Whether you are a casual gym member, a weekend visitor, a health and fitness buff, a newbie or someone who’s finally gotten into a solid workout groove, your motivation levels are bound to fluctuate, and every now and then you will find it hard to pull yourself through the gym.

With a continuous shift towards an era of sedentary lifestyle, making any alteration in behavior, such as starting a physical activity, is significant and challenging too. Staying motivated and focused on something that you don’t particularly enjoy isn’t easy. Maintaining motivation for something also depends on how much you enjoy that thing. This is applicable on your exercise routine also. If you find an exercise routine that you enjoy doing, you can easily fit it in your lifestyle and you’re more likely to make a sustainable change.

So begin your fitness journey bearing in mind that there will be concise setbacks when you do not feel like exercising.  Be prepared for these 'slips' with these strategies to pick up where you left off.

Make health your top priority – The first and foremost thing to remember is to make health your top priority. Until you assign a high value on the benefits of being physically active, your hard work will probably fall short. Be honest and take time to re-frame your thinking about health and active lifestyle. Fit these things in your value system and keep up the motivation.

Start slowly and don’t overwhelm yourself – Try not to take on a mountain all at once. It is always good to work for incremental progress. Take one step at a time and be patient with the change and growth. Starting with a smaller aim will gradually prepare your body for the intense workouts.  

Surround yourself with health savvy people and learn from your mistakes – Never accompany people with a negative attitude, as they will always make you focus on all the wrong things and de-motivate you.

Conduct regular self evaluations and learn from your mistakes. Doing this will greatly help you in handling similar situations in future.

Keep it interesting – Never make your exercise routine monotonous. Keep trying something new or challenging and always set new fitness goals.

Be flexible with routine – Don’t keep pushing yourself unnecessarily when you are obviously tired. In case you are feeling exhausted, give yourself a break or exercise in moderation, whatever you find suitable to the situation.

Mix it up – Variety is the key to make things engaging and exciting. With a great number of exercise options, there is some form of activity available for everyone. This mix and match kind of thinking will always keep you motivated and looking forward to your next workout!

Pat yourself on the back – Don’t shy away from being happy or proud, every time you accomplish even a small goal. Not only will you feel great about your achievement, you’ll also find yourself pumped up on the not-so-motivated days.

Attitude is everything! Initially when you aspire for a fit lifestyle and pace into a fitness program, you are completely fired up, but over time this enthusiasm wanes when you get bored or notice very slow to no results.

But as staying active is crucial to maintaining long-term health for your heart and body, these quick tips will help you in setting reasonable expectations, breaking up the monotony, and achieving your long-term fitness, something  that your body will thank you for.

For more health & fitness tips, visit Fitness Professionals Dubai now!