10 Motivational Quotes to Inspire Inner Strength

There are challenges and obstacles in life that require us to tap into our inner strength. They could be life-changing experiences such as a cancer diagnosis or smaller, everyday moments like trying a new exercise routine. Often, it’s not the size of the obstacle but how we approach it that matters most. What we feed the mind, knowingly or unknowingly, deeply impacts our willingness to face life’s challenges and our ability to overcome obstacles. Even something as simple as motivational quotes can give us the strength we need to keep going.  

At Survivor Fitness, we care about meeting people where they are and giving them the tools and resources they need to win the war for their lives, bodies, and mind. While the expertise of physical fitness trainers and nutritionists is vital, it’s often the personal connections that help participants tap into their inner strength.

Over the past several years, we’ve enjoyed sharing our favorite motivational quotes across our social media platforms. Here are a few of our most popular quotes for helping you find and tap into your inner strength:

“The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new.” – Socrates

It’s easier to walk with the wind at your back rather than fight the wind blowing against you. Looking toward the future and embracing possibility can provide greater inspiration for your journey. 

“Sometimes it’s OK to be scared… because that means you are about to do something really, really brave.” – Mandy Hale

Every challenge or obstacle comes with fear. Rather than being discouraged or disappointed in yourself for feeling afraid, see it as an indicator you’re headed towards something life-changing. 

“The same voice that says, ‘give up’ can also be trained to say, ‘keep going.’” – Unknown

The way we talk to ourselves matters. Recognize that you can build yourself up, rather than tear yourself down, with your words. Create your own personal affirmations to repeat when you’re feeling down. 

“Don’t give up when you don’t see immediate results. Know that each positive choice is affecting you in hidden ways and will add up to big changes over time.” – Unknown

Any meaningful change requires time and dedication. This is especially true when it comes to regaining your health and strength after cancer. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see immediate results. Your hard work will pay off in the long run. 

“When you get tired, learn to rest, not quit.” – Banksy

Our bodies were created to rest. Whenever you push yourself to achieve new things, it’s natural to need time to recuperate. Knowing this can help you listen to yourself and recognize when it’s time to rest. 

“Confidence isn’t the absence of self-doubt. It’s the willingness to try even though you doubt yourself.” – Mel Robbins

It’s easy to assume that confident people don’t doubt themselves. The reality is that even the most positive personalities can struggle with self-doubt. Don’t let a feeling of fear or insecurity keep you from trying something new. 

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer your fear, don’t sit at home and think about it.” – Dale Carnegie

Do you know what it’s like to feel stuck on a hamster wheel of overthinking? Sometimes the best way to conquer your fear is to take the first step. 

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is that small voice at the end of the day that says, ‘I’ll try again tomorrow.’” – Mary Anne Radmacher

Courage and confidence aren’t always loud and boisterous. Some of the most courageous men and women approach life with kindness, humility, and a quiet determination to keep going. 

“Don’t wait until you’ve reached your goal to be proud of yourself. Be proud of every single step you take to reach that goal.” – Unknown

Sometimes measuring success doesn’t require a scale. Every single day is an opportunity to celebrate your progress. One of the best ways to stick with your wellness goals is to recognize the progress you make along the way. 

“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside of you that is greater than any obstacle.” – Christian D. Larson

It’s easy to think, “I don’t have what it takes.” But if you can find the inner strength to keep going, you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish — regardless of how big of an obstacle stands in your way. 

Want to Tap Into Your Inner Strength in the New Year?

Changing our perspective isn’t always easy, but it can make a tremendous difference in our quality of life. That’s something Survivor Fitness participants know very well. If you’re looking for more motivational support and inspiring stories from cancer survivors, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 

Survivor Fitness works with cancer survivors to help them regain their health and stay motivated on the journey through one-on-one personal training and nutritional support. We walk alongside you to progress your post-treatment recovery, empowering you to take control of your healing journey. Connect with us today to learn more!

