fit tips
THE SECRET TO
by HAC Personal Trainer , Cathy McDougall
5:00 AM arrives awfully early . I know that sounds as obvious as “ the sun rises each day ,” but think about that for just a moment . At 5:00 AM , the sun hasn ’ t even come up yet , the bedroom is the perfect temperature , and your body has probably slipped into a nice , deep REM sleep . Staying in bed would be really nice ! But when my alarm clock goes off at 5:00 AM , it ’ s NO excuses , time to hit the gym . I ’ m motivated for the new day , to move , to feel good … to welcome another opportunity to live my best life .
I ’ m not special that way . I don ’ t have a secret that makes early morning workouts easy . I ’ ve just learned to tap into my motivation so that every day , exercise is as much a part of my routine as brushing my teeth . It ’ s not always easy . Before I became a personal trainer , I was a television news reporter with two boys , two dogs , and long hours at the TV station . I had late nights , AND early mornings . But exercising in some way every day gave me energy . A completed workout was the best part of my day , even if it was at 5:00 AM or 10:00 PM . And deep down , I believed then and I believe now , that taking that hour or so to exercise made me a better mom , wife , and employee . It was MY hour , my personal time to
work on ME …. and I ’ m stronger for it . THAT is my motivation . As a personal trainer , I feel it ’ s my mission to help clients see that exercise makes YOU a BETTER YOU ! We just need to find our personal motivation .
So that ’ s me – what motivates YOU to get out of bed to live YOUR best life ? We define motivation as “ the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way .” Your motivation to exercise can be simple or complicated , but in order for ANY exercise program to work , you have to UNDERSTAND your reasons for doing so . Without knowing the “ why ” you are working out , exercise becomes a chore – and probably the first thing you ’ ll drop on a busy day . It makes hitting the snooze button at 5:00 AM really easy .
Motivation must come from inside . You ’ ve heard that before . We all need a reason “ why ” – a real purpose and a sense of why getting in shape and losing fat is important to us .
But true motivation isn ’ t superficial , and you understand it better when you dig deep . You may tell your HAC personal trainer that you want to lose twenty pounds for your high school reunion . GREAT ! But that ’ s not enough . Dig deeper . WHY do you want to lose that weight for that particular event ? If you think about it , your answer , and consequently your motivation , may surprise you . Maybe you want to impress that one guy who ’ s ever broken your heart . Maybe the extra weight makes it hard for you to climb stairs , and you want to be able to cut a rug with your former dance team members .
If you dig deep enough , you ’ ll see that so often , motivation is linked to emotions and feelings , which makes them neither right nor wrong . “ If I lose this weight before the reunion , I won ’ t be embarrassed that I ’ m heavy .” Those are feelings . It ’ s what you DO with those emotions and feelings that brings about change . “ I want to be proud of myself at this reunion , so I ’ m GOING to lose the weight .”
So many times , however , we don ’ t dig deep enough for our motivations because we are afraid . We ’ re afraid of taking the first step , of making the first mistake , of learning too much about ourselves . But without that first step , nothing happens .
Leaving TV thirteen years ago to make my passion for fitness a career was a big decision . I ’ ve since added Nutrition Coach to my resume , and there are days I wonder if I can make this work . There are days when I ’ d rather do laundry than put myself out there to possibly fail . But I ’ m motivated to help others , so I look to others for inspiration .
I stumbled upon the the bestselling book You are a Badass . How to Stop Doubting your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero . Read this book . You want to find your motivation ? She ’ ll push you ! For example , start with this one : “ Oh the time we waste rolling ideas around in our heads , imagining what-ifs , coming up with perfect
You are a special , unique individual who deserves to live your best life .
reasons why and then perfect reasons why not , tearing at our cuticles , making our friends and family carefully screen their calls in case it ’ s us again , wanting to go over some ideas . Get out of your head and take action .”
Take ACTION ! Great advice . Take a small step , every day . Even a simple one . Start by listening to your inner voice , the one that reminds you that you are a special , unique individual who deserves to live your best life . Can ’ t find your motivation ? Grab a piece of paper and brainstorm . List all the reasons getting in shape and being healthy and strong are important . List all the challenges to getting there . Dig deep . Push until you find that truth . Still can ’ t find it ? Enlist a friend , or family member . Find someone you trust to help when you need motivation reminders . Put some money where your mouth is ! Make a friendly bet with yourself or
others so there is money , or another “ prize ” for your success .
Keep digging for your true motivation until you find that one perfect gem that gets you out of bed in the morning . It doesn ’ t have to be at 5:00 AM . But it does have to be important to you and honor your true self . Remind yourself of your “ why ” every single day . You ’ ll see – your motivation can change your life .
enhance magazine | SEPTEMBER 2016 29