Get The Workout Done: How to Overcome Mental Difficulties In Training

Working out on a regular basis and sticking to your training schedule is not only a physical challenge to many people. The mental challenge which many people who are willing to becoming and staying active and fit can also be an obstacle for reaching the training goals and expected results.

There are cases when even the most avid athletes and workout enthusiasts feel a lack of motivation and even start to have doubts and negative thoughts about the whole exercising thing. These mental roadblocks can actually cause a person to quit training or at least consider quitting.

These are the main moral difficulties in training which many of us need to overcome at some point. In reality, regular exercise can actually help train our mentality as well as our bodies.

Here are some tips on how to fight and overcome these mental obstacles and stick to your workout plan:

  1. You must learn to really believe in yourself and in your ability to reach your exercise goals! Whether you are training for a marathon, a match, or for the sake of losing 20lbs - you must first believe in your own willpower and strength to stick to your training plan and be able to achieve and even surpass the results and goals you have set for yourself. Yes, training is difficult, but you are stronger than that, and can push yourself through your workout -it is all a matter of believing that you will succeed.
  2. If you haven’t already - choose or make up a personal mantra which you find particularly inspiring and motivating. Keep repeating it to yourself before and during the training session. You can even order a T-shirt with your mantra printed on it, or stick your mantra to your fridge door, so that you see it daily. Pick a mantra which will help motivate you to go to the gym and keep repeating it during a particularly rough workout. You will soon find that by speaking to yourself you will start thinking more positively about the whole training process and its meaning for you personally.

  1. Compile a playlist with all of the songs or tunes which you find energizing, motivating and which will help you get through those tough workouts. You can make up your own list of power song or music, or you can pick from the wide variety of playlists for running or for training which you can find online.
  2. Focus. This tip may be a little tricky, and you need to find the right formula which works for you personally, but many people find that either tuning their brains off during a particularly tough and painful workout or actually turning their brains inward and focusing entirely on their own performance and their body helps keeping them going.

You should try both approaches to see which one is more effective when you are starting to struggle and begin thinking about quitting. Being able to disassociate your brain from the physical pain and effort can be helpful, but so can focusing solely on your body in order to ensure that every movement you are making is performed well. Some people choose to use a combination of both methods to overcome the mental barriers which can appear during a strenuous workout or run. This technique may need some exercising and some testing, but once you find the right balance between the two, or master the one which works for you, you will be able to ensure that you can achieve your training goals, no matter how tough it gets at times, and no matter the pain, discomfort and self-doubt you may be feeling.

 

Written by Cara Haley. Cara is a fitness enthusiast, footwear fanatic and manager of Comforthacks.com and Fitaholic Gear – sites dedicated to helping people find the most suitable footwear for their needs.