Do you lack the motivation to work out? Have you ever struggled to find the drive and inspiration to get up and engage in physical exercise?
Working out can be difficult, especially if it’s not something we enjoy doing. This is why developing a strong connection with your workout plan is essential for long-term success. By making yourself accountable to yourself, your goals, and those around you, you can discover the motivation necessary to reach the desired level of activity for optimum health.
Motivation can be hard to come by when it comes to working out; however, it is possible to stay motivated if you set realistic goals and hold yourself accountable. Here are some tips on how to motivate yourself to work out, including setting realistic goals and rewarding yourself after reaching them.
Key Takeaways From This Post:
- Exercise should be an enjoyable experience, find activities that bring you joy to stay motivated.
- Establish a fitness program tailored to your needs and interests with realistic goals and reward yourself when you meet them.
- Adopting a positive mindset, visualizing the obstacle, giving in to temptations, and tracking progress are key in motivating yourself to work out.
11 Best Tips On How To Get Instant Motivation For Working Out
Exercising regularly can be a challenge, especially when it comes to establishing a New Year’s resolution. However, there are several ways to motivate yourself to stick to an exercise routine and achieve your fitness goals. Science-backed tips for exercise motivation include setting goals, tracking progress, and rewarding yourself.
First, establish a fitness program that is tailored to your needs and interests. Find activities that you enjoy and make them part of your routine. This will help keep you motivated and make exercising more enjoyable. Additionally, set realistic goals for yourself and reward yourself for reaching them. This could be something as simple as treating yourself to a massage or buying new workout clothes after achieving a milestone in your fitness journey. Tracking your progress is also important; this will help you stay on track with your goals and provide motivation when needed. Finally, don’t forget to have fun! Exercise should be an enjoyable experience so find activities that bring you joy and make sure to take breaks when needed.
1. Change your Mindset
Exercising regularly can be a challenge, but it is an important part of self-care. To make it easier to stick with a fitness routine, it is important to change your mindset and view exercise as something positive. Positive thinking can be a powerful motivational tool, and Gabriele Oettingen’s “mental contrasting” technique can help you identify what is holding you back and come up with a plan to overcome it. A study of 51 female students showed that those who identified their triggers and made a plan to reach for healthier snacks were most successful at sticking to their goals.
It is also important to find an exercise routine that you enjoy doing, rather than one that you dread. Visualizing the obstacle can help you come up with a plan to overcome it. Examples of overcoming obstacles include switching to morning or lunchtime workouts or going straight to the gym instead of stopping at home first.
2. Give Into Temptations
Giving in to temptations can be a great way to motivate yourself to exercise. For example, treating yourself to new workout clothes or listening to your favorite music or podcast while exercising can help you stay motivated and make physical activity more enjoyable. The concept of “temptation bundling” involves combining enjoyable activities with valuable behaviors that provide delayed rewards. A study found that participants who had access to iPods with audiobooks only at the gym exercised more frequently, and 61% said they would pay for such a device.
It is important to set goals and make physical activity fun in order to stay motivated. If you need a break, take one but make sure you get back on track as soon as possible. Reviewing the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans can also help reduce sedentary behaviors and encourage an active lifestyle.
3. Set Simple Goals
Setting simple goals is the key to turning fitness intentions into a lifestyle change. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, and strength training at least two days per week. Any amount of physical activity has some health benefits, so even small goals are better than nothing. Start with simple, achievable goals and progress to longer-range goals. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week. Incorporate strength training exercises of all the major muscle groups into your fitness routine at least two times a week.
When setting your fitness goals, it is important to be realistic and set achievable targets that you can work towards over time. Start by setting smaller goals such as walking for 30 minutes three times a week or doing 10 push-ups each day. Once you have achieved these smaller goals, gradually increase the intensity or duration until you reach your desired level of physical activity.
4. Schedules your Workouts
Exercising regularly is an important part of staying healthy and feeling good. To make sure you get your workouts in, it’s best to schedule them into your daily routine. Working out first thing in the morning can be a great way to start off the day on the right foot and make exercise a priority. If you find yourself getting too busy during the day, take breaks throughout to fit in some physical activity. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you miss a workout here and there; just try to stay consistent with your routine as much as possible.
To help keep yourself motivated, put your workouts into your calendar each week like any other appointment. Treat these appointments as if they are with you; this will help you prioritize them and stick to them more easily. Planning ahead also gives you time to think about what type of workout you want to do that day or week so that when it comes time for your scheduled workout, you’ll be ready.
5. Incorporate Resistance Training
Resistance training is an important part of any exercise routine, especially for older adults. It helps to improve motivation and maintain muscle mass as we age. Resistance training can be done with free weights, resistance bands, machines, or body-weight exercises. By varying your routine, you can get the best results from your workouts.
When doing resistance training, it is important to start slowly and gradually increase the intensity of your workout over time. This will help to prevent injury and ensure that you are getting the most out of your workout. Additionally, it is important to focus on proper form when doing any type of resistance training in order to maximize the benefits and reduce the risk of injury. With regular practice and dedication, resistance training can help you stay fit and healthy as you age.
