Senior Sneakers: S.M.A.R.T. Motivation

Q: I just had my 70th birthday and I’ve recently started working out again. I thought I’d be more motivated to keep my body young and active, but I’m having a hard time keeping my motivation. I know that I need to be exercising, so what can I do to enjoy the process and stay consistent? – Helen J.

A: Great question, Helen! It is actually very common for people to struggle with staying motivated in the gym. In my experience, the majority of people that exercise fit into this category, regardless of age. Why is it that some people have a hard time staying motivated where others place exercise higher up on their totem pole of priorities?

Well, let’s begin with what I think is the root of this issue: Goals. Have you accomplished them? Or, at the other end of the spectrum: Have you even created them?

One weekend, my girlfriend and I went to meet some friends at their house for lunch after church. They live in an area of Geneva that we aren’t familiar with, so we put their address in our GPS. We knew where we wanted to go, figured out how to get there and guess what? We got there! If we had not known where we were going or how to get there, we probably would have gotten frustrated and our level of motivation to find their house would decrease.

Do you see where I’m going with this? Create your “fitness destination.” Be as specific as possible. To get you thinking in the right direction, write these questions down and answer them: What do you want to accomplish? Why is that important to you? What is your plan to reach your goal? What is your time frame to accomplish this goal?

Put these questions and answers somewhere you will see them each day and can use them as a constant reminder of why these goals are important to you. (I have mine posted on my bathroom mirror, so I see them every morning as I’m getting ready.) In conjunction with the questions you answer above, remember that your goal needs to be S.M.A.R.T.: Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Results-focused and Time-bound.

Exercising without setting any goals is like getting into your car and driving without a destination in mind. When traveling, you know the exact location at which you want to arrive and find the directions to get you there, so do the same with your exercise routine. If you have a specific goal and have figured out a plan of action, you will be more likely to accomplish them and therefore way more likely to stay motivated.

Kevin McGaha, Certified Personal Trainer and co-owner of Anytime Fitness in Winter Park, has extensive training experience with a cross-section of demographics and activity levels, including those wanting to look and feel healthier to sports-specific training. He can be reached at 321-972-5833 for personal training. Have a health and fitness question? Email him at [email protected] and get a free personal training session.