How to Use Non-Food Rewards to Keep Yourself Motivated as You Reach Your Fitness Goals

If you are currently trying to lose weight and get in shape, then you shouldn't underestimate the power of breaking your big goal into smaller ones, at least that is according to the latest luxury fitness trends. Whether you have a target weight you want to get down to, or a big fitness goal like being able to enter a marathon or lift a certain amount, you can keep track of your progress and celebrate the victories along the way by setting smaller goals that you can try to reach within a certain amount of time.

Hitting a goal can be a reward in itself, as you will likely feel a big rush of achievement knowing that your hard work has paid off, and that you are getting closer to your ultimate goal. However, sometimes getting in shape is a long process, and it can be good to give yourself some more tangible rewards along the way to keep yourself feeling motivated.

Some people do use food as rewards, such as allowing themselves a 'cheat day' on their diet when they reach a certain target. However, this isn't necessarily the best thing to do psychologically, as it can reinforce the idea that your current program is keeping you from having the things you enjoy most, or that treats are something significant that is missing from your life while you are training. These things are also fleeting - once you've enjoyed a food-based reward, that is it gone, and so you don't have something you can keep to remind you of what you have achieved. It is therefore best to come up with a list of non-food rewards that you can assign to your goals and work for. You can do this with things of all different price ranges, allowing you to make some goals bigger milestones than others, or to keep costs down.

Here are some ideas:

A New Hairstyle

As you change your appearance through diet and exercise, people are likely to start noticing and complimenting you, but if you want to really celebrate how you are changing, then consider making an instant and dramatic change such as a new haircut or color. You may find that changing your style gives you a really motivating sense of the new you that you are working towards, and you can try out something you may not have had the confidence to do before, such as a big color change, to celebrate how much better you are feeling as you get fitter!

New Sneakers

A big part of getting in shape is, of course, exercise. If you are someone who has started incorporating hitting the gym or just getting out and moving more into your life, then why not celebrate this by buying some really nice sneakers? If you covet high end style, you could choose a reward like a pair of designer Balenciagas from SSENSE, or you could tie your sneaker reward choice to something else you are doing, for instance buying some really hi-tech running shoes if you are now ready to start including running in your fitness program. You can also find other brands like NikeLab and Adidas at SSENSE, so it is definitely worth a browse!

A Luxury Bath

A good small reward for minor milestones could be taking aside an hour, getting some luxury products, and enjoying a long, relaxing bath. It can help soothe your muscles after a lot of working out, and you can also use it as a chance to use some deep moisturizing products for your skin and hair, making you feel great at very little expense. You can pick up some nice bath bombs, face masks and other products to make your bath time special and use these when you want to celebrate a small goal being reached. If you're on a budget, try making my recipe for Unicorn Bath Bombs or Mandarin Sugar Body Scrub. Or, you can make it a weekly thing to enjoy every time you have made it through another week of your fitness regime.

New Headphones

It can be good to reward yourself with things that you can use while you are being active, and some new headphones can help keep you motivated at the gym or when you are out exercising. If you are someone who likes gadgets and technology, choosing some cool noise canceling headphones or some smart Bluetooth ear pods can be fun in itself, and you will have a useful alternative to the annoying wires of the headphones that came with your phone, which can really get in the way when you are training.

A Massage

Another way to treat yourself with some luxury is to book in for a sports massage, or, if you are looking for low budget rewards, persuade your partner or a friend to give you a massage when you reach a certain goal. Massage can help a lot with muscle pain built up during exercise, and can be a relaxing and invigorating reward!

These are just some ideas for you to try as you move through your fitness goals! Good luck!

*This is a collaborative post. All views and text are mine.