Whenever the holidays roll around, it always seems more difficult to stick to healthy habits. Whether it’s the dark, cold days or unlimited access to indulgences, it seems we’re always more exposed to excuses during the winter months. You’re not alone. It can be hard to stay motivated over the holidays.
That’s why we love Pat Stacks, motivational influencer – he’s one of us and he’s a master at motivation.
We all have periods of time when we struggle to get motivated to workout. Falling into a training rut is common, especially in the winter. But, as Pat tells us in our recent interview, “Keep your mind locked in on the end goal and focus on the exciting feeling of achievement.”
Whether you need a little extra push to keep your gains or you need a little more restrictions when it comes to temptations, these tips will keep you motivated over the holidays and well into 2020!
Setting Goals Help You Stay Motivated Over the Holidays
We sat down with Pat Stacks, motivational influencer, to get the inside scoop on staying motivated over the holidays.
His secret sauce? Setting Goals.
But before we dig in, let’s meet Pat Stacks:
A few years ago, Pat experienced an injury, during his rehabilitation process, he saw the importance of fitness and health and immediately fell in love with the idea of helping others. “As a motivational influencer, I get to be that positive reinforcement for someone who needs that extra push to move out of their comfort zone.”
We asked Pat “What’s Your ‘Y’?”
“My why is that I want to help people the best way I can and give them inspiration to fall in love with fitness and health like I did.”
Set New Goals
Two of the most difficult times to stay motivated to be healthy is through the holiday season and bouncing back from an injury. Both can cause an increase to our stress levels and throw off our diet and exercise routine.
So, why is it so difficult to stay motivated over the holidays or when dealing with an injury? Anytime you’re faced with stress (whether good or bad), it’s a lot easier to make excuses and give into temptation (hello, comfort food). The problem is that although it might soothe us at the time, we soon regret it.
The key to staying motivated during the holidays or through an injury is setting small, achievable goals.
In fact, setting a goal is what kept Pat motivated through his recovery.
“I love pushing myself to the limit and seeing how all the training pays off when you overcome obstacles.”
The above picture represents Pat’s journey back from his injury. “Before I got injured I was supposed to run my first 5K. But, then I was bed ridden for two months with a leg injury. When I got better I joined a run club and told myself I would try to get 10 medals over the next year. I ended up with 19 by the end of the year.”
His advice for others? Always set new goals and find something that drives you to be better, eat better, sleep better.
“List out all the steps it will take to get to your dream goal. Remember to assess them monthly.”
So, go ahead, text your workout buddy and make a plan to fit your workout in together. Scheduling it in advance will make it a lot more difficult to make excuses later.
Level Up With Recovery
Recovery techniques are finally gaining the attention they deserve, thanks to emerging science and research. Recovery takes many forms, from foam rolling and stretching to massage and cold dunks, all of these efforts enhance blood floor which can deliver more oxygen to speed the recovery of your muscles and soft tissues. Outside of getting proper sleep, compression gear and massage top the list as most effective for staving off DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) according to a recent scientific review by the American College of Sports Medicine. Optimal recovery strategies can also increase our natural pain reliever: beta-endorphins.
There’s no doubt about it, muscle recovery is key for optimal physical performance and nutrition is a very important piece of that puzzle. What you consume before, during and after your workout is important. Consuming the right nutrients and balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats, can help you to improve body composition, replenish energy stores, increase muscle size, boost performance and improve overall recovery.
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For Pat, recovery plays a major role. “Since I’m pushing my body to the limits, I have to refuel correctly by taking protein and adding YOLKED to my diet. I also do cryotherapy, yoga and get the right amount of rest.” With all of these recovery strategies in place, Pat says he is able to bounce back stronger and quicker.
Did you know that YOLKED® has been scientifically shown to improve muscle recovery? Our team of scientists have written a lot on this subject, the results are jaw-dropping. Take a look!
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Becoming a YOLKED Athlete
Bottom Line: Set some goals and give your body the recovery it needs. You’ll thank us in the New Year!
Recover clean with YOLKED, scientifically proven to help your body utilize protein more efficiently to build lean muscle and improve recovery.
Read more benefits about YOLKED!
See the science and research behind YOLKED!
Order YOLKED online, through Amazon, or find us at your local Vitamin Shoppe.