There are days that you feel tired and sluggish. For some of us, it is hard to motivate yourself to exercise because you just don’t feel like it. But, sometimes all you need is to do is to pick yourself up, get out of bed, go to the gym, and work out.

So maybe some of you are already wondering, how on earth do you get yourself motivated to go to the gym and work out when you feel very lethargic? Below are eight practical tips you can ponder on to get the body moving and get your feet out of the door.

Condition your mind

Our brain has the most influence on our actions. Our mind is a very powerful thing that dictates our mood, attitude, and decision towards almost everything that we do. It is very important to remember that before getting up and heading towards the gym, you should have a very positive mindset on working out. Once you master this mind conditioning exercise, you will be amazed at the results that it can give you.

Enjoy what you do

Top two things that will motivate you in going to the gym and working out: enjoying and loving what you do.

When we have a positive emotion or feeling in a certain place or thing, our minds instantly create a connection that makes you want to crave for that feeling again. So even if you feel a bit lazy at the moment, you will certainly want to get moving because you are yearning and want the positive emotion to take over your day.

Look at yourself dressed in workout clothes

It helps you get motivated when you look at yourself in the mirror all geared up for the gym. It somehow persuades our mind to go out and push for a specific task like jumping onto the treadmill or yoga stretching. When are eyes are satisfied, we become confident and inspired.

So what are you waiting for? Go buy those workout clothes that you’ve been eyeing for weeks and invest in them.

Focus on your goals

Since we are using visual cues as our great motivator today, have you ever heard of vision boards? Vision boards help us visualize our goals – it unfolds ways on how to achieve our targets and it invokes us to take action.

As for going to the gym and working out, try making one for your fitness goals. It is best to place it in areas or corners that you likely see it regularly. Maybe on top of your bed headboard, office wall, or at your desk.

It also stimulates your brain to be creative, thus, another reason to feel positive about working out.

Be realistic

Setting an almost impossible goal is unrealistic and may only lead you to frustration and quitting. Only set attainable fitness goals. Aiming for a body like that of the Victoria’s Secret Angels, a 10-year marathoner or a body like Rocky is unworkable and also unhealthy. It may cause doing workouts you should not do and perform, and follow an even stricter diet that may negatively affect your body.

Get a good trainer

Getting a personal trainer is one of the best tips that we can advise to help you get motivated in your fitness journey. It might cost you additional bucks but this tip is worth it. Personal trainers will not only guide you and walk you through the proper ways of working out but they will also impart their knowledge by giving you pep talks. Personal trainers also help to build customizable routines that are perfectly fit in your lifestyle and goals.

Progress tracking

Let’s admit it, when we see and feel that we are making progress, we are more motivated. No matter how small your progress is, it is still considered progress and at the end of the day, it will later add up to your fitness success.

Try having your logbook or diary indicating your fitness routines, your start weight, your diet, and the like. As you look back, you will be amazed by how much progress you have made over time. Some also log in their exercise minutes, reps, and sets! It might be an additional task for you to do, but again it is going to be worth it at the end.

The good news is, most of today’s mobile phones have an app version of this and you may download one for yourself. By tracking what you have accomplished today, you will want to outperform that the following work out.

Consistency is key

To be able to keep your pace at going to the gym, it is very important to stick to your workout schedule. By doing this, you become more disciplined in performing your tasks.

We know it is sometimes challenging to go to the gym regularly. But we strongly believe in you and your capabilities to hit your goal towards fitness. that ‘s why at Rec Xpress, we encourage you to visit any of our 6 conveniently located branches and talk to our staff about our gym membership fee. We hope to see you there!

What are the obstacle races?

Modern racing has evolved enough to include not only the regular races but the obstacle races as well. These are races that are performed in the usual running court but have special obstacles placed every 30 feet distance.

This kind of obstacles is important for the difficulty level of the race. They are usually wooden parts that are elevated to almost 3 feet of height and must be jumped over by the runners. The presence of such obstacles is adding an extra difficulty to the race and require a lot more effort by the athletes.

Which shoes are best for obstacle races?

Not all shoes are capable of giving you the same level of protection for obstacle racing. Most of the usual sneakers are having less powerful outsoles to absorb the impact shocks that jumping over the obstacles may impose. You don’t necessarily need the newest or most powerful shoes on the market. You need the best shoes for tough mudder that provide better traction in mud or wet when running.

Not to mention, that the normal sneakers are usually not elevated enough in terms of upper mesh and shaft to cover your ankle and metatarsal areas. This is required when you are participating in an obstacle race since the constant impacts and vibrations may disturb the normal architecture of your ankle joints and ligaments.

So, the best obstacle racing shoes are those who are flexible enough to withstand constant running without losing their shape. Moreover, you need to have unique protection to the heel and foot curve areas that are the most sensitive parts of your footbeds.

Sneakers that have more room for the forefoot area are mostly likely to help you outperform when you are participating in obstacle racing. This happens because your toe fingers have more room to move feely against each other and provide you with better stability during the race.

The external layers of the sneakers are the ones that have to be extra waterproof. This will help you pass all the watery parts of the court since most obstacle racing included such areas. You certainly lose in performance when water reaches your inner feet area, and this is why is it absolutely important to wear water resistant kind of shoes.

Shoes that give you extreme performance in obstacle racing

Most of these shoes are looking like normal sneakers only that they have special characteristics that enable you to have the competitive edge against all your opponents. These shoes are featuring a smart insole that takes the shape of your feet while running. This is extremely important since you are constantly feeling comfortable in your shoes without the need to stop for getting some rest.

Additionally, these shoes have a more complex lacing system that bends your shoes over your foot arch without suppressing them. These laces usually consist of a lightweight plastic strap that embraces the foot arch and give more stability than the normal shoelaces do.

The inner shoe layers are equally important as the outer ones for your great performance. Inner shoe layers are coming to direct touch to your feet and can absorb your excessive sweating phenomena. This is a top priority if you want to finish the obstacle race since sweating can destabilize you when running at higher speed.

The importance of the outsole in obstacle racing

There is no chance you complete successfully an obstacle racing without wearing the right kind of shoes in terms of outsoles. This part of the shoes plays a significant role in your stability since it is the only part that comes to direct touch with the ground.

It has a double role. First, it needs to give you enough friction to enhance your grip and give you more traction when you run. Additionally, the outsole needs to be durable and rigid enough to withstand all the adverse weather conditions and get you to the finish line. All the shoes that obstacle racing champions wear are having the most technically innovated outsoles.

Conclusion

There is practically zero chance you thrive in obstacle racing without being equipped with the right type of shoes. The careful selection of the sneakers will probably get you closer to the finish line while offering you extreme protection and comfort.

Shoes are the most important part of your outfit when racing and ensuring that they are of top quality should always be your top priority.