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6 Tips and Tricks to Help You Stay Motivated

stay motivatedMotivation is a tricky thing. One moment it’s with you, and the next, it vanishes. The enthusiasm you began with slowly fades, and before you know it, your drive to work towards your goal has dwindled. We’ve all been there.

Whether it’s your health, work, or personal goals—staying motivated isn’t just about initial excitement. It’s about creating the conditions for consistency and success. Motivation—be it driven by a desire for better health, more energy, or a sense of achievement—needs a bit more than just enthusiasm.

Factors Which Help One Stay Motivated

While discipline is a key factor, there are many other tips and tricks that can help you stay on track with your goals. Let’s look at them in detail.

1. Set Defined and Realistic Goals
Setting goals that are too ambitious or misaligned with your lifestyle can set you up for failure. Instead, focus on goals that are meaningful to you—not ones based on someone else’s expectations.

Start small and achievable. For example:

  • “I’ll walk for 30 minutes, three days a week”
  • “I’ll begin with 5,000 steps a day”

Jumping to 10,000 steps a day may be overwhelming, while aiming for 1,000 won’t offer much benefit. Keep it challenging, but doable.

2. Break Goals into Smaller Tasks
The mind is often the first barrier. You might find yourself saying, “I just don’t have time.” But big goals are simply small tasks stacked together.

If 30 minutes of exercise seems like too much, break it down:

  • Three 10-minute movement sessions spread through the day
  • A mix of morning walking and stair exercises at work

Little changes go a long way.

3. Make It Fun and Avoid Distractions
Switch up your walking routes. Try new exercises. Add variety to keep things engaging.

And most importantly—avoid comparison. What works for someone else might not work for your body. Stick to the plan tailored for you—especially if you’re working with a health coach.

Involve family, especially kids. Their energy is contagious! You could also go live on social media—it adds positive pressure and builds accountability.

4. Reward Yourself
Celebrate your wins—big or small. Rewards don’t need to be extravagant. A kind message to yourself, a new skipping rope, or even a quiet moment of reflection can be powerful motivators.

Plan these rewards ahead of time—they’ll give you something to look forward to, and they’ll make the journey more enjoyable.

5. Visualise Your Success
Take a moment to picture where you want to be in six months. What does your healthier, stronger self look like?

  • Set that image as your phone wallpaper
  • Stick up a photo of your past self when you felt your best
  • Surround yourself with quotes, music, or visuals that uplift and remind you why you started

Mental imagery is a powerful tool.

6. Know Your Shortcomings—and Challenge Them
Identify your personal roadblocks. Is it snacking? Weekends? Lack of planning?

Then, plan around them:

  • Keep healthy snacks at home
  • Prep your meals in advance to avoid ordering out
  • Choose social settings with healthy options
  • Embrace the sweet pain of new workouts—your body is getting stronger!

New routines take time, and muscle soreness is normal. The trick is to keep going, not give up.

Motivation is easier to build when you mix in a bit of fun and laughter. Whether you’re working out alone or with company, the key is to enjoy the process. Consistency is important, but without joy, the journey can feel like a chore.

So smile more, celebrate your effort—not just the results—and take pride in every step forward.

Even the smallest progress is still progress. Keep showing up. Keep moving. Keep going.

#BeTheForce 

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general awareness and educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised medical guidance or concerns related to your health.

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Strength Training Benefits For Aging Bodies

strength trainingStrength training is essential for everyone, serving not just to enhance muscle strength but also to bolster overall health regardless of age. Whether you are 25 or 65, incorporating some form of strength training into your daily routine is beneficial, though the specifics of the exercises may vary depending on one’s age group.

In this blog post, I will discuss the changes that begin to occur in our bodies as we enter our thirties and forties—changes that are often less than welcome. More importantly, I’ll explore how strength training plays a crucial role in counteracting these changes and significantly enhancing the quality of our lives.

I have experienced the positive changes, that my body has undergone over the last 4-5 years, just by incorporating a strength training routine in the form of workouts with weights, and using my own body weight, as I do in my yoga practice. One can even use resistance bands, the various gym equipment, or own body weight for resistance, by doing push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, leg squats or push-ups against a wall etc.

What Happens As We Age?

The human body goes through changes as we age, and some of the effects are obvious, as we cross middle age. Even healthy, normal ageing includes:

  • A Slower metabolism
  • Decreased muscle mass and strength
  • Increased body fat
  • Reduced bone density
  • Increased bone porosity
  • Stiff joints
  • Slower reflexes and reaction times
  • Decreased aerobic capacity

These are normal changes that we may experience as we age, though the severity varies from person to person. One of the most important reasons to exercise, and specifically include strength training, is to slow and minimize these changes.  

Benefits of Strength Training

1. Increases Muscle Mass
As you age, muscle mass gradually decreases – a condition known as Sarcopenia. Individuals who are less active can expect to lose between 3% to 5% of their muscle mass each decade after turning 30, with this rate accelerating after age 65. By age of 70, the average adult may have lost up to 25% of their muscle mass primarily due to disuse and inactivity. However, this loss isn’t irreversible. Engaging in any form of exercise can help regain muscle mass and strength, but weight lifting, strength training, and resistance training are particularly effective. Research shows that after just six months of strength training twice a week, the biochemical, physiological, and genetic characteristics of older muscles can be rejuvenated by nearly 15 to 20 years.

