As careful as anyone ever is with their form when exercising, unfortunately most regular gym-goers will, at some point, experience a training injury of one type or another. However, there is one injury that seems to happen on an unnecessarily regular basis, and that is to the ego… No, it’s not a physical part of your body but boy, when you bruise it, it hurts!

Let’s take a look at 3 simple ways to keep this ever-so-tender part of yourself in check:

1: Remember exercising is a lifestyle choice for YOU, not a contest with anyone else…

Exercise should be an enjoyable pursuit, but constantly comparing yourself to other people will never be a satisfying experience. Granted, we all want to progress but just because someone else can lift more weight, it doesn’t mean that what you’re doing isn’t benefiting you. Through careful practise and applying good form you will get to where you want to be, just keep your pride in check and be patient. Instead of envying where other people are, enjoy the success and progress they have made and take note of how they got there. Use their achievements to be motivation for yourself!

2: Make sure you have a good programme and be honest with yourself…

A good training programme, that is balanced across your full body and periodised over time, will keep you on track, make it easier to set realistic and achievable goals and ensure that you are building a structurally balanced body that remains injury free. By making small, incremental improvements over time and being honest with yourself about when it’s time to increase the weights or the intensity, and when it’s time to pull them back in, you are setting yourself up for much safer progression. Have confidence in good programming: with time and consistency you can get to where you want to be.

3: Remember your long term goal…

Getting fitter, stronger or leaner shouldn’t be seen as a short-term game. For real results that you won’t rebound from, you need to find a training regime that fits within your lifestyle: one that you can sustain habitually, but not obsessively. Progress isn’t always linear so don’t get down or lose confidence in your plan if some days or weeks you don’t feel like you’re where you want to be. No one likes the thought of getting results in the short term and then ending up back where they started a year down the line, so take each day as it comes, enjoy the process of learning and improving, and take time out every now and then to appreciate how far you’ve already come. And then get back on it!

To learn more about how we can help you find the right programme for your goals and keep you motivated to stay on track, read all about our training service HERE, or email [email protected].

HAPPY TRAINING!