Let’s be honest, it’s not always easy to motivate yourself to workout. It takes conscious effort, often times a mindset shift, and legit action. It’s the one thing in life not a single other person can do for you.
And to take it one step further – you have to choose to do it consistently. Here’s the reality. Working out 5 times a month isn’t going to do much. Sure, it may be a good start in the right direction, but you’re not going to see the results you’re hoping for if you don’t motivate yourself to workout consistently.
9 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Workout Consistently
1. Find the best time of the day that works for you and your schedule
I find the absolute best time of the day to workout is first thing in the morning. If you’re a parent to small kids, this would mean, before your kids wake up (yes, I know it’s early). Or, if you’re kids are self-sufficient in the morning, you may not have to wake up asearly.
But the point is, there is something so perfect about making it the first thing you do in the morning. It gets your body moving, your brain thinks more clearly, and the best part is you don’t have to think about it the rest of the day.
For me personally, if it doesn’t get done first thing, there’s a high chance the day will get the best of me and it just doesn’t get done.
2. Lay out your workout clothes the night before
If your waking up early to workout, make it as easy as possible for yourself and have your clothes laid out and ready. There is nothing more anticlimactic than rummaging through your dresser drawers at the crack of dawn when it’s dark outside.
If first thing in the morning isn’t your jam, still set out your workout clothes as a visual reminder for yourself. They’ll just keep staring at you until you put them on and get it done!
3. Find your accountability group
Accountability is everything!! There will be days you just flat do not want to work out and there is no way you can motivate yourself to workout on your own. An accountability group is a game changer.
Whether it’s a group text between a couple girlfriends, your spouse, or a coach – just get some accountability! Be there for eachother, build eachother up, remind eachother of your goals.
I promise you will find yourself pushing through your slump more often than not when you have someone who is in this with you.
4. Focus on the result to get you through the present
You never hear anyone say, “Gosh, I really regret doing that workout.” Am I right?! Instead you always feel so good and accomplished, post workout. So, focus on these feelings that you will haveafteryou plug through.
5. Set attainable goals
Don’t set yourself up for failure from the start! If you know it isn’t realistic for you to work out 7 days a week, don’t make this a goal. It simply isn’t fair to yourself. Set goals that will still push you, but are also realistic.
6. Wear well fit workout clothes
Wearing well fit workout clothes is a game changer both mentally and physically.
Here’s the bottom line. Slouchy clothes equal slouchy workouts. There is something so mental about not pushing yourself to your full potential when you wear baggy clothes during a workout.
Now the physical side. It’s so hard to check your form, when you can’t see your form! And we all know form is key in workouts.
Workout clothes don’t have to be pricey. You can find great prices at places like GAP and Old Navy when you shop the sales.
7. Document your progress
There is nothing more motivating than actually seeing the progress you are making! Take before pictures, measure your body, write down how much you are lifting, time your reps. There are so many different things you can document to see how you’re progressing.
Often times it’s hard to see our progress when we look in the mirror every day, or just grab the weight that feels good that day. When you have pictures or numbers to compare, it can often be shocking to take a step back and see how far you’ve come.
8. Just do it
Sometimes the biggest obstacle we face is the mental game we play with ourselves. Should I get up and do it, or should I just skip it and do a little extra tomorrow? We can often waste an entire hour playing the mind game. As a matter of fact, you could be done with your workout BEFORE you finish playing the mind game with yourself. So next time you find yourself contemplating a workout – choose to stop, and just go get it done.
9. Find a fitness activity that you love
This is the most crucial step to working out consistently. If you like the workouts you’re doing, then it really won’t take as much effort to motivate yourself to workout.
For example, I hate doing free weights at the gym. I have never seen any progress when I do this, I have no clue what I’m doing, and I find it to be incredibly boring. So, it was always extremely hard for me to get motivated to go to the gym. However, when I started taking fitness classes, I found my niche. I loved my Barre and Piyo classes and looked forward to every day I could go. You can read more about this ah-ha experience I had with fitness classes here.
But my point is, fitness has to become a lifestyle and so it is absolutely crucial to find something that you love doing. And the options out there today are limitless – literally!