5 Tips for Setting (and Sticking With) Your Wellness Goals

January is always a time characterized by “fresh starts” and “exciting possibilities” as we look forward to everything we might experience in the new year to come. Because of this, the new year is also a natural time to reflect on the past year and set new goals to accomplish. Many people set wellness goals at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, we all know how difficult it can be to actually accomplish the goals that we set.

Through our work at Survivor Fitness, we’ve learned a few tips when it comes to sticking with wellness goals. Whether you’re a cancer survivor, a family member, or simply someone looking to embrace a healthier lifestyle in 2023, here are a few wellness goals to consider for the new year: 

1. Own Your Goals.

One roadblock to setting wellness goals is to let external voices play too great a role in choosing a goal to meet. It can be easy to read an article or hear someone on a podcast talk about goals and think, “That’s what I need to do, too.” Sometimes well-meaning friends and family can mention goals they think we should pursue. But goals that are the result of external pressure aren’t as effective as the goals that you set for yourself.

Think about the goals that you want to accomplish this year. Do you want to eat out at restaurants less frequently? Eat healthier? Increase your steps? Get more rest or sleep?

Whatever you decide, it’s essential to own your goals. They are your goals, and you are the only one who can set them.

2. Write Down What You Want to Accomplish… and Be Specific.

Writing down your goals could be the biggest factor in accomplishing them. 

Study after study shows you will remember things better when you write them down. Neuropsychologists have confirmed that people demonstrate better memory for the material they’ve generated themselves than for material they’ve merely read. This is especially true when it comes to goal setting. According to a recent study, people are 42 percent more likely to achieve their goals just by writing them down.

As you write out your goals, it’s important to be specific. Rather than saying, “I want to work out more,” consider how you create goals that allow you to measure progress. How often do you want to work out each week? What type of workouts do you want to incorporate? Is there a specific milestone you want to train for?

Here are a couple of examples from Survivor Fitness participants who set a specific goal to compete in a sprint triathlon and hike Mount LeConte.

3. Build New Habits Around Small Goals.

Everyone knows that once you’ve developed a habit, it can be hard to stop. This goes for the good and bad habits in our lives. In many ways, our habits shape our lives. 

Knowing this can be incredibly beneficial when it comes to setting and sticking with your wellness goals. If you typically have a hard time achieving your goals, focusing on your habits might be a more helpful approach. Think about your current habits and how they might be impacting your ability to achieve your wellness goals. What new habits could you incorporate into your routine? 

It’s important to recognize that it takes some time to make something a habit. Research suggests that, on average, it takes around 66 days to change a habit. Start small and level up slowly to make reaching your goals more likely.

4. Give Yourself Some Grace and Keep Going. 

Want to know a secret about your goals and habits? There will come a day (or two or three) when you might mess up. But don’t let that make you quit. Rather than feeling guilty or defeated that you didn’t stick with your goal, it’s important to reset and keep going.

Remember, any step forward takes you closer to your goal. 

5. Find Power & Encouragement in Community. 

While it’s important to find the internal motivation to own your goals, the reality is that sharing your plans might help your chances of success. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our Survivor Fitness success stories, it’s that there is power within community. Whether it’s a connection between a participant and a trainer or the encouragement of other survivors, support from others has helped our participants reach their goals.  

Looking for Wellness Guidance After Cancer Treatment?

Survivor Fitness works with cancer survivors to help them regain their health and wellness through one-on-one personal training and nutritional support. If you need more guidance on staying motivated and reaching your goals, we are here and happy to help. We walk alongside you during your recovery, empowering you to take control of your healing journey. Connect with us today to learn more!

6 Creative Ways to Move Your Body

Remember the days when you didn’t have to think of your playful activities as exercise? You did them because you enjoyed them, not because you had to.

While the winter months make it harder for us to keep moving, there’s always an opportunity to think outside of the box when it comes to fitness. Even if cold temperatures prevent you from heading to the gym, you can stay fit even while you’re at home or on the go. 

Ready to work out without actually working out?

