Six Tips for Staying Consistent, Building Resiliency, and Gaining Motivation

You have the training plan and the tools to track your progress, but what about the tools to stay disciplined, motivated, and consistent? An analogy we like to use is to think of our bodies as a race car. Motivation is like nitrous oxide for your engine, enabling you to push a little bit further and reach a new personal record when you are having a good day. But discipline is the gas tank that gets you through every workout, even on the hard days when the nitrous might be lacking.  

We like to say, when you cannot stay motivated, stay consistent. We think the hard or lackluster workouts are the most important ones along the way. These are the workouts that build resiliency. It’s easy to train when you are feeling good, but sticking to the plan, even when you do not feel like it, and laying down the bricks of work will pay off in the long run just as much, if not more than the stellar workouts.  

Below you can find six tips for getting into a fitness routine, staying consistent in your training, and finding motivation even on the hard days. 

1. Set a goal and make it tangible. Goals are important when starting a new fitness routine. This is what you will rely on and return to repeatedly when the going gets tough. A few tangible goals we’ve had are rowing five days a week, dropping your 5k time by 30 seconds, or losing five pounds. Having a realistic, quantitative goal to chase is so important when following a training plan. 
2. Find your “why.” You have a goal, but what’s your “why”? This is something we use during a hard workout to remind us to keep going. Some of our whys are to get healthier for my grandchildren, to challenge myself in new ways, to lower my A1C, and to use exercise and movement for better mental health. What is your “why”? 
3. Make a routine and stick with it. You are more likely to get in a row, ski, or ride if you workout at the same time every day. Once a pattern is made, consistency then leads to greater motivation! 
4. Get a workout buddy. There is something to be said about power in numbers. You might skip out on a workout for yourself, but when you know you are bailing on a friend, you are much more likely to show up for them, and ultimately yourself. If you cannot meet in person, jump on the Concept2 ErgData Real Time Loop, or become training partners in your Concept2 Online Logbook. 
5. Share your goals with others. Write your goals down. Tell your family, friends, and coworkers. Once your goal is out in the world, you are more likely to follow through and chase them. Pro tip: As you accomplish your goals, physically cross them off. Cross them off a list, a calendar, or pin a piece of paper on a cork board for each accomplishment. The satisfaction of slowly but surely reaching your goals and checkpoints makes you that much more likely to keep going.  
6. Just start. Some days you just might not feel it. You’re tired, work went late, and you don’t want to work out. Next time this happens, try this: Tell yourself to just start and go for 10 minutes. That’s it. If you still want to stop after 10 minutes, that’s fine. You might not improve your performance, but it reaffirms that you can do hard things. It's not always about what happens while you work out, it's about becoming the type of person who would not miss a workout. We bet you nine times out of 10 you will continue and finish your workout after the 10 minutes. Sometimes starting is the hardest part! 

 We hope these tips and tricks help you reach your next fitness goal. Let us know how it goes!