We’ve already covered how working out makes you smart, cool and all around a better person (kind of) in the previous blog. Now we’re going to look at how improving your mindset can make you fitter (again, kind of).

Your mindset is basically your outlook on life. Saying “I can’t get fitter. There’s no point in trying” won’t help you at all. This will just hold you back from achieving your goals. Whereas saying “I can get fitter. Today’s exercise will make me stronger and more confident” will make a huge difference. Think about yourself positively. If someone was telling you that you were lazy and not going to get healthier, you wouldn’t be happy with that or keep them around. So why do you put yourself down? Stop. Now!

Can you change your mindset?

There are two different types of mindsets: fixed and growth-oriented.

Having a fixed mindset means you believe that your talent alone determines your success. If you have a fixed mindset you don’t think you can be better, smarter, or fitter than what you are currently capable of. Any setbacks in your fitness journey will leave you feeling like a failure – and may even lead to giving up for good.

Quite differently, someone with a growth-oriented mindset believes their success is determined by hard work, practice, and persistence. Learning from your successes and failures means you are constantly striving for greatness. By becoming a growth-oriented person will positively affect your lifestyle and workouts!

For those of us who have a fixed mindset: all is not lost. There are a few easy ways to have a growth-oriented mindset.

How to improve your mindset

Keep a fitness journal

Not only does this mean you have a fitness schedule to stick to, but it is a handy document to come back to. Keeping track of your progress will show you how far you’ve come, and show you that with hard work comes great rewards. Whether you prefer journaling with a pen and paper, or using fitness journal apps on your phone, find what works for you and stick with it.

Manage your goals

First you should define what your goal is. Want to build upper body strength? Maybe you want to increase your flexibility? How about being able to run for 10km straight? Whatever you want to do, choose a goal. This can motivate you to stick at your fitness plan and keep a record of how far you’ve come from the start of your journey to achieving your goal.

Create a music playlist

Love listening to music? Love working out? How about you combine your two loves? Studies (that are scientific, so we can trust them) have shown that listening to the right music can increase your endurance by up to 15%. It also improves your mood, meaning your exercise is better AND more enjoyable. Maybe listening to Salt-N-Pepa’s Push It will push you to push it at your next workout.

Be consistent

At the end of the day it’s not about being the fastest today, or the strongest today, or even the fittest today. It’s about consistently aiming for your goals and using what you have today to work towards them. You won’t see results straight away, but just keep moving!

If you can only workout for 30 minutes each day, work out for 30 minutes each day. At the end of the week that’s three and a half hours!

Our top tips for improving the consistency of your workout include:

• Be realistic about your capabilities. Don’t burn out at the start!
• Make your training feel like an important. You wouldn’t bail on lunch with a friend, so don’t bail on yourself.
• Always focus on the ‘now.’ Don’t make promises for tomorrow when you know you can do better.

Change your mindset today

Whether your mindset is geared more toward being fixed or growth-oriented, it is easy to use that mindset to help you on your fitness journey. Contact ifeelgood 24/7 today for one of our friendly personal trainers to help change your mindset.