Performing regular workouts and exercises is no problem when you are just starting. You still have the novelty feeling and hopeful attitude that all will be well and you’ll be on your way to a better looking body with strong muscles.
However, after a few months spending time in Fit Body Boot Camp or Powerhouse Gym, and nothing seem to happen, your enthusiasm begins to fail. You need to be aware that most people undergo this psychological cycle when it comes to exercising.
So, how can you prepare for this eventuality? Here are some suggestions that will help you sustain your interest in working out when the weather gets tough.
1. Establish and Satisfy Self-Imposed Deadlines
If you create a deadline, you willpower will get into action and you will find the required effort to accomplish whatever you want to accomplish. Start by simply doing an exercise to-do-list and set a deadline on each of item that is included in the list.
There was a study that required the participants to do this and the results showed that for 2 weeks, the participants were able to do their old tasks that they have been putting off, and were able to follow their diets, exercise more, and so forth.
2. Maintain a Food Diary
This same study also revealed that those who maintained a food diary improved their willpower as well. Admittedly, you are not used to logging the food that you eat every day.
For that matter, the simple thing of recording what you eat for the day, and doing that every day of your life, will really task your willpower. If you are able to maintain your food diary for just 2 weeks, just think how it will positively affect your willpower.
You will be able to fulfill this task easier if you will use a food app that is available for free online. With this app, all you have to do is to record the food that you just ate using your cellphone or any mobile gadget.
3. Meditate for 10 Minutes
Some say that meditation is one of the best ways in strengthening your willpower. With meditation, your brain will be trained to focus on just one issue and not give in to the urge of wandering thoughtlessly.
There are studies that show meditating for just 2 to 3 days for 10 minutes enables one’s brain to focus better. Meditating also helps you breathe more deeply thus allowing air or oxygen to flow freely through your body. That is why practicing meditation for just 10 minutes a day will help you relax, be less stressed and have more energy.
4. Squeeze a Handgrip
This is an unusual method of increasing willpower but it is really an effective one. If you want to increase your determination and your perseverance, squeeze a handgrip until you are exhausted.
This practice will really give you a deep forearm burn, therefore maintaining the squeeze for a period of time will really tax your willpower.
Start by getting a handgrip, squeezing it with each hand until you are exhausted. Will yourself to sustain it even when it begins to hurt. The psychological effect of this practice will help you persevere in difficult tasks such as exercising and working out.
5. Use Your Non-Dominant Hand
If you are right handed, try using your left hand for your normal daily tasks and vice versa. This will bring your wired brain to areas that it is not used to. If you sustain the practice, your willpower will be strengthened.
Choose a period of the day to use your non-dominant hand. Just an hour or so will be enough to produce results. Don’t overdo it or you will detest the practice.
6. Correct Your Posture
An experiment required participants if they could strengthen their willpower by simply correcting their posture. The participants were required to correct their posture for 2 weeks.
They were asked to sit up straight each time they find themselves slouching. Their willpower tests conducted after the experiment showed that this simple exercise improved their willpower dramatically.
So, you need to correct yourself right away if you catch yourself slouching in your seat at work or at home. This may sound very easy to do, but you will find that it takes real willpower to correct your posture every time.
7. Record Your Expenses
If you are like most people, you don’t really track every penny that you spend during the day. It’s the same way that we don’t track the food we eat.
Researchers found that just by simply making a record of your expenses will dramatically improve your willpower.
Again, there are useful apps that you can download on the internet to help you do this every day. By keeping track of where your money went, your ability to focus and resist diversions will improve significantly.