June 29 - Maintain Your Motivation:

If exercising regularly and staying healthy were easy, everyone would do it. One of the biggest challenges in meeting any goal is finding the motivation to stick with it. Motivation changes and can fluctuate from week to week. Every time you lose inspiration and slip-up, remember you have two choices: you can continue walking backwards and move even further away from your goal; or you can accept your lack of perfection as normal and forgivable and take a forward step toward the future you want. Here’s how:

1. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Often times we are our own biggest enemy. We expect too much from ourselves, and when we don’t meet those expectations we beat ourselves up and give up. Instead, be nice to yourself. Stumbling is normal, so forgive yourself and move on.
2. Avoid the all-or-nothing thinking. Don’t make exercise and health extreme or complicated. Doing something is better nothing. Yes, we could always be doing something better, but we could also be doing something worse. Do what you can do for now, and perfect things later.
3. Find what works for you. Just because your friend runs every morning and eats organic to stay healthy doesn’t mean that’s what you have to do to lose weight or get in shape. Look for your own combination of tools, tips and techniques that work for you. After all, you know yourself the best!

If you’ve stumbled and need help getting back up, we are here to help. Contact Natalie Cooks, Health Coach Supervisor to schedule a complimentary appointment with a Health Coach: Ncooks@primehealthcare.com or 775.770.7503.

Hi, my name is Natalie Cooks and I love helping people lead healthier lifestyles. Not only do I have a full time job at the Fitness Center, but I am also a full time wife and mom. Often my family and work responsibilities prevent me from exercising and being consistent to my goals, but I do my best to start fresh each day and tell myself I deserve to take time to invest in my health!