Motivation Found in the Gym

Sometimes motivation can be found in be missed in the most obvious of places. For example, my college, Humber College has an impressive fitness facility. It contains to rooms, one for cardio and another for the weight room, along with studio rooms and a small lounge equipped with 2 always-used tennis tables. But beyond the physicality of the gym, there are somethings that the regulars such as myself, miss. After examining the space in-depth, I realized that the fitness centre is not just for being healthy in terms of the body, but also through the mind.

I have mentioned plenty of times that I have come across kind gym-goers who encouraged me by giving me a high five or by complimenting me after I did a good lift. Conversation with strangers in the gym is key in order to remain focused that motivated to continue working out. This is because that you know for sure that there are people rooting for you and want you to succeed!

Another interesting characteristic about where I work out is that the fitness centre can also double as a bank for motivational quotes! In one photo, a motivational quote was printed on to a wall and on the next photo, a board pinned with motivational pictures and posters is rightfully displayed steps before you enter into the weight room. Just to give you that extra big of motivation.

This post isn’t about me bragging about where I workout but that not all gyms are created to drain the money out of your pocket but are actually their to truly help you in your life. My gym is a testimony to that mindset and should be enough for you to motivate you in searching for what your gym has in store for you to become a better you. Whether it may be the people in the gym, the posters on the wall, or those guys that won’t leave the table tennis table.

Socializing in the Gym is not Hard

If you have been online long enough you may realize that there are a lot of people on the internet that complains of the loneliness and attributes them to being anti-social and that they just do not fit into society. What is even more absurd is the fact that they are in online forums that are about topics that involve plenty of people. Some of them about being in the gym! Let me give you a little hint: if you are going to the gym, you already have something in common with all the people in the gym! So use it to interact!

You can make worthwhile conversations with any stranger in the gym that begins with simple as simple as just doing the same exercise or using the same bench. Experiences where I have met friends were through doing some unique exercises people don’t usually see, just working out in the same area of the gym, being a “regular” in the gym at the same time, and also just waiting in line just to use a machine.

What I am trying to get is do not be intimidated by people who go to the gym. There is a very good chance that they are searching for someone to talk to as much as you are. Especially, those people who go to the gym by themselves and are regulars who go to the gym at the same time everyday. It takes a toll with people by being alone doing the same thing on a daily basis. Trust me, I was one of them.

What is Fitocray? Social Media's answer to Healthy Living

Lately I have been posting about how the internet is capable of helping you reach your health and fitness goals. I have spoken about /r/GetMotivated, an online community made to motivate their users and I have discussed the influence that YouTube videos are capable of in inspiring action. This time, I will discuss a social media twist on trying to stay fit and healthy.

Allow me to introduce you to Fitocracy. It contains all the components that a social media platform should have: 

• A community
• Some form of "Feed"
• Groups for people with specific interest
• Profiles
• Followers
• Some for of approving one's post (To "Like" something is to Facebook as to "Prop" something is to Fitocracy)

It has everything a social media site should plus one thing that differentiates it from the rest and thus defines it as a health and fitness website. And that is to post the progress that you make in the gym for people in Fitocracy to see and possibly “Prop” or comment.

YouTube videos that Motivate, not Procrastinate

YouTube may be the source of procrastination for many students in the world but it can also be website consisting of a rich source for motivational content that is capable of motivating everyone who is in search for some motivation in their life. The great thing about having a large library of videos such as YouTube’s is that the content in each video is so diversified that it will be very hard for you to find a video that will not strike a cord with you and create something valuable in your eyes. Personally, I thoroughly enjoy watching training montages of hard working athletes where I visualize me being one day reaching the same platform they are performing in. I am also a big softy for motivational speeches whether it may be in a film or to a live crowd, it does not matter. It just needs to get my insides burning and make me realize I am capable of doing anything; it is just a matter of if I am willing to do it. With the help of these amazing speeches, the answer is yes.

MoMonday - Motivational Messages for Your Monday

The beginning of the week has always been a hurdle for many to be motivated and get the ball rolling. Mondays are probably the most hated day of the week as it is the day after your weekend off from work, school and pains of life. Just the thought of what you will have to do for the week when you wake up on that Monday morning will force people to lay under their bed sheets and hopefully wake up on a Saturday morning. Sometimes, we just need someone to wake us up with their messages of motivation.

A solution that a group in Toronto has created is a monthly event called, “MoMondays” (Motivational Mondays).  

“MoMondays™ is like a cross between open mic comedy and TED Talks, but with professional and amateur motivational speakers. Each event, you’ll see six to eight speakers tell a few stories from their speeches. Some are funny, some are thought-provoking, all are motivating.”

-MoMondays.com

This event has been so successful that another MoMonday event will begin in Winnipeg on (surprise!) Monday, November 12, 2012. Be sure to also attend their Toronto event on November 26 in The Pilot Tavern, 22 Cumberland Street near Yonge and Bloor.

/r/GetMotivated a Community To Help You Reach a New Level

In my previous blog posts, I explained how use the motivation that you found from within yourself. I have mentioned using exercise as your own form of catharsis, to overcome your fears, listening to music that you enjoy, and to find intrinsic motivators that you value. Those posts have explained how you find the motivation by yourself but others can help you find it for you. Whether it may be family, friends, or in this case, complete strangers from the internet.

