5 Tips on How to Find Your Motivation to Work Out

Do you need to jump start your fitness motivation? These tips will help.

Working out can be a pain in the butt and there will be many days when the urge to just put it off will become too strong. Sometimes it is incredibly hard to get up the motivation. And before you go beat yourself up, it’s normal to feel this way. Fitness journeys have their ups and downs. And, realistically, it is sometimes good to take a day or two off, especially after a hard workout.

But it is definitely imperative that the day or two off from exercising doesn’t become three or four. Once you lose that exercise momentum, it becomes harder to get back into the swing of things and then you have to start that upward climb all over again. That’s why it’s good to find those little extra things to motivate you to work out. This is why I am sharing my 5 tips on how to find your motivation to work out because I have been there many times before:

Write out your goals.

It can be easy to push exercise to the back burner, especially when we have so many responsibilities on our plate. Writing out your fitness goals creates a reminder for yourself and also can help you keep those goals in mind. You can eventually transition these goals into actually planned exercise, starting off with just one day a week of planned time and then grow from there. The first step, though, is writing it down. Writing it down sparks that motivation.

Start small.

It can be so easy to get overwhelmed and procrastinate if our goals are too big like, for example, running a half-marathon. Break down that big goal into smaller goals. If you are out of shape and want to run a half-marathon, maybe break it down to something smaller like running a mile in under 20 minutes. Setting smaller goals not only makes it easier to build up self-esteem, but it also can help bring us mentally closer to achieving the ultimate fitness goals we have in a more realistic and paced out way.

Create a buddy system.

Sometimes it is hard to get up the motivation to go to the gym by yourself. Having a buddy not only holds you accountable to get your butt out there and do the exercising thing, but it also ends up becoming a way to strengthen your friendship and cheer each other on. Are your friends too busy to be your gym buddy? Take a class and make one or two friends in the class. This way you can create an in-class support system that will keep you going.

Find a class that reads as fun and not as work.

There are so many classes out there that the sky is the limit in terms of finding a class that brings out your inner childish whimsy. If you love dancing, check out a ballet barre class, a Zumba class, or a regular dance class. If you have always enjoyed climbing, maybe check out a rock climbing class or join a rock climbing gym. Want something more peaceful? A yoga class is more up your alley. Whatever it is that you find fun and enjoyable, you can probably find a fitness class that will keep you engaged and inspired.

Remind yourself that this is a time for you!

Life is stressful and sometimes we need a break from all of that. For 30 minutes or so, exercising can become a mini vacation from whatever life stress you are having. Focus on your breathing. Focus on whatever moves or positions you are learning and implementing. Focus on the soaring adrenaline rush coursing through your body. This moment is about you. And once you make it about you, then it becomes easier to get up the motivation to exercise. It becomes an escape and a time to focus on yourself.

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