7 Tips to Help You Get Motivated to Exercise
Set goals and get focused
It’s the new year and that means that gyms are full of weekend warriors trying to get fit and stick to their resolutions. It can be tough to start a new workout routine, especially if you’ve been slacking off for the past few months.
It can be quite a struggle to find motivation to make fitness a regular part of your life, whether you’re new to exercise, or you’ve just gotten temporarily off track. But there is hope on the horizon.
Here are ways to motivate yourself and get back to the gym.
Motivation #1: Workout with friends or a group.
Get together with friends or join an exercise group that you would enjoy working out with. Together you would help support and motivate each other. Above all, it needs to be fun and something you look forward to. Set a specific time each week to keep each other accountable. Create a goal or two that would get you jazzed and excited to accomplish - nothing too grandiose but rather a smaller goal that is achievable, measurable, and has a set completion date for your target. The sense of accomplishment from reaching that goal will inspire you to conquer your next goal and stepping stone to improved health and fitness, said David Clair, owner of Fitness for Living.
Motivation #2: Find a positive goal that really matters to you.
The most important aspect when trying to motivate yourself to workout is to find something you really enjoy. Enjoy the learning process. Weight loss is awesome and an amazing goal to achieve. If you have a negative mindset towards losing weight, then you might get the job done for a certain event or goal, but you will easily fall back into an old routine soon thereafter. If you learn to enjoy eating healthy and the process, it will be easier to keep the new habits for a lifetime, said Jessica Lopez, certified personal trainer with The Boxing Club.
Motivation #3: Buy new workout gear.
Look good while working out. People do better when they feel better, so buy a new workout outfit with matching kicks. Put in a little effort to get ready before heading to the gym. Do what makes you feel more confident within your own skin. Confidence is a key factor with performance, Lopez said.
Motivation #4: Create a plan of action.
Have a goal, then make a plan of action on how to achieve that goal. Daily, weekly, monthly check points will help you work toward that goal slowly but surely. Some people like to sign up for races, fitness competitions, or sporting leagues that require discipline and training for an end result to stay motivated. Once a goal has been obtained, make a new goal. Life is about growing, learning, and changing. There is always another level to hit or another challenge to meet, Lopez said.
Motivation #5: Remind yourself why you’re doing this.
Always go back to the “why.” Why did you start in the first place? What feeling will you have once you achieve that goal? Believe in yourself. Once you do this, then you can completely embody what you need to do to achieve it. Don’t give up, Lopez said.
Motivation #6: Commit publicly.
Let it be known that you’re starting an exercise program or training for an upcoming event. This is as simple as posting it to your social media profiles let you friends know and ask them to not let you backed out of the race. And hopefully you have a good group of friends and family that will help keep you accountable to going to the gym, said Jeff Carstensen, owner of Multimovin Fitness.
Motivation #7: Hire a personal trainer.
Part of a personal trainer’s job is to be a motivator. This can be done many ways just watch an episode of The Biggest Loser and Jillian Michaels and you can see that sometimes a trainer will be the drill sergeant yelling to pick it up and then, later, you’ll be in tears as you see you progress you made for the week. Also, personal trainers havecrazy cancellation policies most requiring a 12-hour or 24-hour notice. That’s motivation enough to not hit the snooze bar on an early morning and to not lose your hard-earned money, Carstensen said.
Time, patience and persistence.
“It doesn’t matter what your fitness goals are - it takes time, patience, and persistence. Everyone wants instant gratification, but if you are looking to change your body composition or athletic performance it is imperative to stay committed. In order to stay committed, it is necessary to continue to return to what keeps you motivated,” Lopez said.