Here are our top tips on incorporating healthy movement into your daily routine. 

 

1. Practice Beginner Yoga

With its complex poses and supple practitioners, yoga can feel intimidating at first. Relax! No one starts the practice as a professional. Incorporating yoga into your exercise regimen has several benefits for cancer survivors, including better sleep and improved mobility. Start where your body is today, and work your way through the movements. With small but consistent steps, you’ll improve faster than you think. 

2. Schedule an Active Trip

Moving your body shouldn’t and doesn’t have to be a chore. If you appreciate travel or exploring new areas in your community, incorporate these joys into your exercise plan. Schedule a local trip or one to a far-off place to motivate you to increase your daily activity. When you’re planning your itinerary, you can include the following activities: 

  • Hiking
  • Swimming
  • Kayaking
  • Biking

The outdoor possibilities are endless, especially if you expand your radius. Breathing fresh air  and discovering new natural locations are just a few of the extra advantages of developing an active agenda. 

3. Join a Dance Class

If you’ve never tried a dance class before, there are several different styles, including ballet, swing, hip-hop, ballroom, and more. Think about the types of music you enjoy listening to or exploring and find out if there is a dance studio near you that offers classes! If you like music, dancing to it will feel less like exercise and more like a hobby.

4. Try Something Outside of Your Comfort Zone

Interested in a change of scenery? Try adopting a more adventurous type of exercise, like:

  • Rock climbing
  • Martial Arts
  • Boxing
  • Rollerblading

Even if unconventional isn’t your exercise of choice, at least you can say that you tried!

5. Clean Your Home

Cleaning itself may not seem like the most fun way to spend your day, but adding music to the mix can create an entirely new atmosphere! Invest in a Bluetooth speaker or wireless headphones and let your favorite songs lead the way. Who says you can’t have a dance party when doing the laundry? You’ll not only move your body, but you’ll create a tranquil and serene space after just a few sessions. 

6. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Walking

When you’re looking for easy ways to stay fit, don’t overlook the simple things. According to the Mayo Clinic, walking itself can help improve cardiovascular fitness, and strengthen muscles and bones. Walking can also prevent or manage conditions including high blood pressure and heart disease. Make it social and invite your friends, family members, or dog for a walk. Everyone will become a little healthier with every step.

Results and goals go far beyond what the scale may show, so don’t get too caught up in immediate weight changes. Being a cancer survivor brings extra life hurdles, but you can still have control over your overall health and well-being. If you’re searching for an additional resource to help you through this new chapter of life, Survivor Fitness is ready to provide you with the tools and guidance to accompany you through this new beginning.

Moving at Your Own Pace: 3 Ways to Measure Progress (Without a Scale)

moving-at-your-own-pace

Everyone’s journey after cancer treatment moves at a different pace. It can be easy to compare your progress with others, but it’s important to remember that physically noticeable results are not the only way to track your progression. Although exercising is primarily recognized for improving your physical health, it can positively impact your overall wellness, including your mental health. Below are three ways to measure progress without a scale. 

Measure Your Heart Rate and Blood Pressure

While visible effects may not come automatically, other important internal factors can be measured. Consistently compare your heart rate (before, during, and after exercise) and blood pressure to keep track of accurate advancement—doing this can also help you keep track of your overall health, helping you to identify other lifestyle changes that you may need to focus on. Your resting heart rate could be associated with other health concerns, like cholesterol, stress, and breathing levels.

Logging your blood pressure assists you in tracking your likelihood of heart disease or stroke. Based on your results, you can take preventative measures to help avoid hypertension or hypotension, which will ultimately improve your overall long-term health and well-being. While blood pressure monitors with cuffs usually give the most accurate readings, Healthline suggests apps to help keep you on track if you don’t have the equipment on-hand at home. Though these aren’t externally evident outcomes, improving these numbers can be an incredible and beneficial assessment of success. 

