Fitness Tips for Staying Motivated

 By Sophia McDermott, Lifestyle Coach & Fitness Expert. 

You are not alone if you have started a fitness journey and then quit. Many people face various challenges when starting or committing to their exercise program. While some may enjoy the challenge, others find it overwhelming. Some get bored and lose motivation quickly and this is especially noticeable when they might not be seeing results.  

Indulging in physical activity is a great way to improve your health and mood. But, it is not always  easy to keep up with it, especially if we are busy working parents. The good news is that, even if there are times where you feel like giving up on your workout plan there are some things you can do to build up that motivation to keep you on track. Here are some of my tips that help me stay in the game.

1.   Set realistic goals.

Setting goals is extremely important when starting your fitness journey, but they must be realistic. Frequently, beginners set unrealistic goals,  ones that will burn them out from the beginning. As a result, they get less and less motivated to exercise with every passing day because they are exhausting themselves without seeing their goals being met.. 

So, start with simpler, easier goals that you can achieve and then proceed towards bigger, long-term goals. It is easy to be filled with frustration when you cannot achieve the big goals you have set. On the flip side, it can be very motivating when you successfully live up to your expectations when you make smaller, more incremental goals.

For example, a good and healthy short-term goal would be to walk for at least 10 minutes every day for a week or two. Then, you can exceed the time to 30 minutes and take a walk only five times a day. While there are no shortcuts for workouts, starting simple and easy can make all the difference. 

2.   Add variety and make it fun.

It is human nature to desire change and variety in all areas of life to stay motivated. And fitness is no exception when it comes to wanting fun and exciting  elements. If you are starting to find workouts boring adding fun to your next session can significantly improve your mood. 

Yes, you can have fun when working out, and it can do wonders for your workout habits and results. Whether you’re in a sculpting fitness program or one for weight loss, there are ways to add variety to your workout routine. Make sure you include at least one fun element in your workout that you will be looking forward to, such as playing a sports game instead, working out with a friend, adding in a different piece of equipment into your workout sich as medicine ball, or working out outside or in a different setting.

Such things can serve as your driving force and utmost motivation on days you struggle to get yourself to exercise.

3.   Reward yourself.

Of course, gaining abs or losing weight as you desired are all rewards. Not to forget, your body also grows stronger and healthier when you regularly workout, which really is the true reward. Health.  But these rewards only come to you when you commit to your workout routine. So, how can you stay motivated to acquire these rewards in the long term?

One way of motivating yourself to stay committed is to use smaller rewards as encouragement. A palpable reward system in place can keep you motivated when you feel you can’t continue any longer. Set a reward for yourself on all your exercise days to have something to look forward to after completing the workout. But make sure its not a reward that blows your fitness plan such as a doughnut. Reward yourself with some amazing workout clothes, or a good book, or a healthy iced tea from your favorite coffee house. 

While you can’t see the results daily, you can sure have smaller rewards that you set for yourself to keep you going. Many people feel like discontinuing their fitness program, but these tips can make a huge difference. If you’re looking for a workout membership, to add to the variety to prevent the boredom and to keep you accountable, I have covered you. 

Sources

https://www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/5-ways-to-stay-motivated-to-exercise-regularly

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/19/well/move/habits-motivation-exercise.html

https://www.facetsevenfitness.com/blog/ways-to-stay-motivated-to-work-out