How to Get Crystal Clear on Your Fitness Motivation w/ Christa Shelton

If you struggle with staying motivated when engaging with exercise, you are not alone. Starting a fitness plan is very exciting initially, but when reality sets in about the amount of time it can take to see results, especially as our bodies change through the different phases of life, it can be a bit disheartening. This is why I have brought the ultimate motivator, Christa Shelton, to the show today. Key Takeaways If You Want To Get Clear On Your Fitness Motivation, You Should:  Adapt your training schedule to where your body is at right now in this phase of your life Get clear on why you want to accomplish a goal and if it is coming from yourself or outside conditioning Harness the confidence you get from strength training into all areas of your life For The Love of Motivation Christa is a certified personal trainer and behavioral change specialist who is passionate about helping her clients use motivation as a vehicle for long-term success. She loves helping women in mid-life feel confident with their movement practices and get to the 'why' behind their goals. She has combined her enthusiasm for fitness and her love of motivating people into a purpose that serves her clients, herself, and her community. Feeling Confident in Movement at Every Age When getting back into fitness, especially if some years have passed since the last time we engaged with that exercise, we all tend to compare what we can do now to what we could do back then. But the truth is, how you are training now should be different than how you were training 5 or 10 years ago because your body needs different things. By being tuned into what your body is saying to you, you can get over the barriers of movement and learn to embrace the changes your body is going through. Know Your "Why" The best way to stay motivated is to be confident in the 'why' behind your goal. Christa uses strength training as a gateway to getting into your internal mindset and figuring out what each unique person needs at that moment.  When you can own and feel good about your intentions and feel secure in what your body can do, that confidence translates into all areas of your life. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be strong. While the definition of the word strong may change from person to person, the positivity that comes from feeling assured in your body's abilities is universal. Are you ready to stop procrastinating and start using your mindset to fuel your motivation? Share what you loved most about Christa's approach with me in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode Common fears and barriers surrounding women holding women back from getting started on a fitness journey (14:06) How to address the changes in your body mid-life and adapt your training program accordingly (22:54) The role of mindset and listening to your body when doing any type of training (25:21) Tips for overcoming your mindset challenges when it comes to strength training (28:51) How strength training can help you tap into your motivation and create inner transformation (36:45) Quotes "Because I am walking this journey, it really compelled me to really immerse myself in how we are looking at aging and how we are feeling about our bodies as we age. And that's really what made me want to make the shift to really focus here." (8:39) "Generally speaking, it still takes work and time to build muscle. So to think you could go from where you are to somehow ever get to 'The Rock' or anywhere near that is in itself a huge misconception." (18:40) "I am very much more the type of trainer that is going to talk to you about how you are feeling, specifically that day when I see you, and then we are going to move according to that." (23:44) "Getting down deep and relating to people on a human level is not something that I feel is really talked about as much as it should be for people coming into this work. Because when you are dealing with people's bodies, I feel that that is a very personal space, and it needs to be treated with the utmost respect." (27:46) "What are your motivations behind the things that you do? I think it is important to dig into that so that you can really understand if your motivation for doing something is based on conditioning and messaging that you have been getting... or is it something that you have a clear mindset about this approach and why you feel it is important." (32:23) Featured on the Show Join the Group Strength Nutrition Program Waitlist Here Coaching With Christa Website Follow Christa on Instagram Steph Gaudreau Website Check out the full show notes here! Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes! Related Episodes LTYB 239: Demystifying Menopause Fitness & Nutrition with Amanda Thebe  LTYB 331: Strength Training & Your Relationship with Exercise LTYB 334: How Strong Women Can Lift Eachother Up with Molly Galbraith