Hello there and thanks for joining me on the blog for a bit of workout motivation.
Working out or rather getting yourself to work out and push through to the end of a session is not always easy. Some days you’ll be surprised by how much you accomplish in an individual session. Other days when you don’t even want to begin.
There are little things that you can do to motivate yourself to work out and I’ll be sharing a few in this post.
How To Motivate Yourself To Work Out
Set A Goal For Yourself
Ask yourself exactly what it is that you want to accomplish.
Are you trying to lose weight? How much weight are you trying to lose? What is your timeframe?
Remember that great goals are SMART i.e. specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound.
For example your goal could be to lose 5 kgs in 4weeks.
Come Up With a Plan & Stick To It
Decide how you’re going to go about achieving your goal. Using the 5 kg weight loss goal example from above, you could make a plan to do 30 minutes of exercises daily.
Factor in all the other important things in your daily schedule and create a timetable for yourself and block out times for your workouts.
As they say,
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
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Save series to watch while you’re on the treadmill or bike
I got this idea from YouTuber Stephanie Harlowe and it’s a great idea! A – you’ll have something to look forward to and B – you’ll have something enjoyable to do if don’t find working out enjoyable.
You can do this while doing a number of other exercises besides the treadmill and bike such as the stair climber.
Pre-download episodes of your favourite series on your streaming platform and save them to your phone ready for your next gym session.
Listen to music
I do this every time I hit the gym (except on days when I forget my earphones) to get me pumped.
It keeps me motivated and allows me to push myself during workouts. I have workout playlists saved on Spotify so I pick one at random when it’s workout time.
I’ve noticed that listening to music helps me to go longer and harder; especially on the treadmill because I end up picking up speed to match the song’s tempo.
I’d suggest you invest in some wireless earphones so that they don’t obstruct you while you’re trying to work up a sweat.
Find Workout Activities You Actually Enjoy & Do Them
There are so many workout options out there, you don’t have to be stuck in the gym all miserable because you hate what you’re doing.
Try out a variety of workout routines and activities until you find ones you actually like and do those.
It’s easy to become demotivated if exercising feels like absolute torture.
A few activities you could try are jumping rope, dancing etc.
Treat Yourself Afterwards
Treat yourself to a smoothie or healthy snake after your workout session.
Knowing you have a delicious treat waiting for you after your session gives you something to look forward to.
I like grabbing a smoothie on my way out of the gym. They’re not only mouth-wateringly delicious but they’re nutritious too.
Don’t do it alone
Finding an exercise group and partaking in group classes could be a great and fun way to work out and something for you to look forward to.
Find out which classes they have at your local gym or join your neighbourhood fitness groups.
Playing team sports is another great way to exercise while having fun and bonding with mates.
You could also ask a friend to join you virtually via Google Meet or Teams. That’s how my friend and I worked out together while living in different cities. I’d feel guilty and get my ass out of bed just so that I wouldn’t disappoint her on my lazy days.
Sign A Contract
Personally, I hate wasting money so the thought of a debit order going off and me not having set foot in the gym stresses me out.
Whether or not you go, the gym will charge you. If like me you like your money, you’ll get your ass to the gym and get your money’s worth whether you’re in the mood or not.
Keep the end results in mind
Always remember WHY you’re working out.
Whatever your end goal is, keep a visual representation of it somewhere where you can see it whenever you work out. This will help you see what you’re working towards and constantly remind you why you’re working out. Especially important on days when you’re unmotivated.
Whether you’re working out to improve your overall health, lose weight, or gain muscle, keep a picture of what that will look like for you close by so you can whip it out and have a look whenever you need to.
“Fitness For Those Who HATE working out”
Spoil Yourself With Cute Gym Outfits
The color, fit, cost, and branding of your activewear can all influence your mood heading into your workout and your performance during it
shape.com
Gym clothes aren’t cheap, and if you’re like me, after spending all that money, you’ll wear them so you might as well use them for their intended purpose. Looking cute while breaking a sweat boosts confidence, if you ask me.
My latest activewear brand obsession is Burnt. I think their fits are super cute and stylish (Also pricey).
You want to make sure you have comfortable, flexible and breathable activewear to work out in.
Get Competitive
I got competitive by joining the Samsung challenges to get my 10 000 steps a day in.
I’m quite the sore loser lol and the thought of not reaching the milestones in time is what motivated me to get moving each day.
It’s also fun to see where you are on the leaderboard and challenge your friends and other people you know to see who wins at the end of each challenge.
There are many ways to keep yourself motivated such as joining a group or getting an accountability partner to hold you accountable and help make sure you’re sticking to your workout routine.
How do you motivate yourself to work out? Please share it with us in the comments.
Forcing yourself to do exercises you hate is never going to work – something I definitely learned!
True. There are way too many options to be doing things you hate.
Great tips! I absolutely agree that doing something you love makes the biggest difference in the world. I used to force myself to go to the gym for strength training and thought I loved it until I discovered barre and now I feel much more motivated to do a barre class and sprinkle in some strength training on days I can’t make it to class. Saving a series to watch on the treadmill is also a great way to get some exercise in – it’s literally the only way I watch Snowpiercer, haha!
These are such helpful tips! I really want to get more active but sometimes it just seems so overwhelming and I end up putting it off. I think doing it with others and signing a contract would really help, as I hate the thought of wasting money too! Thank you so much for sharing x
It’s a pleasure. Happy to share 🤗
Great tips. Every time I come across a good podcast, I don’t listen to it in my leisure time. Instead, I save it for my workouts. That’s one way I convince myself to work out, lol. Anyway, thanks for this post!
Great article, totally what I needed.