All starts with the mind, the fact that you are reading this blog post shows that you are halfway there!
Staying Motivated to work out has been a constant roller coaster these past few years, I look back on my most active days when I use to play netball, basketball and train in kickboxing and think Tesh what happened? You went from doing all of that to working out twice every few months if that…
I can probably list 10 excuses off the top of my head without a second pause. It usually sounds a bit like this ‘i’m so busy with work, I have no time, I’m tired I’ll do it tomorrow. You get the gist, right? It’s taken me years to reach a stage where exercising consistently has become a part of my lifestyle and even now I still have a few hiccups and off days where I just can’t be bothered but I try to push through.
With all that being said, these are my top tips for how I stay motivated to workout. This can be for working out at the gym, going for a run or doing at-home workouts which the case for everyone right now.
Eliminate the Friction
I got this advice from NPR Creatures of habit podcast (still one of my favourite episodes to this date. I would highly recommend you give it listen.
How can you make the process of working out easier? I’ll give you an example that really helped changed everything for me. I’ve been a member of a community gym for maybe 10 years, I really love this gym because I had a really good rate and it offered everything from swimming pool to squash courts etc
However, I just wasn’t going! So you can imagine this gym was getting free money from me! After listening to the podcast, I realised I struggled to get to this gym because it was awkward to get to. I decided to quit and join a 24hr gym much closer to my house (5 mins drive) and the bonus was free parking! This was such a game-changer! Think about what you could eliminate or change to make your life easier and then run with it. For instance, if getting out of bed is difficult because of the cold, lay out your gym clothes the night before. likewise, if you’re home is small and the last thing you want to do in the morning is move furniture around to create a workout space then do it the night before.
Nothing beats convenience! I actually apply this method to some of my Hair routines
Discipline trumps motivation always!
Exercise is an essential part of your healthy lifestyle, so understanding what motivates you to hit the gym or work out is your key to success.
Write it on your calendar!
I’m a huge fan of writing and scheduling everything. If it’s not in writing then it doesn’t exist! That’s literally the mantra I go by. Whether you’re using a digital calendar like Google or sticking to paper it doesn’t matter as long as it’s written down it serves as a reminder and you can hold your self accountable. Don’t just write exercise, be specific
E.g what I write on my calendar: Mondays – I will go running, Tuesdays – Lower body – Thursday Upperbody & Saturday a full-body HIIT workout. I might even go as far as to copy and paste a workout routine into my google calendar.
Plan your workout
This was one of my biggest reasons for slacking off! Not knowing how to use the equipment, what muscle group I should be working on to get my desired results or what exercise I should be doing. In a nutshell… what am I doing??
It’s a good idea to get a general understanding of what you need to do just so you don’t feel discouraged or unmotivated.
I suggest watching a couple of YouTube videos or following some fitness guys on Instagram and copy their workout routine until you feel comfortable to start making up your own.
If you don’t want all that pressure then, start by going to classes or hop over to youtube, Type in beginner-friendly workouts and then follow along at home.
Check out Chloe ting on Youtube she’s Amazing!
Find a fitness buddy
This could be a friend, colleague or a family member. The idea is for both of you to motivate and encourage each other. Having an accountability partner really gives you that extra push to stay on track. t’s easy to hit the snooze button when it’s just you, but much harder to leave a friend waiting.
For me, once I decided to get serious I started attracting like-minded people. For example, my work colleague was also starting her fitness journey. We don’t go to the gym together because of where we live however, we share workout programmes, fitness influencers to follow on social media. Now that we are on lockdown, we continue to send each other videos of workouts or latest gym equipment from Amazon etc
This has been such a motivator!
I also have virtual friends! well…. they’re my friends in my head lol. But I try to follow a lot of fitness pages or anyone interested in healthy living on social media so when I scroll through my feed all I see is encouragement. (Surrounding myself with motivation) If you don’t have anyone around you then social media is your friend. Follow my fitness Instagram page HERE
Lastly, Don’t be so hard on yourself!
Sometimes you may feel totally motivated, like you could run an ultramarathon. Other days you might just want to stay at home on the sofa. That’s totally normal, we all have those days. What’s important is that you keep going and don’t get too caught up with unrealistic expectations. After all, we are not robots.
The aim is to make this a habit, and once your workout routine is habitual it won’t require willpower/motivation
It’s said it takes 28 days to form a habit so stick with it until its habitual.
Follow my fitness account on social media HERE
How do you stay motivated to work out at home?
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