and how a Fitness Together studio’s personal trainers work with you to create long-term habits that will keep you moving toward your strongest, healthiest self.

Motivation and Exercise: Here’s What Works.

There’s a large body of research around motivation and exercise, and much of it boils down to one thing: the vast majority of people who work out regularly are not motivated to do so every day.

But they do it anyway.

Here’s how:

• They switch how they see their workouts. It can be hard to think about going to the studio or hitting the road for a jog morning after morning, and seeing exercise in a new light can help. Thinking about your time in the training studio as your hour to disconnect from your phone (and your work email) can help you see exercise as a time to get centered. Thinking about going for a family walk as a time to connect with your kids (instead of a way to get your steps in) can help you look forward to healthy movement. While getting healthy is the initial motivation for many people who start a workout program, thinking of the non-health-related benefits you get from your routine can help you stay on track.
• They incentivize exercise. No, this isn’t about the idea of getting a manicure or a new pair of workout shoes after hitting a goal (although that can be fantastic, too). A recent study showed that having something to look forward to while exercising—such as listening to an audiobook—was one of the most effective ways to get people to work out. Creating a new workout playlist, making a point to stop at the farmer’s market near the studio on your way home, or looking forward to the sweet release of the foam roller after a tough sweat session can help you stay on track.
• They get support. When your motivation dips, you can borrow some! Whether you’re working with a personal trainer, a friend, or you’re in a group exercise class, leaning on others who want you to succeed can help you stay the course when things get tough. A sense of community can keep you coming back on the days when you’d rather not lace up and get started. When you know someone is going to check in if you miss a class or a personal training session, it’s easier to get moving.

No matter how important your initial motivation to get fit feels in the moment that you step into the studio for the first time, it will wane—and that’s not your fault. It’s easy to get psyched for your workout when your why is fresh in your mind, but it’s not as easy when the early alarm is going off for the 79th time, the snooze button is calling, or you can’t think of anything you’d rather do less than trudge through rainy weather and get your workout in.

Thankfully, this is where your why can step in to save the day.

Finding the Why that Matters

A simple exercise of repeatedly asking yourself to dig into your why can help you discover the reasons why working out is so important to you.

It looks something like this:

• Start by writing down your goal—for example, “I want to get stronger and lose 15 pounds.”
• Next, ask yourself why. Your answer could be, “So I can fit into my old swimsuit when I’m on vacation this summer.”
• Ask why again. You may come up with an answer like, “So I can feel comfortable and confident while enjoying time with my family.”
• Keep digging until you get to the root of your why. You may land on something like, “So I can fully enjoy life without the weight of insecurity.”

While understanding your why may not necessarily have you bounding out of bed to dive head-first into exercise every day, understanding the root of what it means to you to stay on track can help keep you moving, even on days when excuses to deviate from your plan begin to creep into your mind.

Sustainable, Long-Term Change: How Studios Make It Happen

Your Fitness Together studio’s personal trainers work with you to create long-term changes that can stand the test of time. The brand believes that your lifestyle change has to be sustainable to be effective—if you’re creating habits you can stick with over time, the positive changes in your body and mind will also stick around over time. The reverse is also true—if you’re creating a workout schedule and nutrition plan that’s not sustainable, your results aren’t likely to last.

Starting with your why is a fantastic way to initiate long-term change. Some other ways to create sustainable habits include:

• Choose movement that you enjoy. If you feel like you’re punishing yourself every time you exercise, you’re not likely to stick with it, no matter how strong your why. Working with a personal trainer can help you discover movement that helps you build and celebrate your strength.
• Vary your workout intensity. No matter how determined you are to hit your goals, it’s important that you don’t go all-out every day. Soreness happens for a reason—the tiny tears that intense workouts create in your muscles need time to repair so that you can grow stronger. Pushing through when your body is telling you to rest does more harm than good. Follow your trainer’s advice when it comes to rest and low-intensity days.
• Take it one step at a time. If your goal is to run a marathon one day, that’s fantastic! That being said, if you haven’t laced up your running shoes in years, it’s going to take some time to build up to that goal. Pushing yourself to the point where you feel challenged—not exhausted—will help you get where you want to go while reducing your risk of burnout and injury.

Find Your Why Get Started with a Fitness Together Studio Today.

Your personal trainer at a Fitness Together studio is excited to meet you! Together, you’ll work to discover your why, find your motivation, and create a sustainable plan that will help you achieve and keep the results that you’re looking for. Studios believe that a strong support team is vital when it comes to creating a lasting lifestyle change, and your local studio can’t wait to lift you up. Reach out today to schedule your first session!