Write and Log in a Wellness Journal

Find a journal you like and record your workouts and thoughts at least once a day. Key categories can include your routines or a mood chart—a type of journaling where you log your emotions, like feeling irritated, motivated, angry, or relaxed. By doing this, you have an organized place for your dedication and consistency, reminding you that every step you take is significant. 

Other categories can include:

  • Time/distance
  • Eating habits
  • Physical measurements (waist, hips, thighs, or biceps)
  • Flexibility advancement 
  • Hours of sleep

Set Personal Goals

Don’t get down on yourself if you’re not losing or gaining weight at the rate of someone else. One method to feel more confident about your progress is to set your own goals and focus primarily on those. If you’re having trouble with results that involve the scale or appearance, create alternate objectives that don’t rely on physical outcomes. 

Ideas for alternate goals driven by a timeline:

  • Create and implement a routine
  • Reach X number of curls 
  • Exercise X number of days during the week
  • Run X number of miles
  • Touch your toes
  • Walk X distance in X time
  • Take a kickboxing class
  • Squat X pounds 
  • Accomplish X reps 

An exercise that has worked for someone else may not have the same effect on you. Don’t feel behind or embarrassed if you need to modify an existing exercise. (You can even work this in as a new goal!)

Remember, your remission is not a competition. Your body has been through tremendous adjustment, and you are here; you are a survivor, and that in itself is amazing.

Looking for more wellness guidance through your post-treatment?

If you need more guidance on staying motivated and reaching your goals, we are here and happy to help. Survivor Fitness works with cancer survivors to help them regain their health and wellness through one-on-one personal training and nutritional support. We walk alongside you to progress your post-treatment recovery, empowering you to take control of your healing journey. Connect with us today to learn more!

How to Stay Fueled During (and After) Your Workouts

It’s known that both exercise and healthy foods are part of a well-balanced and healthy life, but did you know that certain nutritional elements can actually impact your endurance and results? By intentionally planning your cuisine, you can finish your workouts just as strong as you started them. Here are a few ways that you can stay fueled during your workouts.

Getting Started

Regardless of what time of day you work out, the food you eat before your session can influence how well you perform and even recover afterward. According to Healthline, the right balance of carbohydrates, protein, and other nutrients can help fuel your exercise routine. Fueling your body with these key nutrients will not only help you during your workout but will also help with muscle recovery.

Helpful Habits

It’s not always easy, but beginning (or resuming) a physically healthy life doesn’t have to include extreme measures. If working out is on your agenda for the day, start preparing when you get out of bed with a hearty breakfast. This could include a greek yogurt parfait or eggs with a slice of whole-grain toast. If you are working out in the afternoon, make it easier on yourself by prepping some lean protein to eat directly after so you can repair your muscles. 

A common rule of thumb from the Mayo Clinic is to eat one to two hours before your workout. This prevents cramping and gives your body enough time to begin digesting before you start to burn calories. 

Be sure to drink enough water before, during, and after your workouts, too, as it goes beyond just keeping you hydrated. Based on a Cleveland Clinic article, doing so “replenishes electrolytes, sodium, and glucose” when you exercise and “helps ward off muscle cramps, removes toxins from your body and transports nutrients to parts of your body that need it most” after you exercise.

Regain Your Wellness After Cancer Treatment with Survivor Fitness

As we all have different bodies, the most important thing is that you listen to yours. It can be hard to know exactly what the right plan for you is, but with a little help, you can find it.

Survivor Fitness works with cancer survivors to help them regain their health and wellness through one-on-one personal training and nutritional support. We walk alongside you to progress your post-treatment recovery, empowering you to take control of your healing journey. Connect with us today to learn more!

The Importance of a Daily Routine

Your daily routine can be a stabilizing factor in your life that helps you to stay balanced and healthy. Every day, your actions affect your body and mind exponentially, making it vital that those actions are a positive reflection of the life you want to live. The key to a good routine, though, is to make sure that it reflects your priorities, values, and goals. In this article, we’ll cover how to build an aligned daily routine and why routines are important.

