Last Updated on June 4, 2022 by Lori Geurin
You know how after a workout you feel so good? That exercise high that makes you forget all of life’s difficulties? And you know how hard it is to drag yourself out of bed in the morning for a workout, but once you’re finished, it feels worth it? Luckily, there’s a way to make fitness more fun and interesting. It can take a little time to figure out what motivates you, but when you do, it helps keep the process from feeling like a chore. So how do we find our fitness motivation? Here are 5 workout motivation tips to help you be successful.
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5 Workout Motivation Tips (That Actually Work!)
1. Find What Motivates You
Wondering how to figure what keeps you motivated? This could be anything from listening to your favorite music while you run, studying an interesting journal article about physical activity, or even just imagining how good it’ll feel when you complete a 2-mile walk after weeks of being busy.
It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it’s fun and motivating for you!
(Get the 7 benefits of walking!)
2. Goal Setting
Setting goals is a strategy for improving your fitness that includes figuring out what fitness goals you want to achieve, setting a date for achieving those goals, and making fitness plans to reach them.
Goal setting helps you make fitness a daily priority rather than an afterthought, which is often the case for people who avoid exercise altogether.
How does goal setting work? Well, fitness is all about making choices that are good for your health. Ultimately, getting fit is about creating healthy habits and making choices that you can maintain.
You may enjoy watching this video for more info on SMART goals.
Make Your Fitness Goals SMART
One of the easiest and most effective goal-setting strategies is to make your fitness goals SMART. SMART fitness goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Each of these attributes contributes to your success. What are SMART goals? Let’s break it down.
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SMART Goals for Exercise Motivation
- Specific: Fitness SMART goals should be specific in terms of what you want to accomplish. Simply saying you want to lose weight is not specific enough, as it does not indicate how much weight you want to lose or what fitness goals you hope to achieve in order to lose the weight.
- Measurable: Your fitness goals should be measurable. If your goal is to lose weight, measure how much weight you want to lose (in pounds or kilograms) and when you plan on losing the weight by (e.g., two weeks from today).
- Attainable: Set fitness goals that are achievable for your fitness level. Attempting to run a marathon after just finishing Couch to 5K is unlikely to be an appropriate goal. But after a few months of running longer distances, it might be totally doable!
- Realistic: Set fitness goals that work for you. If the goal you choose doesn’t interest or excite you, it’s unlikely that you’ll stick with it for very long. Also, consider your lifestyle and work and family responsibilities.
- Time frame: A fitness goal that is not specified within a time frame is just a dream or wish. It’s important to give your goals solid deadlines so that you can meet them.
Work out from home with Fyt Personal Trainer
3. Rewards
It’s important to stay healthy and strong, but it’s also easy for us to put fitness on the back burner, especially with so many other things we enjoy doing.
The monotony of life may sometimes leave you feeling burnt out and that’s where rewards come in. Here are a few simple ideas of ways you can reward yourself for staying on track with your health and fitness goals.
How To Reward Yourself Ideas
- Get a massage.
- Buy new workout clothes.
- Go to the movies.
- Meet a friend for coffee.
- Plan a weekend getaway with your significant other.
- Surf the Internet for new workout ideas that interest you.
- Learn how to make healthy dishes and invite friends over to enjoy them together.
- Take your fitness to the next level by working out with a personal trainer.
The options are endless, and the idea is to never lose sight of why you’re doing this in the first place: because you want to feel better and live a healthier life.
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4. Setting Up Your Environment for Success
Setting up your environment for success can be a really powerful tool to help make fitness a part of your life long term. Allocating time each day to work out will give you the energy and resources you need to power through difficult fitness routines.
It also has the side benefit of limiting the number of post-workout temptations like cookies, cakes, and chips!
Get the 10 best pre-workout foods.
Make time in your schedule and home life for fitness because it won’t just make you feel better. It can protect you from disease and even boost your mood.
If you work out at home, create an inviting space, even if it’s just a small corner of your room.
If you exercise outside, think about how to make fitness a more natural part of your day. For example, if you go to the beach, plan to take a walk in the sand.
If you go shopping or have errands to run, you may want to plan your activities early in the day so working out feels like an integral part of the day’s schedule.
On rainy days, your options may be more limited so it might be easier to simply stay inside during your lunch break and walk or run on a treadmill or in your living room.
Figure out what will work for you to make fitness simple and easy!
Now for the last tip…
5. Get a Workout Buddy
Having fitness friends is a great way to stay motivated! Finding workout buddies brings accountability and energy from other people who want to be healthy like you do.
This can help keep your motivation up when working out alone becomes less fun. If fitness is a huge part of your identity and something you want to do for the rest of your life, then it’s important to surround yourself with others who share similar interests.
Workout buddies can help you push yourself further than you would if fitness was just a solo activity. If you don’t have a fitness friend yet, try starting a fitness group at your local gym! Ask around and let staff know you’re interested in people to exercise with. Or, see if they offer fitness classes you can participate in.
It might be just what you need to get started on the right path.
Summary – Workout Motivation Tips
One of the best ways to stay motivated to work out is to find what motivates you.
As you strive toward fitness and wellness goals, make sure you’re setting achievable goals and reward yourself along the way.
Create the perfect workout environment with some energizing music and a fitness tracker or app so you can get unbroken training time. Or try finding a fitness buddy who’ll keep you accountable and motivate each other!
What helps you stay motivated to stick with your fitness plan? Share below!
And, if you found this article useful, be sure to share it so others can benefit too!
