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Super Motivation Secrets From Superstar Athletes

There are plenty of factors motivating athletes to be fit, from the glitz and glamour of victory to the cold, hard cash. But what keeps them on track is surprisingly simple – and it can work for you, too. By Eric Harr for ORGANIC FOOD BAR

Dazzling athletic feats—from a quadruple toe loop in ice skating to a world-record marathon—inspire awe on two levels: first, by what top-echelon athletes can do with their bodies, and second by how they stay motivated to stick with a glitch-free diet and training regimen for years on end. Champion athletes indeed have the time, money and support they need to achieve their goals, but beneath it all, they are regular people who often face the same motivational ebbs and flows that we all do. “Top athletes may seem like a distinct species from the rest of us, but they also represent what’s possible in each of us,” says Jay Kimiecik, Ph.D., author of The Intrinsic Exerciser (Houghton-Mifflin, 2002). “They set lofty goals, then they push themselves, trying and testing every tool, technique and method to stay motivated.” While you may not aspire to “land a quad” or run a 5-minute mile, you can apply the hard-earned lessons of seasoned athletes to boost your own diet and exercise programs. Here, our panel of top trainers, psychologists and the athletes themselves offer stick-with-it tips to which all real women can relate.

TIP: Invest in yourself first each day

We are a product of our daily habits. The choices we make each day determine how we look, feel and live. Unfortunately, as work, family and social engagements fill our schedules, our diet and exercise can be pushed to the periphery. That’s why it’s important to tend to your body and mind first thing each day, no matter how small the investment. “My health comes first every morning,” says Marla Streb, world-championship medallist mountain biker. “It’s the little things. For example, I’ll never check email before I go for my ‘power-hike’ with my dog.”

EXERCISE: Over the next 30 days, put your health at, or near, the top of your daily to-do list. On the worksheet below, write down five things you can do first thing each morning to boost your body, whether it’s taking a 45-minute run, doing deep breathing exercises or drinking a glass of warm herbal tea. Develop the habit of “treating yourself first” each day and you’ll look better, feel better and live better.

TIP: Get your zzz’s

My mom’s advice is the guiding maxim of every successful athlete: to be your best, you need your sleep. Research shows that when you aren’t well-rested, you cannot perform at your peak in daily life—and you’ll feel too weary to work out. World-record pole-vaulter, Stacy Dragila never compromises on sleep, no matter how busy she is. “Even if I’m traveling to a race halfway around the world, I’ll get in my 8 hours,” she says. “It’s a key to my competitive success.” Julie Moss, the Ironwoman triathlete who crawled to the finish line on ABC in 1982, agrees that sleep is non-negotiable. “I don’t care what kind of day I have, when 10pm rolls around, I’m out. That has helped me retain my edge for over 20 years.”

EXERCISE: Use the worksheet below to map out a better sleep schedule for yourself. Also, jot a few ideas on how you can increase the quality of your sleep environment (Do you need a more comfortable mattress? More soothing lighting?). Finally, take refreshing daily pauses as often as possible. Half-hour naps are sublime on weekends. During the work-week, aim for 10-minute breaks in which you go outside, close your eyes, breathe deeply and clear your mind. These midday pauses provide powerful rejuvenation by taking your foot off the accelerator, so to speak.

TIP: Think long-term

When we watch an athlete achieve an amazing feat, we tend to think it occurred out of the blue. But, those achievements represent thousands of hours of work. Britain’s Paula Radcliffe is the current marathon world-record holder. Andy Jones, M.D., a physiologist at Manchester Metropolitan University, has monitored every aspect of Paula’s physical condition for over a decade. “She has been at this for years. The interesting thing is that to the outside world it looks like there's been this dramatic breakthrough, but really it's been an incremental progression over the last 13 years,” he says.

EXERCISE: View eating well and exercising as a lifelong pursuit. You needn’t accomplish all of your goals right here, right now. Accept the highs and the lows as part of the total journey and keep moving forward. Strive to improve your diet and fitness day-to-day but track your progress month-to-month; that takes the pressure off. Write down your monthly goals on the worksheet below.

TIP: Get (a little) competitive

Every champion athlete is fueled by a fierce competitive fire. While you needn’t “conquer” others in a sports arena to get motivated, you can benefit greatly from healthy competition. “Spurring yourself to greater heights by being moderately competitive can be a powerful way to keep your motivation up,” says Jim Taylor, Ph.D, a sports psychologist from San Francisco, Calif. and author of Prime Sports (Writers Club, 2000).

EXERCISE: Using the worksheet, write down a few ideas on how you can push yourself to greater heights. If you prefer to test yourself, then enter an organized athletic event or challenge yourself to create healthier, more delicious meals. If you thrive on competing with others, then challenge someone to a friendly weight-loss competition.

TIP: Follow your heart

It’s motivating to know that you’re getting the most bang for your workout buck. One of the ways top athletes maximize the benefits of physical activity is by monitoring their heart rates. “Regardless of your fitness level or goals, to reap the greatest results, you must exercise at the right intensity,” says Sally Edwards, author of several heart rate books including the best-selling The Heart Rate Monitor Book. “The best way to measure exercise intensity is to monitor your heart rate continuously by using a heart monitor. In fact, this little device may be the most important investment you’ll ever make in your fitness.”

EXERCISE: Use the worksheet below to calculate your ideal exercise zones and then log onto www.polarusa.com and learn more about how to use a heart rate monitor to achieve your goals.

WORKSHEET

HED: SUPERSTAR SUCCESS SECRET WORKSHEET

Make a copy of this worksheet, fill it out and post it in a highly-visible place that will keep your fitness and diet commitments front-and-center over the next few months.

Pay Yourself First
What five things can you do first thing in the morning to boost your health and nutrition:

Get Plenty of Rest
Map out a sleep schedule (and stick to it) over the next 30 days:

Think Long-Term
Write down your diet and fitness goals for the next six months:

Get Competitive
Write down three ideas to put some healthy competition into your diet and exercise lives:

Get More from Your Workouts
In order to train “in the zone,” and get the most benefit from your workouts, you need to know your maximum heart rate, which can be approximated by subtracting your age from 220. Write that number here:
Maximum Heart Rate _________

You will use this number as the basis for your workouts. If you are striving to burn fat, boost your health and get “fit without fatigue,” then you should exercise at 60 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate (MHR). So if your MHR is, say, 180 beats per minute, your heart rate during a fat-burning workout should be between 108 and 144 beats per minute (180 x 0.6 = 108 and 180 x 0.8 = 144.)

Fat-burning/Health-Promoting Zone:

When your fitness begins to plateau (see September issue), it may be time to insert some intervals of 30-seconds to two minutes—at 80 to 90 percent of your MHR—into your workouts.

Fitness Boosting (“Plateau Busting”) Zone:

Lifestyle

ORGANIC FOOD BAR is more than a bar, it’s a lifestyle.

Eating ORGANIC FOOD BARS will enhance your health and help redefine your relationship with food. Understanding how food affects our health and making smarter, more instinctual food choices for yourself and your family each day are two essential steps to living your best life.

We founded ORGANIC FOOD BAR to help you look, feel and live healthier. It’s that simple. It’s why we’ve created the world’s healthiest food bar. It’s why we form partnerships with worthy health organizations here and aboard. It’s why we provide “official energy support” at events each year. It’s why we present the RAISE THE BAR podcast to you each week. And, it’s why we’ve created this “Live the lifestyle” section of the website.

Each week, we will post a new column here with one goal: to help you live your best life. If you have a topic you’d like us to cover, just let us know!