Woman with kettlebells When it comes to long-term fitness, dips in energy and motivation can hit even the best of us. We asked Fitness Superstore’s Louise, qualified Fitness Instructor and self-confessed fitness fanatic, how she stays driven and kicks those motivation dips when they try to creep in… [caption id="attachment_318" align="alignleft" width="150" class=" "]Fitness instructor Louise Fitness Instructor Louise[/caption] Motivation is something that we can struggle with in all areas of our lives and to enjoy long-term success takes constant effort and determination. Here are a few of the things that keep me constantly energised to keep up with my health and fitness lifestyle. #1. That drive to maintain peak performance I’ve always been someone who prides herself in being fit and healthy. I’m not in my 20s anymore, but for me age should not determine how you should feel about your body. It’s that drive to maintain peak fitness that keeps me constantly going. On those days when I feel less motivated, I literally tell myself that I can’t let those feelings overwhelm me. All it takes is to remember that in order to maintain the fitness levels of my younger years, I have to remain focused. #2. Feeling the burn! When I wake up the morning after a workout and feel those aches where my muscles have been seriously worked, it gives me incredible satisfaction. As simple as it sounds and although I’m aching, it gives me a real boost to know I’ve made my muscles work hard. Rather than curl back up under the duvet, I actually want to jump out of bed and start the day! To constantly keep my body guessing, I incorporate a lot of high intensity interval training (HIIT) and functional fitness into my training regime. #3. Making fitness part of my life To stay motivated in the long term, I think it’s absolutely crucial to make your health and fitness regime part of your everyday lifestyle. This is why I ensure my training fits in with my lifestyle. Trying to succeed with an unrealistic set of goals is just not going to happen. So my advice is to make sure you are realistic and make your programme work for you, not for someone else. If you’re unlikely to get out of the office regularly at 5pm, for example, don’t book yourself onto an early evening circuits class you’ll struggle to get to. You’ve got to make your lifestyle part of your regular routine.

If you struggle to get to the gym, a great solution is to get yourself kitted out with some home fitness equipment. Even just having a set of dumbbells or kettlebells at home and a good workout DVD can help. I also find that keeping the gym equipment in sight can also help prevent me from skipping a workout!

#4. Being positive and feeding off energy from others [caption id="attachment_369" align="alignnone" width="600"]Fitness class Working out with others is a great motivator[/caption] For me, there’s no better way to shift a motivational low than by feeding off energy from others. I am really lucky to teach fitness classes, such as studio cycling and high intensity interval workouts (HIIT) as it means I can feed off that buzz of energy from others. Training with a partner or group of like-minded people really is a great way to stay motivated. Plus, as an instructor, I have a responsibility to remain energised. Who wants to attend a fitness class with a less than enthusiastic instructor at the helm? That’s why I’ll always recommend surrounding yourself with people who motivate you. It’s a fantastic solution for motivational lulls. #5. Being inspired to keep up with the best of them! It makes me feel so happy when my clients tell me they’ve enjoyed a class, or that they’ve reached a fitness goal, such as their target weight with my help. It’s great to hear about others’ success stories. And, as I see my clients get fitter, I obviously want to make sure I can keep up with them. That certainly helps to keep me motivated! By working out with others, it can help give you that drive to keep up with everyone else. But even if we can’t be at the front of the class, seeing others’ progress and performance can inspire us to work harder and stay focused. Maybe there’s a professional sports person or athlete that inspires you? So how do you stay motivated? We’d love to hear your tips. Tell us in the comments! Louise Tippleston is a Fitness Superstore Sales Advisor and qualified Fitness Instructor who teaches studio cycling and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) classes. When she isn’t teaching classes, Louise goes running and enjoys functional fitness training.