Is it difficult for you to motivate yourself to work out regularly?
It is now more than halfway through the summer (shedding some serious tears over here…) and a common theme I have been noticing on many people’s social media is wanting to lose weight. But, so many people keep mentioning the same thing: they cannot find the motivation within themselves to work out.
So, today I wanted to share a few ways I have taught myself to easily find motivation to get myself moving every day. Implementing even a few of the tricks I mention below can be life changing for you if you are looking to develop easy ways to get healthy and STAY healthy!
Remember, looking and feeling your best throughout the year is all about developing a healthy lifestyle that is not a roller coaster of fad diets and random workout plans. It needs to be something you make part of your daily life, just like brushing your teeth and showering.
So, here are 10 easy ways that you can motivate yourself to work out on the regular:
1. Buy workout outfits you are excited to wear
You know the saying, “Look good. Feel good.“? It is so true. As silly as it sounds, I get more excited to work out if I really feel good about what I am wearing as I look in the mirror. It doesn’t matter if I am going to the gym or working out at home.
Buy shirts that are fun colors or have motivational saying on it. Find some pants that accentuate your body and all its curves. Purchase a few headbands that give your gym hair a little glam. A new pair of sneakers. Whatever gets you feeling positive about yourself! Invest in the clothes. Invest in yourself.
2. Lay out your workout clothes
A simple way to motivate yourself to work out is to make getting ready super easy. When I find myself in a workout slump, I will lay out my clothes the night before or the morning of (if I am doing an afternoon workout). If you are going right from work or another commitment, pack a bag and put it RIGHT in the front seat of your car.
By doing this, you will feel more inclined to actually put the darn clothes on and get yourself moving. Having the clothes already picked out and right in your eyesight is one less decision you need to make before working out. One less excuse. Once you change into your clothes, you are more likely to start to work out rather than go home, sit on the couch, and eat a bunch of garbage you don’t need.
3. Plan your entire workout in advance
Planning workouts in advance is key to not only getting yourself to begin a workout. But, it will get you to work out longer and challenge yourself more. Have you ever made it to the gym with no plan, did random exercises and felt like put in only about 50% effort? It is very common.
You need a plan. You need something to motivate yourself to work out in a way that burns fat, makes you feel good, AND keeps you wanting more! In turn, you will find yourself wanting to work out on a regular basis and the motivation will become second nature to you.
4. Listen to a motivational podcast
One of my favorite ways of getting in the right headspace to work out is to listen to a podcast that makes me feel good. You can read about some of my favorite podcasts here. Currently, I am listening to The Jillian Michaels Show on repeat. I love that she talks about working out and eating healthy, but also real life issues.
You can listen to a podcast while getting dressed before a workout or, if you are going to a gym, you can play one in the car on the way. With the thousands of shows out there, you can find podcasts that address so many different topics. If you are new to them, give yourself time to find ones that speak to you!
Never listened to a podcast before? Click here to read why you NEED to start ASAP!
5. Listen to a “Pump Me Up” playlist
Now, who doesn’t have a “Pump Me Up” music playlist? You know, that grouping of songs that gets your shoulders moving without you even realizing. Or, the ones you NEED to belt out at the top of your lungs. The kind that make you think HECK YES THIS IS LIVING!!
Good music is not only for working out. How you feel before a workout is just as important as how it feels when you are doing the hard work. When you feel positive and ready to crush your workout, you not only do the workout… but you push yourself to new levels!
6. Tell others you are going to workout
Accountability is crucial when it comes to getting in the grind of working out. Think about it. We have such an easy time breaking promises with ourselves. We skip those workouts… eat the food we swore we would never eat again… watch that extra episode of The Real Housewives. We ALL do it!!
But, when you tell others that you are going to do X Y or Z, you are more inclined to complete the task. Why? Because most of us get embarrassed when we say we are going to do something and don’t actually go through with it. So, next time you are going to work out, tell some friends, your partner, post it on social media… whatever will motivate you to stick to your promise!
7. Leave yourself notes & pictures
Who doesn’t love getting little love notes from others? What we often forget is that those notes don’t need to always comes from someone else. Motivate yourself to work out and to start moving by writing your own! Buy some bright, beautiful post-it notes and write positive sayings in places you go often.
This could be in your closet, inside your bathroom medicine cabinet, inside your fridge, on the visor of your car… wherever you will look daily! It could be simple sayings like, “You will feel so good when it is over”, “Yes you CAN do it”, “Stop doubting yourself”, “Failure is NOT an option”, “Don’t break your own promises”…
8. Read a chapter of a self-help book
Reading can be a great way to motivate yourself to work out! It can even be just 5-10 minutes of a good book in order to realign yourself to remember that this workout is the self-care that you need in your life.
Read about one of my recent favorite self-help books in this post!
It doesn’t even need to be a new book/chapter you are reading every time. Crack open one of your favorites and read the notes and highlights you made. Sometimes, when I am feeling crumby, I will grab one of my favorite self-help reads and skim highlights I made as a quick pick-me-up! It WORKS!!
9. Plan non food related rewards
The whole reason you want to work out is to look and (more importantly) feel better. But, most of us need a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow to truly motivate ourselves to work out. The downfall for most people is they make food a reward. We are not animals. Food should not be a reward (unless it is a salad or fruit… yeah, ok.).
Instead, set mini goals for yourself with little rewards here and there. Maybe once you lose 5lbs you can buy a pricier pair of workout pants you have been eyeing. If you make it to the gym 4 days this week you can get a gel manicure. Or, if you walk 12k steps a day for an entire month you will hire a cleaning lady to deep clean your house one day. Choose things that reward YOU in positive, uplifting ways!
10. Make it a routine
I truly believe this one trumps ALL of the above. To motivate yourself to work out, it needs to become second nature, easy, and one less decision you have to make each day. Working out (which could just be 3-4 times a week and a long walk on the other days) NEEDS to become a routine in your life.
Yes, you might find motivation using all 9 steps above. But, how long do you want that motivation to last? Working out for 1 day, 1 week, or 1 month is not long enough.
Stop crash diets. Stop exhausting workout plans you absolutely dread and give up on. Find what works for you on the regular and make it A LIFESTYLE!
TAKE ACTION:
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