How to Stay Motivated to Work Out
Staying motivated to workout is one of the most challenging parts of exercise. We’ve all pulled into the gym parking lot and wanted to turn around to go home because it just doesn’t feel like the day for it. There’s no shame in missing a workout here or there, but there’s also no better feeling than the mood boost that comes at the end of a session you felt like skipping. If you’re finding it hard to stay committed to your gym routine and need some motivation tips, we’ve got you covered.
How to stay fit and healthy
In terms of how to remain fit, there are a myriad of exercise styles and workout schedules that can help you achieve this goal. It all comes down to personal preference and what works for your body and lifestyle. The one unchanging factor essential for long term success? Consistency. Regardless of your preferred training style or workout schedule – following through is the most important part, but it can be tough to do when life gets in the way. So, how do you stay motivated to workout? Ahead, discover our 7 actionable tips to stay on track with exercise.
How to keep yourself motivated to workout: 7 tips for success
Relying solely on the feeling of motivation to workout likely won’t keep you on track with your exercise goals. Instead, it’s beneficial to develop a set of processes that help you get to the gym even when you’re not experiencing a burst of motivation. Our 7 tips for exercise motivation are:
- Know your purpose.
- Set goals.
- Find workouts you love.
- Reduce barriers.
- Adopt accountability tactics.
- Track your progress.
- Stay positive.
Now let’s delve into each of these tips a little deeper.
Know your purpose
The foundation of your motivation to workout is knowing why you’ve committed to an exercise journey in the first place. For some, it’s about appearance, while for others it’s a health journey. It could be to improve mental wellbeing, or even to prepare for an event, medical procedure, or travel. Everyone’s purpose for embarking on a workout journey is different. Regardless of why you’ve committed to a training plan, you’ll probably experience other positive impacts too. The benefits of exercise on mental health and stress levels can make a positive impact on anyone. Maybe you want to know how to stay motivated to lose weight, but in the process you could reap the benefits of improving your strength, alignment and balance.
Set goals
Setting specific, personal, and realistic goals for what you want to get out exercise is helpful to maintaining motivation to workout. Goals should be measurable – so while you might be exercising to get stronger or improve your mental health, you’ll want to get a little more specific. It’s also important your exercise goals are personal, otherwise you’ll lose motivation quickly. Finally, be realistic: this means challenging, but achievable.
Find a workout you love
Finding a workout class you love attending can make all the difference in keeping motivated to stick to your training plan. For some, enjoying exercise sounds like an oxymoron, but in reality – there are an endless amount of exercise styles, so there really is something for everyone. Each of our FS8 workouts incorporate elements of pilates, tone and yoga movements to support different exercise goals and preferences. If you’re prone to boredom, switching up which classes you attend can also help enhance motivation to workout.
Reduce barriers
Removing barriers to make your workout habit as convenient as possible is an effective way to stay committed. Prioritising preparation, organisation, and convenience leaves little room for excuses and makes for less work on the days when you just can’t be bothered. This could mean:
- Packing your gym bag the night before.
- Finding an FS8 studio that’s close to your work or home.
- Booking classes that you can attend on your way to or from other commitments.
- Read up on what to expect from FS8 workouts to help reduce nerves.
Accountability tactics
In terms of how to stay motivated to workout, adopting accountability tactics is a helpful way to put just a little bit of pressure on yourself to follow through. In fact, one of the benefits of group fitness training is that sense of accountability you feel towards your trainer and fellow classmates, even without anyone actively pressuring you to attend. Other tactics can include:
- Joining a fitness social media group.
- Signing up to classes with a friend.
- Setting up a workout wager.
- Telling friends and family about your fitness goals.
Track your progress
When it comes to your workout goals, tracking your progress can be good way to stay motivated. Physical changes usually take time to notice and because you see yourself everyday, it can take even longer to see those changes in yourself. If you’re not tracking your progress it can be easy to feel like you’re not making any headway towards your goals. Using a progress tracker app or taking monthly comparison photos will help you see how far you’ve come since you started your workout journey.
Get your mindset right
It’s no coincidence so many top athletes say mindset is the difference between a good sportsperson and a great one. For some, it’s all about staying positive and believing in your ability to achieve your goal. Others focus on mental toughness – the ability to persist in your goals even when facing adversity. In terms of how to stay fit and healthy, there’s not a singular mindset that works for everyone, it’s about finding the thought processes that work best for you.