How to Stay Motivated to Workout
On Day 2 of my current series “12 Days of Fitness🎁” we’re talking about how to stay motivated to workout! (You can catch my series on Instagram or TikTok!) What are the best ways to start and ideas on how to keep yourself motivated according to your personality.
First and foremost, you want to determine what your long-term goals are. Once you have a substantial goal set, start setting many smaller goals to achieve along the way. Why, you might ask? Hitting the smaller goals every couple of weeks helps to keep you motivated in and of itself. Achieving these small goals reinforces your brain to create a new habit- working out! It also gives you something to celebrate throughout your journey so the main goal doesn’t seem so far away.
Next you’re going to want to find a way to hold yourself accountable. Everyone is different, so how you make sure you head to the gym will be unique to you. And here are some ways you can start. Grab yourself a fitness buddy, someone who can meet you at the gym. It’s a lot harder to skip the gym if someone is there waiting for you. In the same regard, if working out with a buddy doesn’t suit you, try getting a trainer. You’re not going to skip the gym if you’re paying someone to train you!
If you’re not the kind of person who doesn’t like to workout with a buddy, try adding your journey to social media. If your friends and family are watching and cheering you on, you’re going to want to reach your goals! In the same regard, you can download an app with a live fitness community to help cheer you on! A great example of this would be my app with the Resilience training program! (FIRST MONTH IS FREE!)
Say you’re more of a task-oriented person, try scheduling your gym time in your calendar. If you’ve already set aside the time in your calendar, you can’t use how busy you are as an excuse! You can also treat it as an appointment. If anything comes up, you can reschedule your gym time for later in the day.
This one is for my visual badies out there, try putting aside your gym outfit and equipment somewhere right in front of you, like your bathroom sink. Also, if everything is ready and laid out for you, it’s easy to grab and go. It also works as a constant reminder to bring your butt to the gym!
Are you reward-oriented? Maybe a treat, or some fun time pushes you to get things done. Try this technique with the following example: if your goal is working out three times this week and you reach it, reward yourself with something you enjoy. Like a new sports bra, a massage, or your favorite treat!
For all my tech-savvy folks- do you have an Apple Watch, Fitbit, or another activity tracker? Most have a way to connect to friends and keep each other accountable. Or you can even start a competition to make sure you everyone hits their goals!
Now, these next two suggestions both hold you accountable AND, in my opinion, is necessary with any training goals. First, follow a program. Whether this is a program you get from a trainer or one you create yourself, it’s a way to track your progress and know how to move forward. And second, take progress pics! You see yourself in the mirror EVERY DAY. The small changes that happen over time aren’t noticeable when you slowly adjust what you see. If you can put two pictures side-by-side, then you’ll definitely see the difference!
Now pick your favorite motivation and let’s hit the gym!
