Hi there,
Welcome back to ‘Hey Coach Darren’ – the weekly advice column where I’ll be sharing my top three tips on a different topic each week, inspired by real-life scenarios from our current members (and you)!
The first few steps of any fitness journey are undoubtedly amongst the most difficult. But the beginning of the journey is just the first of several points along every person’s journey that can present challenges. That’s normal. And today we’re going to dive into another one of those challenging times – when you hit a plateau and progress stalls. I received the following question from a long-time FitTRAC Family member:
“Hey Coach Darren! I’ve been a member of FitTRAC for almost 6 years now. FitTRAC is my family. I love everything about FitTRAC, and one of the best things of all is that I’ve achieved my all of my initial fitness goals!
I feel proud of my progress, but lately, I’ve been feeling stagnant. I lost all 22lbs that was originally my goal, and I’ve amazingly been able to keep it off. But recently I’ve felt like I’m just exercising to exercise, which I know isn’t a bad thing (exercise makes me ???? ), but I also love the feeling of having and then hitting goals! I need your advice on how to break through this fitness plateau and set new goals that will keep me motivated and excited to continue my journey.
I’m lacking the same drive I had in the beginning. It feels like I’m going through the motions without a clear purpose. I don’t want to lose the progress I’ve made, but I need something to reinvigorate my goals and keep me working towards something meaningful again. Can you help me out coach??”
As this member mentioned, reaching goals feels great! But after you do reach goals, figuring out what comes next can feel daunting. Being motivated all the time isn’t easy, but here are my top three tips to help you keep the progress going:
- Challenge a buddy – Take advantage of your community and challenge a friend/family member/workout buddy! Setting up an interpersonal fitness challenge with someone else can add an element of camaraderie and accountability to your routine.
You can compete in a metric-based competition (amount lifted or repetitions performed in an amount of time). Or you can compete in a activity-based competition (most workouts in a specific timeframe or most days hitting 10,000 steps).
Exercising with a friend not only makes your workouts more enjoyable but also provides support and encouragement. Having someone by your side throughout times when you feel plateaued can help you breakthrough because you’re focusing on winning too (a great thing if you’re competitive)! And together you can celebrate your achievements!
- Set mini-goals – Sometimes, setting large, long-term goals can feel overwhelming. Instead, break them down into smaller, achievable milestones. These mini-goals keep you motivated and give you a sense of accomplishment along the way.
For example, you can set a goal for the number of workouts you complete in a week or month, and try to add to it each week/month. Or use wearable fitness technology to measure your caloric output during a workout and assess your effort after every session and try to get more out of every workout. Celebrating these milestones that can take place on a daily basis can help you stay motivated and focused. - Set goals beyond the physical– While physical goals are essential, it’s also crucial to set goals that go beyond the numbers on the scale or the weights you lift. Consider focusing on goals related to your overall well-being. For example, aim to improve your flexibility, reduce stress levels, or enhance your sleep quality. These non-physical goals have a significant impact on your overall health and happiness.
You can commit to practicing yoga twice a week to improve mindfulness and flexibility or establish a daily meditation practice to reduce stress (by the way, FitTRAC offers live, virtual yoga sessions). Or incorporate 20 minutes of stretching into your daily routine to try to improve mobility to do things like touch your toes with your legs straightened. By embracing holistic goals, you’ll find renewed motivation and discover some new, unexplored avenues for growth.
Remember, breaking through a fitness plateau is an opportunity for growth and transformation! By incorporating challenges with others, setting mini-goals, and setting holistic goals, you’ll reignite your motivation and discover new levels of success.
Stay tuned for next week’s ‘Hey Coach Darren’ where I’ll be sharing more valuable tips to help you become happier, healthier, and stronger.
Stronger Together,
Coach Darren
P.S.
Do you need help with your healthy and fitness? Just hit ‘Learn more’ and I’ll be sure to give you some tips in an upcoming ‘Hey Coach Darren’ blog post.