3 Tips to Stay Motivated

It can be easy to put our well-being to the side when we are busy or in times of stress. Yet this is the EXACT time we need to put ourselves first!

A physical discipline such as Qigong, Baguazhang, or Standing Stake, doesn’t have to take a lot of your time and it’s easy to find a variety of ways to fit it in your every day schedule.

For example, mud-stepping across your room or down your hallway as you place the tongue on the roof of your mouth and focus on your breathing can help you decompress from a long day. Performing one of the 8 Pieces of Brocade while cooking in the kitchen, or when you need a break from sitting at the computer, goes a long way to getting the blood and body moving.

Often we think we don’t have enough time in the day, or we might be too tired to do a full workout – and there isn’t anything wrong with being busy or recognizing our own fatigue. Learning the difference between when we need to push ourselves out of our funk, and when we might need rest is a very important thing. Moving our bodies every day in some way is important to maintain optimal health and physical wealth. Once we get going, we often feel better and do more than we thought we could.

So, what keeps us motivated?

1. Support – Having someone to workout with, whether it’s in a group, with a partner, or talking about your progress in a community chat on an app, kind accountability is key. Why do we say kind? Because no one walks in our shoes, so no one should tell us how we feel. Support is important for us to walk the path of our wellness journey.
2. Variety – We love to listen to our bodies and figure out what will work for us that day. Is it a brisk walk in the sunshine? A full Bagua circle walking session with palm changes? Or the 8 Pieces of Brocade, followed by some resistance training and/or mobility exercises? Challenging your body in a variety of movement practices keeps it fresh, gets the blood pumping, and the energy flowing.
3. Goals – Goals will help keep us on track. When we remember our “why” for doing something, it helps us get into the frame of mind to get ourselves to move. For example, Kellie’s goal is to become stronger in her body after the past couple of years recovering from her surgeries. Remembering the pain she was in, and where she is today helps keep her motivated to move her body to get stronger and more mobile.

A regular discipline of physical movement practice is key to learning and listening to the messages our body is sending to us. What helps you stay motivated? How can we help?

Now let’s get moving!

~Kellie & Kelly