How to Build an Aligned Daily Routine 

The beauty of your daily routine is that it’s yours. You can build it however you like, and however you feel your mind and body will benefit the most. 

So, to begin building a daily routine, ask yourself the following questions:

  • What do I value most about my life? 
  • In what ways would I like to improve? 
  • Are there areas of my life that I tend to neglect? 
  • Is there something that I would like to add to or remove from my day?
  • What are my short and long-term goals? 
  • What would I like to make a higher priority? 

Use your answers to these questions to build out a routine that resonates with you. A great exercise to use to visualize your ideal schedule is to imagine your “perfect day.” If everything went as planned, what would you do? What time would you wake up? What would your morning look like? Ask yourself questions about your ideal day to build a routine that you’re excited to follow. Now, why is all of this important? 

Why Daily Routines are Important

1. It Creates Healthy Habits 

Your daily schedule can be used to create healthy habits. Take your morning routine, for example. You may already brush your teeth and wash your face. But maybe after you think about it, you’d like to add a short yoga session. By adding this into your routine, you’ll create a habit, and your body will naturally begin to crave this part of your day.

2. It Helps You Set and Achieve Goals

You can use your daily routine as a tool to set and achieve your goals. Maybe these goals surround exercise, nutrition, or mental health. Whatever you’re focused on at the moment, try adding an element to your daily routine that will push you closer to making that goal a reality. 

3. It Keeps You Balanced

At the end of the day, routines are all about balance. Humans thrive on our routines because it helps to align our bodies and minds. You can use your morning routine to start your day on the right foot. Or maybe your afternoon routine helps you to wind down and relax. The schedule you create for yourself contributes significantly to your overall well-being. Be mindful of that as you build one that works best for you! 

Are You a Cancer Survivor Looking for Wellness Support?

Survivor Fitness works with cancer survivors to help them regain their health and wellness through one-on-one personal training and nutritional support. We walk alongside you to progress your post-treatment recovery, empowering you to take control of your healing journey. Connect with us today to learn more!

8 Elements to Add to Your Morning Routine

Your morning routine can set the tone for your entire day. It’s a wonderful opportunity to take time to care for yourself, and it helps signal to your mind and body that you’re ready for what the day might bring. As a morning routine is such an important part of the day, we want to help you ensure that you’re getting the most out of yours. 

Here are eight elements to consider adding into your morning routine. Take what you like and leave what you don’t. Make it your own!

1. Wake Up Early

It can be tempting to hit the snooze button on your alarm clock in the morning. However, when you wake up early, you have enough time to start your day with a relaxing routine. Sleeping in can feel good in the moment, but it can also make the rest of your day feel rushed and unorganized. If you have trouble waking up early, try placing your alarm where it requires you to leave the bed to turn it off. 

2. Add a Moment of Stretching

As soon as you get out of bed, try a morning stretch. Stretching after sleep can improve your circulation and relax your muscles to relieve any aches and pains you might feel after a long night of laying in the same positions. If this is already part of your routine, and you want to go a step further, add a yoga sequence first thing in the morning. 

3. Drink a Glass of Water

Your body has been without water all night, so a great addition to your routine is to drink a glass of water to rehydrate and help your organs function properly. If you’re prone to forgetting, sit a glass or bottle of water by your bed before you go to sleep so that it’s the first thing you see when you wake up.

4. Choose a Wholesome Breakfast

Start your day with a breakfast that will keep you full and provide your body with the nutrients it’s craving. You might consider planning your breakfast the night before so that you don’t grab something quick in a rush out the door. Need a new recipe? Try our banana bread overnight oats.

5. Write in a Gratitude Journal

Your first few thoughts in the morning can dramatically affect your mood and the tone you set for your day. Make these moments count by sitting down with a guided or blank journal to write down a few things that you’re grateful for, along with your thoughts and feelings that surround them. 

