Thinking that your weight loss efforts will show results the day after you start eating the right meals or going to the gym isn’t the right approach. It won’t take you anywhere near your goals because you will lack the motivation to make an effort and become discouraged. It takes time for your body to shed the extra pounds, so you have to be patient.
We All Want to Stay Motivated to Exercise
It’s true that exercise is essential, but it is just a small part of the story. You need to stay motivated to exercise or else you will end up quitting early. Almost every other person who wants to attain the perfect body has to encounter a number of challenges.
As the saying goes, nothing good comes for free. You have to put in the necessary effort to achieve the results you desire. Lack of motivation is a phase which sets in soon after you start exercising.
Work with What Drives You to Stay Motivated to Exercise
Sure, getting up early for a sweat session is hardly the experience of lying in the sun on Nayarit beaches, but when you find what works for you, it can still be enjoyable and rewarding.
Often, discovering what will help you to stay motivated to exercise has to do with getting to know yourself a little better. This process will help you to learn what drives you forward. What keeps you wanting to push yourself when you otherwise wouldn’t? What makes things fun when they might otherwise be boring or unpleasant?
To overcome those barriers that would otherwise stand in your way and stay motivated to exercise instead, use the following tips to learn about what drives you. Remember that this is a long-term goal, so give each of these options some time to truly understand what they will and will not do for you. Since everyone is different, you might find that your motivations and those of a friend or family member are different. That’s perfectly okay. The key is to discover what works for you and then stick to it!
Join a Gym
Joining a gym will provide you access to the right equipment and professional trainers, and you will also be in the ideal environment to work out. You will feel motivated to see the people around you are committed to their goals and are working hard to achieve them. You will be encouraged to push your own boundaries because people around you are making extra effort.
Find an Accountability Partner
An accountability partner is a person who waits for you to join him/her for a run or walk in the park or goes to the gym with you. It’s any person who is with you in the process and checks on your progress. For example, if you are not in the mood to go to gym, your partner will call you to tell you they are waiting, so it will be hard for you to say no. You can find a partner to work out with. Not only will it make your workouts more enjoyable, but you are more likely to stick to your goals if there is someone to push you towards achieving them.
Pay for a Workout Class
To stay motivated to exercise you have to do things that are counterintuitive, such as paying for a class in advance. