Best ways to get motivated to exercise

Posted March 26, 2017

I’ve been active my entire life. I love exercise and always played sports growing up. On days off from elementary school, I would make my little brother do the workouts from television aerobics shows with me. Anyone out there remember Gilad or Body by Jake? My freshman year of college, I joined the rowing team just to see if I could do it. One of the hardest things I’ve ever done by the way!

More recently, I love participating in obstacle racing when the budget will allow me to sign up for a race. To prepare for those events, my workouts mainly consist of a balance between high intensity interval training, pilates and hiking up hills. Lately though, these activities haven’t been as consistent as they usually are for me.

The feeling I get from accomplishing a challenging physical task gives me such great confidence!

But, I’m going to be totally honest with you. Ever since my husband had a stroke recently, I haven’t wanted to do anything related to exercise. I thought staying at the hospital for 2 weeks would motivate me to do something healthy in a place of sickness. Not so much. All I wanted to do was go down to the cafeteria and eat cookies. Not a good habit to start for sure!

Have you ever had an overwhelming life experience that just seemed to consume your whole existence? When you started feeling like yourself again, was it challenging to get back to where you used to be in terms of healthy lifestyle habits?

Now that the desire to work out has somewhat come come back (and my pants don’t quite fit as well), I’m ready to get back at it. I’ve always loved taking fitness classes at a gym or through Classpass, but paying for gym services are temporarily not in the budget. So, I’m on my own for the most part and using every tip and trick I can think of stay motivated and challenged.

1.Set a goal and place reminders of that goal all around you

Why are you working out in the first place? Maybe you’re trying to get stronger, run farther, or boost mood. Set a goal for yourself that is achievable and realistic. Also, schedule your workouts on a calendar and treat them like appointments for your “me time”! Place reminders on post it notes with positive messages or inspirational pics around your home. More of a digital person? Fill your social media accounts with workout pics to remind you of those endorphins you felt from a great workout!

2.Sign up for an event

It always helps me to workout on a regular basis if I have something to train for. I sign up for at least 1 event each year and don’t want to waste that registration fee by showing up untrained! Each time I show up having trained for the event, I get a better time or complete an obstacle I couldn’t tackle in the previous race, which boosts my confidence and drive! So, that often serves as my inspiration during a workout.

3.Get a buddy to exercise with

Grab a friend to keep each other accountable. It’s also sometimes easier to try new workouts when you have a buddy to go through the experience with you. Besides, chatting with a friend makes a hike go by a lot faster!

4.Look for deals

If you’re like me and LOVE group classes, but are on a budget, Groupon and other deal websites can be a lifesaver! I recently bought a package of 10 classes for $15 that really should have been over $200!!! Also, sign up for gym email lists. They often send out emails with discounted classes and even free classes when a new instructor is training.

5.Have a plan

Do you get to the gym, not have a clear vision of what you want to work out and then just end up on a cardio machine because you can’t think of what else to do? That’s totally me! Write down a list of exercises and number of reps and sets to accomplish BEFORE you work out. Having a workout plan is like going to the grocery store with a list. It just works! Don’t know what exercises to do? Magazines like Self, Shape, Oxygen, and Fitness always have great free workout plans.

6.Put your gym clothes on right before you leave work

If I wait to change into my workout gear when I get home, it may not happen at all! Changing into my gym clothes before leaving work puts me in that mindset to get ready and work up a sweat!