6. Add a Touch of Creativity

If your day ahead is full of work and other daily tasks, you might consider starting with a creative activity, such as playing music, reading, listening to a podcast, or writing. It doesn’t matter how you get creative with your morning—only that you let your mind wander and feel the creativity flow through you.   

7. Tidy Your Space 

Set aside a few moments to organize your space, allowing yourself to focus on only one area at a time. Tidying your living space ensures that you’ll come home to a clean house, where you can rest and relax at the end of your day without worrying about when you’re going to clean up.

8. Plan Out Your Day

Finally, before you head to work or your daily activities, plan out your day. Write down what you hope to accomplish, what you want to eat, how you want to move your body, and how you plan to rest. By giving yourself an expectation for your day, you are more likely to spend the day how you’d like to, rather than leaving it up to chance. 

We hope that you use these tips to design a morning routine that’s perfect for you! As we mentioned, take what you love and leave what you don’t. Finding a routine that makes you feel your best is a personal process.

Are You a Cancer Survivor?

Survivor Fitness works with cancer survivors to help them regain their health and wellness through one-on-one personal training and nutritional support. We walk alongside you to progress your post-treatment recovery, empowering you to take control of your healing journey. Connect with us today to learn more!

Taking the First Step at Survivor Fitness

walking-up-steps

Are you a cancer survivor? Or, perhaps, someone close to you is. Survivor Fitness welcomes you to explore our program to learn more about how we help survivors continue to regain their health after treatment. Through personal training, nutritional support, and the accountability of a community, Survivor Fitness empowers survivors to take control of their stories. Want to join us? Here are a few ways to get involved with Survivor Fitness as a participant, volunteer, or donor. 

Apply to Become a Participant

We offer in-person training in Knoxville and Nashville, in addition to virtual training for those outside of these areas. s a cancer survivor, you may be ready to change the course of your health and wellness, but you don’t know where to start. Let us walk with you through this process.

No matter your current fitness level, history, or age, we are here to help. Our trainers and registered dietitians meet you at your point of need to create a custom program that will help you regain your health, hope, and strength. Apply today to get started. 

Want to hear firsthand stories of Survivor Fitness participants? Take a look at our participant spotlights!

Spread the Word About Survivor Fitness

We want to reach as many cancer survivors as possible so that we can help them on their path to better health. The easiest way to reach our audience is through word of mouth! If you have someone in mind who could benefit from this program, please pass our name along to them. Similarly, if you are in contact with doctors who can help spread the word, let them know that we are here to help their patients who are in recovery. It takes just one connection to change someone’s life forever! 

Volunteer with Us

Are you looking for a worthwhile way to spend your free time? Survivor Fitness always has a need for volunteers for various activities that help us further our mission. Our volunteers contribute greatly to our ability to offer our support and services. Ready to get involved? If this is something you might be interested in, please email info@survivorfitness.org for more information. 

Are You a Cancer Survivor?

Survivor Fitness works with cancer survivors to help them regain their health and wellness through one-on-one personal training and nutritional support. We walk alongside you to progress your post-treatment recovery, empowering you to take control of your healing journey. Connect with us today to learn more!

25 Affirmations for When You’re Feeling Down

hands-open-holding-small-flower

Do you need a little “pick-me-up” today? When you’re feeling down, affirmations can help you replace negative ideas about yourself or your life with more hopeful and positive thoughts. To give you inspiration for affirmations that may work for you, we’ve shared our thoughts on this practice, along with 25 phrases that will help you divert your mindset to hopeful and calm. 

Why Affirmations? 

Here’s a question: Can you simply think yourself into a positive mindset? In a way, yes! By replacing your negative thoughts with positive ones and imagining good feelings, you can boost your mood and change your thought patterns. It might feel a little silly to talk to yourself, especially with phrases that may seem obvious, but when you try it, you’ll likely notice your mood changing. Choose the affirmations that resonate with you the most, and try saying them to yourself whenever you’re feeling down. Have one that works best for you? Put it somewhere you can see it every day. 

