Is this you? You know it’s great for your health and weight loss, but, for lots of reasons, finding the motivation to exercise doesn’t come easily.
The first thing to know is that, despite all the joggers and cyclists you see, you are not alone.
Second thing? This post is for you.
Finding the motivation to do more physical activities, and staying motivated when you do, is difficult for most people, even joggers and cyclists.
How to Motivate Yourself to Workout
If it makes you feel better, lack of workout motivation isn’t really your fault. A lot of the problem is how we motivate ourselves and what we motivate ourselves to do. Read on to learn more about what we mean.
Before you get into any exercise routine, be sure to talk to your doctor and let them know your plans.
- Be Reasonable About Your Fitness Goals – If you set out to lose 50 pounds in 2 months, what do you think your chances are? That by itself can be a huge hit to your motivation. But if you set more reasonable goals, like 10 pounds in two months, then you are more likely to achieve them, which will motivate you to keep going.
- Set Micro Goals – We mean goals that might not even, make sense. Let’s say you want to go for a bike ride, but you just can’t get yourself to get on the bike. So don’t.
Try this instead. Just get ready to go riding. Put on your workout clothes. Put on your sneakers. Strap on your helmet. And go to your bike. That’s it. If you don’t want to ride, don’t. Just go back and change back into your regular clothes.
Chances are that, if your goal is just to get ready, you’ll be far more likely to go for even a short ride if you do. And if you don’t, you still burned a few calories just getting ready. But at least take a short rife, after all, you all ready to go! - Don’t Try to Lose Weight – Losing weight isn’t easy. You’ve tried lots of times without much success. So stop trying. Shift your focus to another part of your health. Improving your heart health by working on your heart rate is a good one. There are loads of fitness apps that will measure your heart rate at the touch of a button.
Try going for a short walk and see if you can increase your heart rate a little. Oops, you just went for a walk! - Stay Off the Scale – One of the best rewards of exercise is that it makes you feel great. Unless you have a good workout, then hop on the scale and don’t see any improvement. Suddenly, your workout doesn’t feel so great, no matter how good it was.
Don’t let the weight scale be the judge of your efforts. It will sap your motivation as quickly as anything. - Find a Workout Buddy – A lot of people choose to take their weight loss journey alone, not wanting anyone to know, just in case they fail. But having a trusted workout partner can help you find motivation when nothing else seems to work.
- Get Support Elsewhere – If the workout buddy doesn’t work for you, finding support elsewhere can be very beneficial in making you accountable to your commitments. Whether it’s a personal trainer or the nutrition counsellor at your nearest Herbal One location, they want you to succeed, know what you are going through and will keep you motivated to get through it.
Check out this article to learn more about “Why You Need Support for Weight Loss Success”.