I always have good intentions when I am planning things out. I take the time to carefully decide the details of whatever I am planning only to get to that day and find myself completely unmotivated to do it.
When I first decided that I was going to start this most recent fitness journey, I had the same issue. I signed up for a monthly subscription and eventually found myself skipping days and then weeks. Eventually, I realized that what I was doing wasn’t working and I needed to find ways to motivate myself.
After a couple months of trying different things to get motivated, I have come up with a list of things that helped me. I believe they can help others as well. I don’t expect every person to relate to all of these tips, but if even one helps you on your journey, then I consider that a success.
Here are my workout motivation tips:
1. THINK ABOUT WHY
Why are you taking this step in your life? Is it physical health? Mental health? Fun? Whatever the reason, let that be a part of what motivates you.
Never forget why you started this journey.
For me, the biggest reason I want to workout is to be an example for my girls. Yes, I want to get healthy and lose weight. But most importantly, I want them to see me taking time out of the day to take care of myself. Even if it’s for a quick 10 minute workout. Exercising doesn’t have to be hours out of your day, everyday.
2. BUY FUN WORKOUT GEAR
Yes, I’m aware that workout gear is expensive. Don’t go crazy right off the bat. Remember, if you are a beginner, you want to put your feelers out there and see what type of workout you are interested in. I was so excited to shop for gear and got completely overwhelmed with the prices.
Set a small budget aside for this kind of thing. In my experience, I found that my money was better spent on comfortable clothes before actual gear like weights or resistance bands. Having the right clothing helped motivate me to take on new workouts.
3. FIND A WORKOUT BUDDY
Most activities are more fun with a friend. If possible, find someone who will challenge you but also support you. Maybe you meet up once a week and go for a walk. Maybe you check in over texting to make sure you are both staying active. With this recent pandemic, get togethers have been difficult to schedule. Online groups can be very beneficial as well.
Support is a HUGE part in your success with anything in life. Especially with activities that can be mentally and physically challenging.
4. START SMALL
I know how tempting it can be to see what you want to be doing and skip the steps it takes to get there. Unfortunately, if you try to run before you walk, chances are you are going to fall.
Don’t get me wrong. Falling is a great lesson. But it can be incredibly unmotivating when you fall too hard right off the bat.
One of the first workout programs I did was a 30 day dancing program. On day 14, my back went out because I was pushing myself to do things my body was not ready to do. My back recovered fairly quickly, but for weeks after the recovery, I was scared to start again.
Start small with your workouts. There is no need to push yourself too hard. When you start small, you will likely succeed more often. Small victories along the way make the occasional fall easier to deal with. You WILL have some bad days. And that’s ok. Because you will have more good days to look forward to.
5. KEEP A JOURNAL
I am ALWAYS finding a reason to have a notebook and write something. It’s actually annoying because I have a bunch of notebooks everywhere for different parts of my life. But the one I have been consistent with the most has been my fitness journal.
I recently started journaling after my daily workouts. I’m not talking pages and pages of writing a day. Literally what workout I did, the weights I used and my effort level and why.
This can help you see how you feel before and/or after you workout. Is it helping your mood? Aside from being tired, do you feel better? If the answer is yes, it’s worth doing again, right? A journal also helps you track your progress. Did you use heavier weights than the day before? What are your current measurements compared to a couple weeks ago? etc.
6. SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE
When I say share, I mean share the good and the bad days. Don’t hide the challenges you are facing. Chances are, you might help inspire someone else to take this step too. Despite what you see all over social media, nothing in life is perfect. People can pretend all they want, but it’s not realistic that everything in someone’s life is going right. You are a human being and you are allowed to have hard days/ weeks/ months, etc.
Sharing your experience can help inspire others to push through. What motivates me is seeing that other people also face challenges but continue to keep going. Even if they have to give themselves a break.
Accountability is HUGE! When I started posting on Social media during my 100 workouts in 100 days program, I was motivated to keep going even on days I just wasn’t feeling it. On the days when I literally couldn’t do it, I posted why I couldn’t and what stopped me. I knew that people were inspired because they told me that the posts helped them want to get off the couch and workout. Even for just a short time.
7. FIND THE RIGHT MUSIC
Finding the right music is so important. Everyone is wired differently. Sometimes you just need inspiring music to get the job done. Sometimes you need to find music that you can move with the beat. I personally like moving with a beat when I am doing cardio or weight lifting. Calm music always works for me when I am doing yoga.
If you find songs that you enjoy working out with, create a playlist. You can shuffle songs each time so your workout feels a little different every time.
8. START A GUIDED PROGRAM
I absolutely love working out with Beachbody on Demand. It’s actually much cheaper compared to some gyms’ monthly prices. There are so many programs within the site that range between beginner to advanced workouts. They even have family options as well.
Don’t want to spend money? I totally get it. There are lots of free youtube channels to follow that can get you up and moving everyday.
Following a guide is helpful when you want to workout but you stand there and have no idea where to start. That would be me, 100%. I’m not afraid to admit that. When it comes to working out, I am definitely not a leader.
9. MAKE IT A COMPETITION/GAME
Do you have a competitive personality? A competition can be between friends or even yourself. Depending on your comfort level, you may want to even join groups with people you have never met. For example, my FitBit allows us to join challenges and invite other people to join as well. I joined a group of people to see who could get the most steps in the workweek. I found myself walking so much more than I usually do, and I was actually having fun checking in on my progress. The best part is that you don’t have to actually interact with other people which makes my introvert heart happy. If you want to do this solo, challenge yourself to do better the next week than you did before.
10. REWARD YOURSELF
You can do this strictly for the satisfaction of getting a good workout. But, I like to actually make it a little worth my while. A reward can come in many different ways. I would recommend not rewarding yourself with food or unhealthy things. Things like that have a tendency to make you spiral downwards and lose all the progress you made. There are tons of recipes out there to make healthy delicious treats.
The things I reward myself with look more like buying things for myself. I NEVER buy things for myself. Everything I buy is for my family. When I hit milestones I reward myself by adding new equipment to my fitness routine, or buying a new workout outfit. Mine seem pretty themed, but you can buy whatever makes you happy.
Looking for a cheaper option? Reward yourself with something you need but have been pushing off because of lack of time.
Schedule an extra 30 minutes of self care. I know that time for self care doesn’t just magically appear in your day. Sometimes we have to let something go in our day to day lives to focus on our needs. If you’re like me, my day revolves around my kids and just trying to keep up with everything in the home to avoid a complete disaster of a house. But sometimes, I just walk past the dirty dishes and do something that allows me to take a breath.
I hope some of these tips work for you and your lifestyle. We all have different things happening in our lives that can make it difficult to find the time or the energy to get up and work out. But even if you don’t need to lose weight, movement is good for your body and mind.