Repeat These Affirmations When You’re Feeling Down

  1. It’s okay to slow down and rest. 
  2. I am safe. 
  3. I am resilient, and I will make it through. 
  4. I have the power to change my life. 
  5. I can achieve anything I set my mind to. 
  6. One bad moment doesn’t mean a bad day. 
  7. I am so much more than my struggle.
  8. I am grateful for everything I have. 
  9. I am enough. 
  10. I am not broken. 
  11. This feeling will not last forever. 
  12. I deserve happiness.
  13. My loved ones value me. 
  14. I do not need to prove my worth to be loved.
  15. I love myself unconditionally. 
  16. I am proud of myself for everything I’ve overcome. 
  17. My bad days don’t define my life. 
  18. I am worthy even when I can’t see it myself. 
  19. My negative thoughts about myself are not facts. 
  20. There is no limit to the joy I can feel in my life. 
  21. I give myself permission to fully experience these emotions. 
  22. I’m on my way to becoming the best version of myself. 
  23. I forgive myself for anything I’m holding onto. 
  24. I am an open channel for happiness. 
  25. I honor myself and my strengths. 

We invite you to choose the affirmations that resonate with you, or even come up with your own! Of course, each person’s experience is different, so you may try writing a list of phrases that make you feel hopeful, and set a time every day to read them out loud to yourself.

Are You a Cancer Survivor?

Survivor Fitness works with cancer survivors to help them regain their health and wellness through one-on-one personal training and nutritional support. We walk alongside you to progress your post-treatment recovery, empowering you to take control of your healing journey. Connect with us today to learn more!

5 Ways to Stay Motivated on Your Health Journey

Have you found it challenging to keep yourself motivated on your journey to improving your health? You aren’t alone. This is something that many struggle with, but today is the day to kick your motivation into high gear. Are you ready? Let’s talk about five ways that you can keep yourself motivated to eat well and exercise. 

1. Listen to an Upbeat Playlist

You know those songs that you can’t help but get excited about when they come on? Start compiling a list and make yourself a workout playlist. Survivor Fitness has two playlists you may enjoy that our participants helped us assemble. Everyone has different music tastes, so what motivates someone else may not motivate you. Ask your friends with similar music taste what they listen to when they need to stay motivated! 

2. Set Specific and Attainable Goals

Setting specific and attainable goals can help you visualize how you will stay on track during your journey to better health. For example, instead of setting a goal to “workout more,” you might instead consider “do yoga three times per week.” This way, you’ve chosen a goal that you can reasonably complete, and you have an expectation for how you can achieve it. 

3. Reward Yourself

Rewarding yourself for reaching a new objective is a great way to give yourself something to look forward to. Consider thinking of small rewards along the way (e.g., a latte from your favorite coffee shop) and a larger reward (e.g., a weekend trip) for when you achieve a big goal. Choose something that you will look forward to every day until you achieve it! 

4. Get an Accountability Buddy

Consider asking a friend or family member to hold you accountable along the way. When you aren’t feeling motivated, you can reach out to your accountability partner for words of encouragement or even to work out together (if it’s safe to do so). Make this relationship work for the both of you, and decide on a plan for consistent check-ins to discuss your progress. Meeting goals can be more fun when you’re doing it together! 

5. Change it Up

Doing the same workouts or eating the same meals every day can make you feel burned out and bored. Try mixing it up every so often to keep things interesting. Look up a new recipe or find a new type of workout you’d like to try. The sky’s the limit. 

6. Go Easy on Yourself

Your motivation will ebb and flow, and that’s okay! Don’t beat yourself up if you find yourself not moving as quickly as you’d hoped. It doesn’t mean that you’ve failed; it just means that you’re human. As long as you’re trying, that’s what matters.

Do Your Workouts Need Some Extra Fuel? 

Survivor Fitness works with cancer survivors to help them regain their health and wellness through one-on-one personal training and nutritional support. We walk alongside you to progress your post-treatment recovery, empowering you to take control of your healing journey. Connect with us today to learn more!