2. Improves Bone Health
Bone fractures and breaks are quite prevalent among older adults due to decreased bone density and osteoporosis. While there are various causes of osteoporosis that may require medical intervention, substantial evidence suggests that exercise can significantly enhance bone density. Moreover, osteoporosis can be both prevented and managed through strength training. Just as muscles grow stronger with activity, bones also gain strength when engaged in physical exercise. Weight-bearing exercises, in particular, bolster bone health by stimulating the production of new cells.

3. Improves Functional Ability/Movement
Increasing strength through training is crucial for enhancing everyday functionality. Regular strength training enables older adults to enhance their mobility, walk longer distances, and potentially decrease their reliance on assistive devices such as canes and walkers.

Additionally, building strength supports a variety of functional movements, including walking, sitting down and standing up from chairs or beds, climbing stairs or escalators, and carrying groceries. These improvements in physical capabilities make daily life more manageable and empower individuals to engage in a wider range of activities that they desire to pursue.

4. Increases Metabolism
Strength training is highly effective for enhancing your metabolism, which is the rate at which your body burns calories while at rest. Engaging in strength training causes your body to require more energy based on the intensity of the exercise. This not only leads to calories being burned during the workout but also increases calorie burn after the workout as your body returns to a resting state. Additionally, hormones like Testosterone and DHEA, which are vital for strength and energy, naturally decrease with age. However, regular strength training can significantly boost these hormone levels within 8-12 weeks.

5. Improves Brain Health
Aging can increase the risk of loneliness, social isolation, depression, and other mental health challenges. However, building strength enhances mobility and functionality, which can significantly improve overall health, elevate mood, and enhance the quality of life. Additionally, resistance training has been shown to slow cognitive decline associated with aging. Studies indicate that lifting weights can improve memory, attention span, and conflict resolution skills.

6. Improves Health Conditions
Type 2 Diabetes: Strength training effectively lowers blood sugar levels and enhances insulin sensitivity. This improvement helps facilitate the transport of blood sugar into cells, thereby optimizing how the body utilizes glucose.

Cardiovascular Health: When properly executed, strength training benefits both the muscular and cardiovascular systems. Strengthened muscles reduce the workload on the heart, enabling the lungs to process oxygen more efficiently with less effort. This efficiency leads to the heart pumping more blood with fewer beats, which in turn increases the blood supply to the muscles.

How Often Should You Do It? 

It is recommended to engage in strength training three to five times per week for 20 to 30 minutes at a moderate intensity or two to three times per week for 15 to 20 minutes at a high intensity. However, always consult your doctor before starting any workout regimen, particularly if you have any pre-existing medical conditions, and seek professional guidance to ensure the correct technique. This helps in preventing injuries and maximizing the benefits of your workouts, especially when focusing on larger muscle groups which offer greater returns.

Let’s move beyond using age as an excuse and start prioritizing muscle health to enhance both our physical health and psychological well-being!

We hope this article helps you care for your muscles a little more and helps you improve your physical and psychological well-being as well. If you’re about to begin your strength training routine or need help, speak to a certified expert by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

Want to explore more articles on fitness? Click here.

#BeTheForce

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Why is it Difficult to Make a Lifestyle Change?

lifestyle
In a user story I recently wrote, the player said, “Making a lifestyle change is easy. What is difficult is the commitment to follow through with determination”. Rightly so, it’s indeed considered a tall order and hence, many give it up midway. Most consider it forced, rather than a positive change to bring about within themselves.

This very attitude and constant cribbing of people around me prompted me to write this piece on why is it so difficult to make a lifestyle change?

Many of us have tried it at some point in our lives. Some of us have succeeded, while many have found it extremely taxing. Making a lifestyle change is challenging, especially when you want to transform many things at once. Lifestyle changes are a process that takes time and requires support and lots of patience.

lifestyle1

Here are a few tips that you could follow from my personal experience:

1. Start Small

After you’ve identified realistic short-term and long-term goals, break them into small steps that are well defined, that can be managed and measured. If your long term goal (6-8 months) is to lose 20 kilos, then a good goal would be to reduce about 2 kilos a month in a healthy way.

Physiologically smaller goals give you a sense that it’s achievable and keep you motivated for the long term goal. Look at healthy eating options. Eat smaller, balanced meals at regular intervals. Replace a dessert with a healthier option, like Yoghurt. At the end of the month, you’ll feel successful knowing you met your goal.

2. Change One Behavior at a Time

It is said that old habits die hard. It is simply because behaviors develop over the course of time. Replacing then will take a while. Focus on one goal at a time. If need be, get professional help to understand what changes you need to bring within yourself to become healthy and fit. The problem arises when you try to change things really fast. Take it slow!

3. Have a Buddy, a Personal Coach or a Trainer

It can be anyone from a friend, to a  family member, a co-worker or your personal trainer. Your buddy and you can go for a walk, cycle or run together and keep each other motivated and charged. You can challenge each other to create some excitement in your training and make sure that it is not boring. Having someone with whom you can share your struggles and success makes the work easier and the mission less intimidating.

