Ten Ways to Stay Motivated to Exercise

You have realistic plans and achievable goals. You have every reason to do what you have to do. For some reason, you just can’t start jogging at the track. You aren’t in the mood for swimming and you give up on staying fit. During times like this, you need motivation. Motivation is the blood and heart of exercise. Without this, don’t expect to even get started on working out. Lack of motivation limits you. To make those plans and goals come to life, here are ten motivations that could help you start exercising.

10. Exercise with Someone You are Comfortable With

Ask a friend, family member or someone special to exercise with you if you are shy to do it alone. You and your friend can treat the exercise as a game, and reward yourselves for achieving goals. Exercising with somebody is a challenge.

When one of you gets fit first, the other one will work harder to become fit. In the end, you will realize that you both have won with a healthy body. Exercising with a friend and setting such goals is definitely motivating.

9. Get Yourself in the Mood

People usually exercise early in the morning because they haven’t done any heavy work yet. This way, you won’t feel lazy or sleepy because working out will wake you up. It’s the start of the day and you just have recharged your body through sleep. Exercise in the morning warms up your body, but it depends on what works better for you. If exercising in the afternoon get you in the mood well, exercise in the afternoon instead.

8. Know What Exercise You Enjoy

Some are joggers, swimmers, weight lifters, while others are just ordinary people who walk down the street. There are many ways to exercise. Exercising is not limited to the methods you see on TV that require you to buy expensive gadgets.

Know what kind of exercise you are most comfortable with. Always remember that expensive gadgets don’t guarantee you comfortable and friendly exercise. If you think you just love walking around with your dog then exercise that way. If weightlifting makes you feel like a superhero, then lift weights.

7. Know Your Purpose

If you don’t know the reason why you need to exercise, then what is the point of going through all the rigorous physically-exhausting activities? You have to be aware of the benefits of exercise.

Most people are motivated if they know the benefits they get from their actions. The more benefits you are aware of, the more motivated you will be. If you know that exercising makes you a healthier person, possibly increasing your life span, would you think twice about exercising? Try listing the benefits of exercise and read the list once in a while to keep you reminded.

6. Give Yourself a Reward

It helps to reward yourself. Try putting some dollars in a piggy bank every time you go to the gym or jog around. While this helps you save, nothing beats the satisfaction you can get when you finally open the piggy bank and count the money you’ve saved.

You can do anything with the money, like shop for clothes or visit a place you’ve always wanted to visit. At the end of the day, not only did you acquire a better body figure, but you also got to enjoy the freedom of spending the money you worked hard saving for.

5. Exercise the Way You Like It

This does not mean that you set weight training programs for yourself without identifying and following the right procedures. This simply means that you have to make your exercise routine enjoyable.

If you love walking, then exercise through walking. Try bringing your music player with you to make walking more fun. If you are a swimmer, swim. Do anything that makes you happy. This will help you become motivated in no time.

4. Keep and Maintain Records

Always take note of your exercise time and write it down. If you spend 30 minutes jogging and 30 minutes doing sit-ups, then record it. If you already have a record for a month or a year, keep these going. The record will help you keep the running total and will give you the chance to calculate the time you are spending on exercise in a day. The main point here is setting objectives.

3. Try Training

Why not try undergoing real training? If there’s a local 10k or 5k run or walk in your town, then train for it. A lot of people who used to live as couch potatoes have transformed themselves into exercise machines this way. This should serve as your motivation to exercise regularly. Don’t think you can’t do this. A lot of people who had far worse cases of sedentary behaviour have done it, so you definitely can.

2. Make a List

Create a list of your own personal reasons for exercising. For a couple of days, always bring a pen and a piece of paper with you. There are many reasons to justify your need to exercise. You have to identify each of them to come up with a list. If you want to exercise because you will feel more energized when spending time with your family, then so be it. Write down as many reasons as you can, like being able to wear all the clothes you want to wear, feeling more comfortable when you are in public and becoming more proactive and productive as an individual.

1. Result Equals Reward

Consider the result as a grand prize. This is the reason and the reward of exercising rolled into one. A great body should be the sole motivation keeping you inspired on becoming physically fit. Be patient during the first weeks of exercising because your body has to adjust. After some time, the result will definitely be a guaranteed motivation. For more information regarding this article, read how to stay motivated to exercise.