As the weather starts to get colder, motivation to exercise can be harder to come by. Record breaking Ironwoman and all-round legend Courtney Hancock shares her top tips for staying focussed and crushing those fitness goals, whatever the weather…
Be a goal-getter
A great way to get started is to set yourself some goals. Start big and then break them down into a series of smaller ones. I’ll take a big goal, such as the Coolangatta Gold, and I’ll break it down into smaller goals. That way, every time I hit a goal, I’ll be marking achievements and feel like I’m making progress along the way. It’s a great way to get your head in the game and keep you focussed and feeling good. The more detailed you are with your goals and what you aim to get out of each of them, the more drive you’ll have to achieve them. Say you wanted to do a fun run in a few months’ time. The first goal could be to get into a routine of running. You could set a goal to start by going for a run a couple of days a week. Commit to it, make yourself responsible for it. Think about what you will get out of it. You’ll be exercising and getting fitter, but you’ll also be taking time for yourself. Running can be your meditation time, use it to free your mind.
Power up
When you drive your car, you really look after it. You put the best fuel in you can, you take care of the engine and make sure it’s running at its best for you and your family. It’s the same for your body! You won’t get the best out of your body if you don’t look after it. Look at what you’re eating and strive to fuel yourself with good food choices that are in line with helping you achieve those goals. Think about what you’re drinking too and make sure you’re staying hydrated. Coconut water is a great way to hydrate after exercising, as it packs a nutritional punch thanks to its naturally occurring electrolytes. They’re the reason why people call it nature’s sports drink!
Time for bed!
This is so important! We all need to take time to rest and to get a good night’s sleep. It’s impossible to function and motivate properly without it. Don’t get too worried about bedtime and being really exact. It’s whatever works best for you. For example, what really works for me is Monday to Thursday I stick to 8.30pm (It sounds early, but I do get up at 4.50am to train!). On Friday and Saturday, I’ll go to bed a bit later and then back to 8.30pm on a Sunday – that way I can start Monday off right. Get to know your body and what works for you. Trust me, a bit of routine will work wonders for your motivation and your energy levels.
If you get your diet and your sleep schedule right, I promise you’ll stick to those goals! You’ll want to move your body and you’ll feel great about yourself too. Good luck and stay #rawsome!
Click here to read about Courtney’s training routine and here for more on why coconut water is known as nature’s sports drink…
