WELL BODY: Mantras To Help Activate Your Fitness Goals

I’m not going to lie, it takes me a long time to get into a good fitness routine that I can stick to, and I find it hard to stay motivated. If you are like me, and love the thought of exercising, but struggle with the internal monologue, then intentionally changing your thinking really can help.

If you are part of our WeChat 21 Day Fitness Community, you will no doubt have memorized Autumn’s motivational phrases. I asked our community which ones were their favourites, and within 5 minutes there was a list of phrases:

- It doesn’t get easier, you get stronger!
- Don’t wish for it, work for it!
- Only look back to see how far you have come.
- If you want something you’ve never had before, you have to do something you haven’t done before.
- I didn't say it's going to be easy, but it's going to be worth it!
- Strength doesn’t come from doing what you can already do, it comes from doing what you can’t do.
- Don't hope more than you work for.
- Never ever compare with others. Only with yourself. Do better than yesterday. Focus on today and push through!
- I can do hard things.

I love having these phrases repeated to me every time I work out to her videos; when the struggle is real, her words are a reality check and push me on.

There are also some of my own phrases that I use to try and ‘redefine my normal’, and tell myself often throughout the day (or at least, every time I catch myself thinking the opposite):

- I move my body every day.
- This workout will be tough, but I am tougher.
- Exercise gives me energy and makes me feel happy.

- 30 minutes of effort, lifelong rewards

 My mind gets pretty active during workouts – full of thoughts such as ‘OMG how long do I have left, it hurts, I can’t do it, when will this end, what am I doing’.  This is where I draw on some of my mindfulness strategies, and instead of letting my mind run wild with these thoughts, I intentionally replace them with observational thoughts about my body and what it is currently doing.

- Jumping up, squatting down.
- Running, running, running, running, running.
- Down, up, down, up.

This helps to pass those 60 seconds quicker, and I find I am less likely to quit half way through.

I envy women for whom physical activity is a passion, and while it’s not a passion for me, I love the feeling that I get from it. I love feeling fit, I love being able to play tag with my children and outrun the kids in the playground, and I like being able to hike the Great Wall without losing my breath.  If there’s anything I can do that helps me to stay motivated, to press play, to achieve this goal of being a little bit fitter every day, and to stay positive about it – then I’ll do it. 

And remember:

How about you? What mantra’s do you repeat to yourself? Has changing your thinking about exercise helped you? Do one of these mantra’s resonate with you? Try and it and let us know your results in the comments.

For more information or to join our 21 Day Fitness community on WeChat, send a message to WellWomen with the words ’21 Day Fitness’.

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