Starting any exercise routine is more difficult than people anticipate. There is a process of contemplation and even precontemplation, in which the individual thinks about starting to plan his or her routine rather than actually doing anything physical. But once you get into your new regimen it all becomes a lot easier, particularly if it is going well. You will start to feel inspired to continue your workout and to make further changes to your lifestyle.

The sticky patch comes a few weeks later, when the idea of going for a run on a wet Saturday morning is a little less appealing, or the desire for that extra glass of wine after a stressful day can overtake your previously virtuous self. It is only normal and we all respond to our environment and the people around us in different ways. Taking exercise is one way to cope with rising stress levels. Or we can run away from them by comfort eating, say, or having a drink.

Even the most confident of people need guidance and motivation to assure that their goals are reached and their efforts not wasted. Professional sportspeople cannot survive without their coach, manager and adviser. However, as most people can’t surround themselves with professionals, the next best thing is a personal trainer. Good personal trainers should be able to step in, understand the personal triggers and use a range of approaches to coax the best out of their clients. But if you don’t have access to someone who can help you, what can you do?

POSITIVE SELF-IMAGE

How I lost 12lb with The Times Health Club

Lee Wilkinson lost 12lb test-driving our new health club

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BACKGROUND

• Welcome to The Times Health Club, by the editor of Body&Soul

• Getting started with The Times Health Club

• Ten good reasons to keep a food diary

Related Internet Links

• The Times Health Club

It might sound a bit American for some, but you have to talk yourself up a bit – no, a lot. Losing motivation when you just don’t feel good about how you look is easy. Going to the gym if you look great is easier.

Tell yourself that you are great. Tell yourself that you will reach your goal because you deserve to. Don’t just do it once, do it often, every day, several times a day. When you feel as though you are going to cave in and not work out or you want to reach for that muffin, tell yourself again. You need to have a self-talk mantra. Use it before playing sport or going to the gym. It sounds odd, but it really does work. Also create a vision of yourself in the shape that you would realistically like to be. Make it a strong visual image and keep that image very much in your thoughts when you think about anything to do with your health and wellbeing. It will become the trigger that keeps you on the straight and narrow.

MAKE A PLAN

I like to think of my clients as individual businesses, each with its own unique plan. I have a long-term strategy for them, which is their ultimate goal (one year away), a medium-term goal, which is a good benchmarker on progress (three months), and a range of short-term goals that keep the progress happening (one to two weeks each). The process of setting clear patterns and viewing yourself as a project is critical in maintaining focus. Athletes do it all of the time, with training plans mapped over the entire year, designed to hit targets on specific dates. It works.

LEARN YOUR SUBJECT

Read up and understand what you need to do to achieve your goals. Knowledge is crucial, but you need a reliable source. The Times Health Club provides excellent tools such as a library of features on how to exercise and the best type of exercise for your body shape. This will help you to understand your subject and you will also find knowledgeable, like-minded people in the forums, who will be able to help you achieve your goals. And you can track your progress, which will help to keep you motivated and feel as if you are getting close to achieving your goal.

GET A BUDDY

It may be your partner, a trainer, a friend or work colleague. You may have buddied up with someone online through The Times Health Club or chosen friends to be your motivators by e-mail. Whatever route you have chosen, partnering is a very effective way of retaining motivation. If you have organised to go running or attend an exercise class with a friend, you will feel compelled to show up, or not only will you be letting yourself down, but you will be letting someone else down too. Or choose a buddy that you know you can be competitive with; it will ensure that you are keeping up, or perhaps even winning, and you are far more likely to stick to the programme.

Staying motivated can be tricky, but by backing yourself up with the correct people and resources, you give yourself every chance of riding through any tough moments.

To find out more about Matt, just log on to www.mattroberts.co.uk

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