By Joie Goh
Need that extra push to keep yourself motivated to show up for your virtual WeBarre class? All you need is a simple mindset shift, thanks to these 3 easy tips!
As convenient as virtual classes are, sometimes it can be way tougher to keep yourself accountable and pushing yourself all the way through because you’re not in the same studio as your barre-dies, with your favorite instructor cheering you on to get through the final fiery pulses.
In fact, even rolling out your mat and getting yourself online can even harder than making the commute to the studio. Especially if you’ve made it a habit to hit the barre for a morning class before heading into the office, or getting that post-work de-stress sweat sesh before calling it a night. When you’re already home, it’s just too easy to fall into the trap of lethargy and apathy.
And we feel you!
Set Small Goals
One of our favorite hacks to get ourselves pumped up even when morale is low is to establish a series of small and achievable steps. That way, a mammoth task becomes bite-sized and simple.
Even the WeBarre workout is designed that way. Most people, especially newbies to fitness, get intimidated by the idea of working out for a full hour. However, when it’s broken down into 10-12 minute sections targeting the different areas of the body, the workout suddenly seems much more manageable that way.
So, instead of looking at your home workout as a mammoth task, break it up! For example, your task list leading up to your workout can look like this:
- Roll mat out
- Drink some water
- Change into activewear
- Set device up
- Click on class link
- Say hi to your instructor!
Isn’t that easy? Each step takes less than a few minutes to complete, and you’re all set to sweat!
Count Every Win
According to research, each time you experience success, your brain gets a spike in dopamine aka the “feel good” hormone. And that doesn’t matter if the success is a big one, like running a 42 km marathon, or a small one, like making your bed in the morning. The key here is to turn your tasks into goals. So when you’ve completed a task, celebrate its completion as a success!
In fact, dopamine plays a key role in keeping us focused on our goals. It motivates us to attain them, rewarding our attention and achievement by making us happier. Hence, the more we work towards your goals, the better we feel.
Let’s take the pre-workout task list from the previous section, and look at completing each step as a win. Even before your workout has started, you’re already coasting on not just one, but SIX successes. You’re not just a winner before warmups – you’ll even feel like a winner!
Focus on the Immediate Next Step
While it’s great to look at the big picture, at times it can backfire on you. For example, even before you’re getting ready for your class, you’re already thinking thoughts like, “Oh, I’m so tired and sore from yesterday’s class, it’s going to be so tough when the burn gets intense later!”
Negative predictions like that will inevitably chip away at your motivation! So, instead of thinking 10 steps ahead even before taking the first step, turn your attention to that first step instead.
For example, instead of dreading the 5-minute cardio section, or that booty burn during your WeBarre Signature Multi-level class even before your mat is even rolled out, STOP. Just stop. Go back to your goal list, and take that first, completely painless and achievable step. Then the next, and the next, collecting your wins along the way.
By the time you’ve reached that part in the workout that you were dreading, we promise you, you’ll be having so much fun, and feeling so good. You’ll even wonder why you dreaded working out at all!
