FREE ARTICLES

• Fueling Your Motivation For Sports
• The Competition on the Edge: The Art of Being Courageous
• Wait Training: The Difficult Art of Being Patient
• What Makes a Champion?
• Understanding and Handling Performance Pressure

Fueling Your Motivation for Sports

As an athlete, you may wonder how you can remain motivated and excited for your workouts on a daily basis. There is no magic involved. When I work with athletes and fitness enthusiasts, I help them to remember the intrinsic physiological benefits that transpire from the very moment they begin to move their bodies. Simply being aware of these occurrences taking place in-the-moment motivates them to continue and feel good about the process itself. The following physiological benefits can be posted in a visible place to help you keep perspective on your true motive (taken from the word MOTIVATION) of overall fitness and wellness: Working out

• Lowers your blood pressure. It increases vessel size and elasticity.

• Raises the quality of blood by increasing the number of blood cells, hemogolbin and plasma

• Raises the high-density lipoproteins (HDL's), which clear the arteries of unhealthy cholestrerol deposits.

• Strengthens the heart muscle. Like all muscles, the heart grows larger and stronger if it's worked.

• Makes the lungs more efficient.

• Controls Osteoporosis by reversing or delaying the opportunity.

• Controls weight and metabolism and burns fat.

• Enhances thought processes.

• Controls stress and degenerative diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, cancer and heart failure.

To increase motivation during the workout "BLAH's", read the list once a day to create movement out of the front door rather than into the refrigerator door.

You can also maintain higher levels of motivation and prevent the "BLAH's" from even taking place throughout the year by simply remembering on word - PLEASURE. The absence of pleasure is like a cancer to the soul of motivation. To increase your pleasure factor, consider the following seven guides.

BECOME AFFILIATED:  A group of similar interested athletes will encourage each other to show up and complete a workout.

COMPETE:  Competing creates environments where athletes are encouraged to use their abilities and improve as well as offering extrinsic, tangible rewards for motivation such as medals, ribbons, certificates and prizes.

VARIATION:  Pleasure factors rise when changes in the routine and environment take place. Seek opportunities to alter where and how you train. This will increase excitement, enthusiasm and joy.

CROSS TRAIN:  If you run, ride a bike or swim once a week to balance out the system and give certain muscle groups a rest.

SET GOALS:  Goals are natural motivators, especially those that bring pleasure. For example, make your next competition a family vacation in a beautiful location.

GO SLOWER, ARRIVE SOONER:  This paradox helps you to see how pleasure is lost when you rush the process. By "hurrying-up", you risk injury, delay and sickness.

KEEP PERSPECTIVE:  Lighten up when you begin to take yourself too seriously. Your basic purpose is to have fun and enjoy the process otherwise it becomes a burden.