4. Make a Plan That You Will Stick To

You will have to devise a plan in such a way that it will be your guide. Think out of the box and have things in your plan which you have never done before. For instance, an adventure or sports climbing (artificial wall climbing). But, don’t go haywire and be specific. Manage time well.

Detail the time of the day when you want to exercise, how long you want to exercise or when you can take walks and how long you’ll walk. Maintain a diary in which all your tasks are jotted down and ask yourself if these activities and goals are realistic for you. If not, then start with baby steps.

5. Have Support Around You

Having people around you to support you while you are on your journey will keep you away from slacking. Don’t feel shy to ask for support wherever and whenever needed. If you feel you are unable to meet your goals on your own, get help!

6. Self-Motivation

All the above points will help you in your journey to change your lifestyle. But the biggest factor of all and one of the most important factor is being self-motivated. No matter how many buddies you have, no matter what support your dear and near ones will give you, no matter how good a plan you make, none of this will be effective till the time you are self-motivated and want to make the change.

Do it for yourself, do it on your own and feel good at the end of it all!

Making the changes that you want takes time and commitment. You can do it! Just remember that no one is perfect. You will have occasional lapses. Be kind to yourself. When you eat a brownie or skip the gym, don’t give up. Minor bumps on the road to your goals are normal and okay. Resolve to recover and get back on track.

If you find yourself in need of a little extra support and motivation on your journey to a healthier lifestyle, then subscribe to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here. And, if you’re looking for more tips and advice on improving your overall well-being, you can find a bunch of helpful articles here.

#BeTheForce

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A Quick 6 Minute Workout You Can Do Anywhere

fitness

With the gloomy weather and continuous downpour, it can get difficult to venture out to get some of that essential exercise. But don’t let the heavy rainfall keep you from working out. Get fit at home with this quick 6 minute workout! It is designed to help you reap all the benefits of a workout using only your body weight, a chair and a wall. You won’t need any special equipment and can perform this routine anywhere! We’d say it’s perfect for a rainy day!

The Quick 6 Minute Workout

  1. Jumping Jacks: This classic cardio move is a great way to warm up. It improves strength and endurance, increases metabolic rate, burns calories and is great for your heart and lungs as well!
  2. Wall Sit: Wall Sits are great in working out the two groups of muscles in your thighs. Repetitions of Wall Sits would naturally give you thighs that can withstand prolonged strenuous activities.
  3. Push-Ups: work many muscle groups at the same time, giving your body a full workout! You can work the quads, hamstrings, calves, chest, shoulders and arms all at the same time with a few push-ups. It stimulates metabolism and blood circulation, allowing you to burn more calories throughout the rest of your workout.
  4. Abdominal Crunch: Crunches work on the Rectus Abdominis Muscles. It is a core working exercise and burns less calories comparatively but, they move in a controlled manner, flexing and releasing the core muscles, thus helping you build abs.
  5. Step Up Onto Chair: This exercise is great for targeting your quad and Gluteus Maximus Muscles, giving you strong, powerful legs.
  6. Squats: are great for a total lower body workout. They effectively work most of the major muscle groups of the butt, hips and thighs. Squats are also a versatile exercise. Squats engage the core muscles of the body. The result is a tighter, flatter abdomen and a stronger lower back.
  7. Triceps Dips On Chair: It is a triceps-strengthening and a most effective body-weight exercise. Dips target your triceps – the muscles on the back of your upper arm.
  8. Planks: help in strengthening the midsection, upper-body and lower-body muscles along the front of your body. Planks also strengthen the inner core muscles that support your joints. It helps in reducing belly fat and back pain. At a time, it works on all your core muscles.
  9. High Knees Running: This is a nice warm-up. High Knees Running on Spot is good practice for runners and athletes to improve running form and develop lower body muscles. It also enhances your strength, speed, balance and flexibility. What’s more? It provides you more energy, burns calories, builds muscles and enhances blood circulation.
  10. Lunges: are easy-to-learn, safe and an incredibly effective exercise. Lunges target the quadriceps, but involve additional muscles, including the glutes, hamstrings, calves and core muscles, making them an important exercise for toning the lower body.
  11. Push-Up & Rotation: This exercise is great for building shoulder stabilization and strengthening your entire core. Don’t let your hips drop when you go into side rotation. Try to keep everything in a straight diagonal line throughout.
  12. Side Plank: works your entire core but particularly targets an often weak muscle called the Quadratus Lumborum. It helps to reduce risk for lower back pains, improves your balance and structure.

Perform the above exercises in rapid succession with 20 seconds for each exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest in between. Don’t forget to stretch before you begin!

These 6 minutes that you will give to your body and your health are equal to 0.5% of your day! So go out there and get fit the HIIT way! Don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Find more exciting, quick workouts and fitness related articles here. You can also tune in to our live, interactive classes on GOQii PRO, where our certified fitness experts will guide you on the correct form and posture in real time, while making sure that you are well motivated! Book a class now from the GOQii App.

#BeTheForce 

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