BOOST YOUR MOTIVATION WITH RESISTANCE BANDS
Smart jump ropes, online fitness coaches, smart scales, and other fitness gadgets and apps: current fitness solution are booming. On the other hand, current research shows that the health conditions of our communities around the world are decreasing. The World Health organization, describes immobility as:
“ A Global Public Health Problem“
WHO - Physical Inactivity [1]
Immobility and inactivity are major challenges of human mankind and seem to be a problem that hasn’t been solved. The average U.S. adult sits more than 6.5 hours per day and this number is continuously increasing. Sedentary behaviour in western countries is becoming a major issue. Working out and staying fit requires consistency and a certain level of determination. But it doesn’t have to be the daily struggle that a lot of people are experiencing every day. [2]
This article explains the reasons behind our daily struggle to stay fit and move more. Additionally, you will gain some interesting insights into resistance bands and how they can help you smash your fitness goals. Let’s get started.
Current Scenario
An interesting YouGov poll revealed that 59% of respondents included fitness in their new year’s resolutions. Not surprisingly, 73% of the fitness resolution setters abandoned their decisions long before meeting their goals. Pretty sure the 2020 new year’s resolution won’t be much different. But why can’t we stick to our fitness goals? [3]
3 Major Reasons Why People Stop Exercising
- No Purpose
Several people set sail on the fitness journey because they feel that they should do something or maybe because they feel peer pressure. The initial few days of hitting the gym and meeting new people might feel cool and inspiring. However, after a couple of weeks, unless you a have a concrete “WHY,” it’s quite challenging to keep going.
- Poor Goal Setting
If your goal is to simple “run every day,” getting yourself to stay fit will be difficult in the long run. An absence of a defined target means you lack a clear understanding of what exactly you wish to achieve. Secondly, a lot of people aim too high and get discouraged by the fact that their goals seems to be unreachable. Setting clear, quantified, and achievable goals is important on your journey towards a healthy lifestyle.
- Lack of Consistency
“It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.”
Tony Robbins. [4]
Consistency is vital when it comes to changing your life. Anybody can hit the gym a few days and then call it quits. If you want to witness real change, consistency is the solution. Stick to your goals and always remember why you do it.
Easy Tips for Fitness Motivation
Remember that if you change nothing, nothing changes. To improve your fitness outcomes, consider implementing the following changes:
Determine Your Why
What’s your objective? Why do you want to work out? Is it to improve your self-esteem or to improve your own wellbeing and health?
Focus on how the quality of your life will improve upon working out. Be super specific on your why. Instead of zeroing in on “I want to work out to be healthy,” consider “I want to be fit in order to climb a few stairs without losing my breath.”
Set Specific Goals
Think in numbers and merely activities. Instead of deciding to run every day, step it up a notch and decide on something like running 5k or working out till you lose 8lbs (4kg).
When you attach figures to your goal, you know where you are headed, and this motivates you to go the distance.
Make It a Habit
Consistency is what separates the good from the great. Forming habits requires consistency, which requires the willingness to put in the effort.
Three main components of a habit:
- Cue
- Routine
- Reward
A cue is something that triggers your habit. It could range from a thought to a specific time during the day or only a feeling. The routine is the actual activity you wish to habitualize: the work out in this case. The reward refers to a predetermined enjoyable activity you do because you carried out the routine.
In the case of working out, your cue could be something as simple as an alarm or notification that goes off at 5 PM every day. The routine is your workout regime. The reward could be a smoothie at that cafeteria you love. The catch is that you get the reward only if you engage in the routine.
Try engaging in this habit “loop” for a few days and over time, working out will become natural like brushing your teeth or stretching when you wake up. Research shows that it takes only 21 days to form a habit. 21 days separate you from a consistent desire to workout. What are you waiting for?
STRAFFFR Stats Screen Includes Streak Indication to Increase Fitness Motivation
What are Resistance Bands?
Unlike the popular misconception, resistance bands are for everyone, not only physiotherapists and personal trainer. Resistance bands are elastic bands that facilitate strength-training workouts without weights!
You can complete a full-body workout and mix it up with variety and intensity using resistance bands. Major benefits of resistance bands are that they are, portable, versatile, and easy to use. The benefits of resistance bands can really boost your motivation.
What are the Benefits of Using Resistance Bands?
Portability + Lightweight = Fantastic
The portability means that you can work out literally anywhere. Have a 15-minute break at the office? Take out your resistance band and start stretching. Furthermore, resistance bands are incredibly lightweight, and you can store them in your suitcase, purse, or laptop bag. This really boost your motivation to workout out because you can take your resistance band literally anywhere.
Versatility:
Resistance bands allow you to perform 50+ exercises while training almost every muscle of your body. Upon narrowing your grip, the band’s resistance increases, thus allowing you to vary the workout intensity. This versatility can really boost your fitness motivation with resistance bands – you will never get bored. The resistance band is like an entire gym in your bag.
Customization
It doesn’t matter if you are into football, basketball, badminton, any other sport, or maybe no sport at all. You can tailor the resistance band training to fit your specific fitness goals. Shoulder stability for volleyball or handball players, neck stretches for office workers; there are a lot of targeted workouts to choose from.
In a Nutshell
Immobility is a real issue and requires some genuine efforts. Fitness may sound harsh, but a few changes in your lifestyle can go a long way in attaining a regular workout habit.
Resistance bands are a fantastic fitness tool, enabling you to work out on the go. You should definitely give them a shot! If you need extra motivation with personal training plans, goal setting, quantified resistance band training and habit building elements, you should check out STRAFFR – the world’s first smart resistance band powered by machine learning.