6. Make a bet
Making a bet on your own health is an effective way to stay motivated and achieve your fitness goals. A recent study found that incentivizing people to lose weight through diet and exercise resulted in greater weight loss than a control group. This means that financial incentives can be used to motivate people to exercise, as well as other methods such as setting up their own challenges or investing in services like ClassPass or The Peloton App.
For example, you could donate money if you don’t reach your goal or sign up for expensive gym memberships that will charge you if you skip classes. Investing in these services can help keep you accountable and motivated to stick with your workout routine. Additionally, signing up for classes that have a fee associated with them will encourage you to show up and make the most of the time and money invested. Making a financial investment in your health is a great way to ensure that you are investing time and energy into it as well.
7. Give Yourself a Real Reward
Exercising regularly can be a great way to stay healthy and fit, but it can also be difficult to stay motivated. To help increase the odds that your exercise routine becomes a habit, Charles Duhigg suggests creating a neurological “habit loop” which involves a cue to trigger the behavior, the routine itself, and then an extrinsic reward to make the link that the behavior is worthwhile. One of the best rewards for working out is simply feeling good about yourself afterward. Exercise releases endorphins which can lead to a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. Training your brain to recognize this as its own reward can help you stay motivated in the long run.
In addition to recognizing internal rewards, giving yourself tangible rewards for working out can also help motivate you to stick with them. After each successful gym session, take a few minutes to savor the good feelings that exercise gives you. For longer-range goals such as running a marathon or losing weight, treat yourself with something special like a massage or a new outfit. This will help reinforce the idea that working out is worth the effort and can be enjoyable.
8. Sign a Commitment Contract
Making promises to ourselves is a great way to stay motivated and committed to our goals. However, it can be difficult to follow through on these promises without some kind of external accountability. Signing a commitment contract is one way to increase the likelihood that we will stick with our goals. A commitment contract is an agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to pay a penalty if they do not meet their goal.
Studies have found that signing longer contracts leads to better results than shorter ones. This is because longer contracts provide more time for people to adjust and make changes in order to reach their goals. Additionally, longer contracts also give people more time to reflect on their progress and make adjustments as needed. By signing a commitment contract, individuals are held accountable for their actions and are more likely to achieve success in reaching their goals.
9. Rethink Positive Thinking
Positive thinking can be a powerful tool when it comes to achieving our goals. It can help us stay motivated and focused on the end result, even when faced with obstacles. Gabriele Oettingen’s technique of “mental contrasting” involves identifying a wish, visualizing the outcome, and then identifying what is holding you back. This can be an effective way to overcome any negative thoughts that may be preventing us from reaching our goals.
A study of female students found that those who identified their triggers for unhealthy snacking and made a plan to reach for healthier options were most successful in sticking to their goals. This shows how important it is to identify the root cause of any negative behaviors and replace them with positive ones. Exercise should also be seen as an essential part of self-care, rather than a hassle. Finding a fitness routine that you enjoy will make it easier to stick with it in the long run, while positive memories of exercising can help to inspire future workouts.
10. Find Your Fitness Tribe
Finding a supportive fitness community is essential for staying motivated and building confidence in your fitness journey. Joining a CrossFit box, run club, or yogi circle can help you find the support you need to stay active. Working out with friends can be a great way to stay motivated and push through tough workouts. Group fitness activities can also be fun and provide an opportunity for social time. Researchers have found that financial rewards have little to no impact on workout motivation, so it’s important to find an activity that everyone enjoys and make it a regular part of your routine.
When looking for your fitness tribe, consider what type of environment you feel most comfortable in. Do you prefer high-energy classes or more relaxed activities? Are there certain types of people who motivate you more than others? Once you’ve identified the type of group that works best for you, look into local clubs or gyms that offer those activities.
11. Get Competitive
Competition can be a great motivator when it comes to physical activity. A study found that competition was more effective than support alone in increasing physical activity, and the group that combined competition with support performed the best overall. It is important to keep competition healthy and focus on competing with yourself to achieve personal goals. Adding a competitive element to fitness tracking can increase motivation and performance. For example, a study of over a million runners found that when they saw their friends running more, they ran an extra three minutes on average. Connecting with friends on MapMyRun or FitBit can help add an element of competition to your workouts, as you can compare your progress with others and strive for better results each time.
Competition is not only beneficial for physical activity but also for mental health. It encourages people to push themselves further than they would have without it, leading to improved self-confidence and satisfaction in achieving goals. Additionally, having someone else to compete against can make exercise more enjoyable by providing a distraction from the physical effort.
How Do I Stay Determined When I Don’t See Results Right Away?
Staying determined when you don’t see results right away can be difficult, but it is important to remember that progress takes time. It is important to focus on the process of getting fit rather than the end result. Celebrate small victories along the way and reward yourself for your hard work. Additionally, set realistic goals and break them down into smaller achievable steps. This will help you stay motivated and focused on the progress you are making. Finally, don’t forget to take rest days and give yourself time to recover. This will help you stay energized and motivated for your next workout.
Wrapping Up This Post
Wrapping up, it is important to stay motivated and determined when working out. Finding a supportive fitness community can help you stay motivated and push through tough workouts. Additionally, adding an element of competition to your workouts can increase motivation and performance. Finally, it is important to focus on the process of getting fit rather than the end result and celebrate small victories along the way.