Using Concrete Results to Stay Motivated!

By March, our New Year’s resolutions are sometimes long forgotten. At this time of the year, you may need a little motivation boost to stay on course toward an active lifestyle, losing weight, or getting into shape.

To better understand motivation and, above all, maintain a peak level of determination, ask yourself these questions:

• What were my expectations when I began this process? Were they realistic?

• What methods should I use to meet my goals? Support from a group or a friend? Support from a personal trainer?

• What positive results have I seen since changing my lifestyle?

• What obstacles did I encounter? What did I do to try to overcome them?

Since it is also important to us that you meet your goal, here is a solution that will allow you to stay the course.

Assessment of your physical fitness by a kinesiologist

This assessment helps you determine how to improve your physical fitness by making use of various tests:

• a lifestyle assessment

• an anthropometric assessment (weight, height, circumferences, body fat percentage)

• a cardiovascular assessment (estimate of your VO₂ max)

• a muscle assessment (flexibility, endurance, strength, power)

After this assessment, the kinesiologist will be able to give you a complete report on your current physical fitness level, help you set a realistic goal, and suggest various strategies for achieving it.

Benefits of a physical fitness assessment

• Not only will you meet your goal more easily, but you will also maintain a high level of motivation.

• By acknowledging your starting point, you will be able to select the type of training that will allow you to maximize your results while noting the gains you have made as a result of your training program.

• Knowing the scope of your goal and the steps needed to meet it will allow you to set realistic objectives and adjust your expectations accordingly.

• Make prompt adjustments if the original strategy does not seem to be generating the expected results. Your kinesiologist can help you target the elements of your strategy that are the most difficult to put into practice in your everyday life.

How often should I be assessed?

This will vary greatly depending on your goal, but in general, it is appropriate to be reassessed every two to three months. If assessments are too spread out, it could lead to laxness and a decrease in motivation. If they are too close together, however, the body will not have enough time to adapt and it will be harder to see progress.

So remember the following points:

• Having a clear, well-defined goal is essential. If your goal has not yet been decided, that should be the first step.

• It is always more motivating to see that the effort we put in on a daily basis is paying off. It is therefore recommended to have a physical fitness assessment every two to three months.

• You will not necessarily see results on the first try. Learn from your mistakes, try a new strategy, and come back strong.

• Asking a professional for help will increase your chances of meeting your goal.