IT’S THAT TIME of the year again.
If you have bought yourself a gym membership for 2016 or, worse still, been given one for Christmas, there’s no more excuses.
As the nation prepares to return to some sort of normality after the festive period, gyms up and down the country will be inundated with new members. It happens every year.
As does the initial enthusiasm but that can quickly disappear, particularly with the weather as it is and the lure of the couch after a long day at work.
Going to the gym shouldn’t be a chore but there are often times when you’ll have to force yourself or ‘trick’ yourself into going. Everyone will have their own motivations but below are 10 ways you can make it easier to maintain your New Year’s resolution.
1. Bring your bag to the office
This is decidedly trickier if you’re the type to work out before and after work. As someone who exclusively exercises at night, I bring my gym bag home, empty it, refill it, and bring it to work the next day, whether I’m planning to go to the gym or not. On the weekend, I just bring it home and then back on Monday morning. This way, I’m never caught without gear…and I get an arm workout during my commute.
2. Go to classes
If someone isn’t standing in front of me, barking out reps and making sure I do them, it’s not going to get done. As much as you can admire those self-motivated runners pounding the pavements at a brisk jog all hours of the day and night, many people find it difficult to find the inspiration.
3. And stand at the front
You try slacking off when you’re directly in the instructor’s line of sight.
4. Introduce yourself to the instructors/gym staff
When an instructor enters the classroom, I make eye contact, smile, and say ‘hi’. When I’m limping out the door, I make sure to thank them. This accomplishes two things: First, it makes me not a huge jerk, and second, it means they notice when I’m not there.
When an instructor waltzes into class and says, “Hi! Haven’t seen you in a while!” it’s extremely motivating.
5. Think of the money
The brilliant thing about belonging to a gym is that since you’ve already paid, it gets cheaper every time you go. That’s amazing!
6. Sign up in advance
If your gym allows you to sign up ahead of time for classes with explicitly limited space, like spinning, which has to be capped at the number of available bikes, do it!
7. Tell yourself going to the gym is a reward
There’s no better choice I could be making at that moment for my health and well-being. It’s a breath of fresh superiority.
8. Don’t expect to enjoy every minute
I had a revelation while shuffling down the street to the gym on a dark, rainy night after nine hours at the office: “You don’t have to like it,” I muttered to myself as I dodged umbrellas. “You just have to do it.”
That mantra has stuck with me through all the rainy nights, the cold nights, the nights where I just don’t want to sweat through my shirt. There seems to be this idea in popular culture that you have to love your chosen form of exercise. You have to enjoy it. It’s your hobby! It’s the best! You’re addicted!
But really, it’s ok if sometimes it’s the worst, and you hate it, and you consider battering your way out the window with five-pound hand weights. As long as you get it done.
9. Mix-up your workouts
I know I just said it’s ok not to like your workout, but you have to like it sometimes. Or at least tolerate it.
If I had to spin four nights a week, I’d probably expire of boredom. Same goes for kickboxing. Or Pilates. Or sculpting.
But if I do a different one each night, I can trick myself into thinking some are easier, just because they’re different. “Oh, no big deal going to the gym today,” I’ll tell myself. “It’s an easy night.”
Tell that to my abs the day after.
10. Tell yourself you can leave mid-way through
I say it, but I never do it. Once I’m there, in my gym clothes, sneakers strapped on, in a prime front-row spot, you can bet I’m not leaving. It’s not like I’m doing a four-hour CrossFit workout or running a marathon — it’s a 45 minute class, and I can do pretty much anything for 45 minutes. By the time I think of leaving, it’s over.
- Libby Kane, Business Insider.
We were blessed to get a point out of the game.Galway were the better team ‘hopefully they can stay up as well
@robert grehan: a favour from drogheda isn’t likely
Delighted with the point and premier football returning to the marketsfield next season. Fair play to galway and their supporters who were fantastic tonight. They played the best football as we sat off them and invited them on. They were very unlucky not to take all three points but Fortunately for us we held tough.
There will be major changes next season at Limerick, an overhaul is badly beeded. Roll on next season already!!!
Appalling ref who ruins every game he does.
Thankfully we’re safe. Up and down season. Heres to next seasons rollercoaster.
Fair play to all the limerick lads on here saying it as it is. DCFC fan
Surely the ref is at the ground at least an hour before kick off , and first thing inspect the shirts ? Mr buttimer imo seek s to be the attraction at most games he refs ! But a good ref when he cuts out this nonsense
Blessed to get a point ? All talk when the manager arrived was we are pushing for a europa spot , fast forward and we were relegation contenders , a lot of hard decisions to be made for next year ?
A very poor display by Limerick. It lacked guts and this stems from the manager who plays an archaic Martin O’Neill type of football. Galway who are very average were made look good. They tried hard and were the better team by a distance. They should have had a stonewall penalty in the last minute. In saying that their first one was dodgy at best, the swan dived earned it. McDonald needs to buy two cbs and go from there.
@Fergus McGrath: Stephen Folan would be a great signing for limerick next season.
CCFC fan here who was at the game last night, (drops down to a number of games when CCFC are playing away).
Yes in fairness I would agree that the posts on here from LCFC fans are accurate. While agreeing that Galway are average as stated I would say that LFC are only above average themselves. I don’t agree that Limerick made them look good, considering Galways periless position they came to the Markeks Field with a positive game plan, stuck to in and should have been 2 up instead of 2 goals down at half time.
Its great that Limerick are safe but they are at a crossroads, no doubt the managers position will have to be reviewed for the 2nd time this season while also a couple of their better players, namely Heny and Ogbene will be courted by other clubs and will possibly move on.