Fitness and motivation - Growth only occurs outside of the comfort zone.

Fitness and Motivation with Top 100 Speaker & Karate World Champion Jörg Gantert Westfälische Nachrichten: Mr. Gantert, why are people usually so unmotivated during the winter season? "It is the lack of light that makes many people feel listless and tired in winter. The light stimulus is absorbed through the eyes, which stimulates the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. This, in turn, elevates our mood and generates 'good vibes.' However, if less light reaches the eyes during the winter months, the production of serotonin is reduced, and more of the 'sleep hormone' melatonin is produced. This can lead to feeling sleepy and tired even during the day." Westfälische Nachrichten: In winter, most people are lazy when it comes to physical activity. Mr. Gantert, how can one motivate oneself to move more and get fit again after the 'winter hibernation'? "Motivation is not something we can buy in a store. Motivation is an inner attitude, a personality trait. If your own health is truly important to you, then you will find a suitable way to get moving. This can be through walking, jogging, visiting a gym, doing gymnastics, practicing yoga, or engaging in other sports. Statements like 'I should exercise more' or 'it might be useful to do more sports' need to be replaced with a 'must' statement. 'I must and will, for example, jog for half an hour every Wednesday evening.' At the same time, imagine how bad you would feel if you stick to your old habits. Visualize feeling uncomfortable in tight clothes, feeling tired and lethargic more often, etc. Then, imagine how refreshed and vital you would feel after physical activity, fitting into great clothes, feeling attractive and comfortable. To start, you can begin with a health day (e.g., every Wednesday). It is important not to overburden yourself at the beginning but set a manageable and challenging goal. Share your health day with many friends and inspire them to join you on that day. This creates even more drive to act." Westfälische Nachrichten: What can people do if they lose their fitness and motivation after some time? How can they prevent this loss? "You can prevent a loss of motivation by, for example, exchanging your larger sports activities for a minimum amount of smaller activities for a month. This can be achieved by embedding your smaller physical activities between two existing habits. For instance, you can do 10 squats, 10 push-ups, and 10 crunches every morning between going to the bathroom and heading to the kitchen. Or perform the same exercises in the evening after coming home and showering. Or park your car at the back of the office parking lot every morning and take a longer walk to the office. By embedding these activities between two existing habits that you already perform routinely, you can easily continue doing good for your body with the right mindset. Also, keep reminding yourself of the importance of physical activity. Even if it's just a minimum amount at times, you avoid falling into the 'exception trap' and stay on track." For more on fitness, motivation, and Karate World Champion Jörg Gantert, visit: [https://www.speakers-excellence.de/redner/joerg-gantert-motivationsexperte.html](https://www.speakers-excellence.de/redner/joerg-gantert-motivationsexperte.html)