Allow me to introduce you to reddit.com. In general (as it is difficult to explain) it is a very large forum and social bookmarking website that in which its members share various forms of media within the Reddit community. In terms of the social bookmarking aspect, pictures, videos, articles, pages, etc. are shared constantly and in term of the forum aspect, discussions are conducted, questions are asked and answered, and debates ravage through the website. It is a very lively and active community. Reddit is split in sections/topics which in Reddit jargon are referred to as “subreddits”. And within Reddit jargon, each subreddit begins with a “/r/” as reference to the URL. There are subreddits for funny content (/r/funny), fitness (/r/fitness), section to ask questions, holidays (/r/askreddit), cute pets and animals (/r/awww), your university or college (/r/humber, etc), and bananas (/r/banana…seriously). The list continues as Reddit members are given the freedom to openly create their own subreddit to whatever topic that they desire. In this case, I will discuss a reddit called /r/GetMotivated.

For You vs. For me

Doing it for others can only make you go so far. But when doing it for yourself, you can reach new levels that far surpasses what you thought was possible.

I have been roaming around a few online communities and I find that a lot of the members seem to workout for the sole purpose to attract others and gain the acceptance of their peers. This is probably a motivator for many people in the gym, especially those who are just beginning. Personally, I believe this is not the most ideal way when deciding why you want to exercise and setting goals. One reason is that people who usually think that way are usually narcissists and continually judge everyone based on their appearance. That is by no means how anyone should live their life. They will just end up being shallow and not recognize that it does not matter if they look healthy, but if they are healthy.

Working Out to Live Music: The Cheers of Millions of People

I have mentioned multiple times in my blog the usefulness when listening to music during your workout or having someone cheer you on throughout your workout such as a workout buddy. But you probably did not realize that you can use both simultaneously to unlock a new way to motivate yourself in a workout!

Fear’s Attraction and Why We Keep on Knocking on Fear’s Door

There is no other time in the gym where you feel the most uncomfortable than your first day. Seriously, a bunch of equipment you have never used before, a flock of people walking around (with your conscious telling you they are probably judging you…even though they’re not), men who have the strength of beating you in an arm wrestle with their left hand, and women who have the strength of beating you in an arm wrestle with their right. The entire situation of being in an unfamiliar environment is just so intimidating for many.

Catharsis-Based Fitness

ca·thar·sis [kuh-thahr-sis]

  

noun, plural ca·thar·ses [-seez]  

1. the purging of the emotions or relieving of emotional tensions, especially through certain kinds of art, as tragedy or music.

Sometimes we just want to take out our emotions on something, or (unfortunately) on someone. As the definition highlights, many have done it through the arts whether it may be in the form of music, paintings, film, literature, or any medium used to reflect one’s emotions.

We hear about cathartic actions all the time. From interviews done with an artist about there album release and how they passionately say (in an almost cookie cutter manner),“Poured their heart and soul into every single song and with every word spoken, it resonates an emotion that they experienced in their life”. Another example may be reading a book where the author’s words paints such a detailed image in your mind that chances are they are probably pretending the one character that is being pummeled to death is someone in the author’s real life or even painters who would paint a graphic scene which would give you an insight on their emotions or even better, from the teachings of Freud, paint a work of art with no understanding of why they are painting it until it is completed and they analyze what made them create such a piece.

Exercise can be just like this.

Fitness is Fun?...Well, yes! I'm Serious.

There is something about doing an activity on a daily basis that is just repulsive. Waking up early, commuting on the bus, dealing with those customers, and in this case, working out in the gym.

Believe me, I’ve reached multiple points in my experience where I was just going through the motions of the exercise and really not taking it seriously as I should be. As if I just wanted to go through my routine and get out. But I was always found a way to get back on track.

Here are methods I used to reignite the burning passion of lifting things up and putting them down:

• Goal Setting – This is probably the most universally useful method in staying focused in the gym. Always create both long-term and short-term goals so that you can always find yourself achieving a target. When creating a goal, make sure you have a “due date” for that particular goal. It will force you to track your progress and will create a definite end for that goal so that you can create a new goal.  Ensure that your goals are very specific in order for you to evaluate on your progress and to realize if you can attain your goal within the target due date.
• Work Out With a Friend – Having a friend with you in the gym can go a long way in motivating you to go to the gym. Both or a group of you can help each other out in exercises, encourage each other, and lastly it is just a more relaxing environment when you are in a intimidating place like the gym when you have someone familiar by your side.

Motivation Can Help You So Much

Motivation really is a tricky subject. Extremely subjective, always changing, and maybe hard to achieve. This does not mean it is impossible to obtain, only to find.

Upon revealing the subject of this blog to my class, I received extremely (almost comically) minimal yet, eye-opening responses. Though I was only able to get the attention from a few people, their actions spoke louder than words. I was able to arouse their interest by simply saying, "My blog will be about making the gym an enjoyable experience". From this point on, I realized this is something people can universally relate to: Dragging their butts to the gym and doing a worthwhile routine while still wanting to go back to the gym the next day.