Do you need some workout motivation? There are so many different things you can do to motivate yourself to workout.
*This post contains affiliate links.*
Why Are You Working Out?
First off, why are you working out? Is it for you? For a boyfriend? To impress your friends? To please your mother? You should workout for YOU, and no one else. You are the one putting in the work, and you have to want to create that workout habit in a way that feels fun, safe, and motivating for you.
I talked about this is my article about finding your “Why Factor”. We all have a ‘reason’ for starting a weight loss plan, whether that is because you want to lose weight for a wedding, high school reunion, before having a baby, for summer, or maybe you just know you need to live a healthier lifestyle… My point is, you need to make the decision to start a healthier lifestyle for YOU. No one can force or coerce you, as much as they may try, if you aren’t the one deciding what is best for you and your body, you are not going to be successful with your goals.
A Few Ideas if Your Need Workout Motivation:
- Keep your workout gear in plain sight. If you see your workout gear first thing in the morning you’ll have exercise on the brain from the get go. Get your gear on and burn some calories!
- Get a workout partner so you have someone to workout with, and you can motivate and encourage each other, you’re not in it alone! You can also find a buddy online to keep you motivated!
- Join a ‘Biggest Loser’ competition at work or the gym. Or join a Diet Bet. With Diet Bet you bet money and have 28 days to lose 4% of your weight. In the end you split what is left in the pot with other winners.
- Prove others wrong. If others think you will quit and fail, prove them wrong.
- Sign up for a 5k. If it’s already paid for, you are more likely to train and complete the marathon.
- Make sure your goal is realistic. You don’t have to do 60 minutes worth of sweaty cardio. Start at 30 minutes of exercise and build up.
- Try a fitness tracker. I love beating my previous records and hitting new targets!
- The healthier you are, the longer you will be around to play your kids and grand-kids.
- Do something you enjoy. If you hate the cardio you are doing, you won’t want to do it consistently! Try different things and find something you love!
- Reward yourself, and congratulate yourself. When you reach a milestone it’s okay to give yourself a pat on the back you deserve it! And you earned it!
- Don’t beat yourself up if you slip up. You are only human. No one is perfect and don’t give up!!
Remember What it Feels Like When Your Workout is Over.
I know it’s hard to motivate yourself to workout sometimes, believe me, I know.
I’m going to be honest, because I know a lot of us have felt the same way. There are going to be days when you don’t want to exercise. There are going to be days where it’s too cold to workout outside and you have to find something to do inside, or days where you don’t want to pick your butt up off the couch and drive to the gym, or days when running for 20 minutes just feels like it’s so sluggish and slow you want to stop.
These are the days where you really need to push yourself, because these are the days that are really going to help you keep pushing yourself.
For example, let’s say you are training for a 5k and you need to run 20 minutes. Let’s say you are already tired after 5 minutes, and all you want to do is walk back home and take a shower. If you push yourself through that tough run, that run is so important. Not only are you telling your brain that stopping is not an option, you are training your brain to push through the walls you might feel when running. By stopping, you are telling yourself that next time a run feels a little tougher than normal, it’s okay to stop. Pushing through and creating a consistent workout schedule is how we create long lasting habits.
If you have ever had one of those days where exercising is the last thing you want to do, but you did it anyways, you know how good it felt when it was over. You can feel proud of yourself for completing the workout and not stopping even though you really wanted to.
Set SMART goals and to Motivate Yourself to Workout.
If you are a goal oriented person like I am, make sure to set some goals you can work towards when setting up your workout plan.
Think about what you want to accomplish with your workouts. Do you want to run a mile or a 5k? Do you want to be able to do a pull ups or a certain amount of push ups? When setting your fitness related goals, keep the following things in mind:
- Keep your goals specific.
- Give yourself enough time to complete your goals.
- Keep your goals realistic and attainable.
- Make sure you are able to measure your goals in some way.
Write down your goals and keep them somewhere you will see frequently, like on the fridge or on a vision board. This way you will see your goals often and they will always be in your mind. When you need to motivate yourself to workout, take a look at your goals and why you set them in the first place, that will help you remember why you need to get moving.
Make sure to also reward and celebrate yourself when you reach goals! Just make sure you are rewarding yourself in healthy ways. Keep yourself motivated by giving yourself healthy rewards.
