How to Stay Motivated to Workout

With the New Year celebrations now behind us, there is no better time than the present to begin working on your New Year’s resolutions. Whether you want to focus on building muscle, getting a summer body, staying fit or losing weight, adding a new workout regimen to your list of resolutions is an excellent idea to prioritize your physical health. Maintaining this goal can be slightly challenging when you don’t have the right motivational mindset. Luckily, with the following tips and tricks for staying motivated, you can enjoy seeing the desired results.

If you are ready to launch your health and fitness transformation, check out our guide on how to stay motivated to workout.

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1. Set the Right Goals

Every successful plan starts with setting realistic goals that push you toward your desired results. The goals you establish early in your journey to a healthy future are excellent pieces of motivation that can help you track your progress.

Sometimes, goals can be too broad or out of reach, causing you not to see your progress as easily. Setting goals that are relevant to your end results and achievable with time and change is the best first step to staying motivated to work out.

Use the following tips to establish goals for your workout plans:

• Use the SMART goal template: Set goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. SMART goals help you create achievable workout plans while still challenging you to work hard.
• Create holistic fitness goals: Motivation for working out can also happen outside the gym. Try to set a few goals that benefit your physical health aside from getting active, such as eating nutritious foods and prioritizing mental well-being.
• Set mini-goals: Larger goals are great for seeing your progress over an extended period. To bring yourself closer to achieving these big goals, try to set a few mini-goals along the way. If you want to complete a marathon in the future, set mini-goals, such as running a few miles each day or completing a half-marathon, to get you closer to reaching your long-term goal.
• Make exercising fun: Staying motivated to work out is better achieved when you can enjoy your fitness regimens. If you prefer to broaden your fitness horizons, join an exercise class or group to switch up your daily routine. You can also find equipment or exercises you enjoy and add them to your workouts more often.
• Give your body a break: Remember to rest once or twice a week to avoid feeling burnt out by pushing yourself each day. Some goals can fall through when you challenge yourself too much in a short time. Have a rest day or two each week to rejuvenate your body and mind to keep working toward your goals.

2. Don’t Think of It as Exercise

For those who are new to the realm of fitness, exercise can sometimes feel like a chore. Luckily, working out can be a great source of stress relief and a fun part of your day.

Taking advantage of the time you have to exercise during the day may mean multitasking. If you want to incorporate running into your daily routine, use that time to listen to your favorite music or catch up on a podcast you’ve been meaning to start. Working out can also mean playing sports with friends to burn calories while socializing.

There are many fun ways to frame exercise as something other than a chore. Take some time to discover what types of fitness you enjoy most, and commit to making working out an exciting part of your day that you can look forward to regularly. Remember that exercising should make you feel good, and you can reward yourself after a workout by feeling rejuvenated.

3. Track Your Progress

Seeing your progress is one of the best forms of workout motivation. Progress means your daily fitness routine is working, and you can continue the journey as long as you see fit.

Tracking your progress can be as simple as keeping a written or digital record of your weight loss, time running the same distance or the weights you lift. You can also use numerous fitness mobile apps or a fitness band to track your heart rate and timing for your workouts.

Over time, you should see how long it takes to see a noticeable difference in your fitness progress.

4. Be Flexible

Flexibility is key to maintaining a healthy relationship with exercise. If you tell yourself that you need to start working out at a specific time of the day, you may be hard on yourself when something else pops up that changes this plan. Unpredictable circumstances happen to everyone!

Some people find following through with their goals more challenging if they set unrealistic standards. When you can’t keep up with these standards, failure feels more likely.

Set yourself up for success by being flexible with your daily workout routine. Telling yourself that working out can happen whenever you can fit it in can make your relationship with exercise more positive.

5. Seek Support

Having a fitness companion is the perfect way to stay motivated throughout your journey to a healthier future. Whether you have a close friend who can support you with your daily exercises or a personal trainer who motivates you to try new things in the gym, seeking supportive people to make these healthy changes is key to a positive relationship with fitness.

When starting a new exercise regimen, skipping sets or minimizing workout times on your own can feel easy. A supportive person or team by your side can motivate you positively to push yourself to healthy new limits so you can see progress as soon as possible. You can also make new friends and socialize with those with similar exercise goals!

6. Reward Yourself

One of the best forms of fitness motivation is to remember to reward yourself for progress, milestones and trying new things. Everyone is different when it comes to setting new goals. Some choose to dive right in, while others may decide to ease themselves into a new schedule. No matter where you began your fitness journey or how you tracked your progress, rewarding yourself for exciting moments on your journey to a healthier future is essential.

You can reward yourself after a workout by:

• Taking a bath with Epsom salts.
• Getting a massage.
• Eating a delicious and nutritious meal.
• Taking a well-deserved nap.

When you reach a milestone, you can celebrate by getting new gym gear, having a night out on the town or checking off a bucket list item you’ve always wanted to do!

7. Avoid the All or Nothing Approach

You may have started your year thinking you want to exercise for at least 60 minutes three days a week. But then your schedule happens, and you may not have an hour to exercise. Instead of thinking there’s no point in exercising if you can’t do an entire session, do what you can. Even 15 minutes is better than no exercise at all, and you are establishing a habit.

The mindset shift will take the pressure off you and encourage you to be more active.

8. Keep Your Head in the Game

Focus on your mindset and create goals that challenge you to think more positively about exercising and eating healthy. If you see a workout as a necessary evil to losing weight or being fitter, you are standing in the way of really enjoying the process. By adjusting your attitude to “I get to” rather than “I have to,” you’ll send your brain the right signals.

While working out, remind yourself how good you are feeling, how fun this is and how much your trainer inspires you. View exercise as your daily adventure and an opportunity to release those feel-good hormones. If you continue to reframe your thoughts, going to the gym will become easier and eventually something you wouldn’t miss for anything.

9. Try Personal Training

Even the most avid fitness fanatic can benefit from personal training. When you’re starting out, a certified personal trainer can be a game-changer, helping you have fun while seeing results. Personal trainers develop unique training programs based on your fitness level and goals. These trainers can adapt exercises if you have injuries or are recovering from illness, so you get all the health benefits without the strain.

Personal trainers watch your form and will guide you on exercising correctly. Proper form prevents self-injury. Plus, it’s less easy to skip the gym when you have a standing appointment with a trainer. It’s like having an accountability partner, cheerleader and progress tracker in one.

Stay Motivated With 5 Bridges Health & Fitness

Learn how to stay motivated on your fitness journey with 5 Bridges Health & Fitness! Our mission is to deliver nutrition, fitness, education, recovery and community all under one roof. Each of our services and fitness classes prioritizes these five essentials to help you enjoy a future of exercise and supportive connections.

If you want to start your exercise journey with a team of certified trainers and others pursuing new workouts, our classes are an excellent starting point! You can receive the support you need to start new healthy habits and get to know others beginning similar fitness journeys.

Start your 5 Bridges Health & Fitness membership today.