Category Archives: Uncategorized

Against the odds

I must apologise to everyone who follows me on Twitter because I’ve already mentioned a crush I’ve developed for the actor Jason Statham since watching ‘Transporter 3’ last weekend. In reality, the film is Hollywood fictional nonsense at its very best, but who doesn’t like a bit of that from time to time. It also had the sort of class and sophistication of a Bond film; although I must say, and sorry in advance to any Daniel Craig fans, but for me, Frank Martin, as played by the lovely Mr Statham is far more enigmatic and charismatic……there, I’ve said it, and it’s out there :-)

Anyway, enough now because there is a serious point to this, in fact 2 serious points. Firstly, I love the way that, despite seemingly insurmountable odds, he spends the film dealing with an endless supply of baddies by using effortless martial arts moves in order to do what he set out to do. (It’s a good job he keeps a stash of beautifully crisp, white Shirts & black ties in the boot of his Audi). But therein lies a message – when you set out to achieve something difficult, you need to take on all of the challenges that will inevitably be presented along the way; and never give up no matter how the odds are stacked against you.

The 2nd serious point is actually a question; what fabulous piece of kit is missing from the ‘Transporter 3’ film? ………..An Aston Martin DB9 of course!!! Mind you, I have to admit that the Audi isn’t too shabby :-)

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What Is The Motivation To Exercise?

Maintaining the motivation to keep exercising can be hard, but sometimes the hardest part is actually getting started in the first place.

As a personal trainer, I have heard both clients and friends say that they are just “not motivated”. They may have made plans to exercise, but when it came down to actually doing it, there were a thousand other everyday things that needed to be done first. We can also see this in the number of gym memberships which are entered into with the best of intentions, but are rarely used.

So why does exercise seem like a really good idea until the time comes to do it?  And if a lack of motivation is what holds you back, then perhaps we need to look at what motivation is.

I like a positive definition of the word and, for me, motivation is the desire, willingness and even enthusiasm I have for doing something.

So, given that definition, where does the desire, willingness and enthusiasm come from? It is, of course, subjective. But, for example, in the case of professional sports people, their motivation is to be the best in their field, and to win. For us mere mortals, our motivation to exercise could be to try to be healthier and to live longer for our children. Also, for a lot of people, the motivation can be to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight over the long term.

The problem with a lack of motivation to exercise is that we may live in hope that one day we’ll wake up and the motivation will have miraculously appeared, or that someone will give us the motivation to do it, but neither is entirely realistic. And we must take responsibility for understanding that our motivation needs to be actively thought about and created from within ourselves.

What motivates me to exercise given that I am one of the mere mortals I spoke of?  For me, the motivation to exercise can change on a daily basis, but there are some elements which always remain the same:

  • Exercise is crucial for my weight management given that I love a good plate of food, and also have a weakness for a wine gum or 2 (practise what you preach I hear you say).
  • I have also always felt the effects of the ‘happy’ endorphins generated by exertion.
  • The less I move, the more tired I feel, so exercise gives me more energy.
  • And finally, feeling fit and strong just helps in the negotiation of my everyday life.

For tips and ideas about how to get motivated go to What Is The Motivation To Exercise? PART 2.

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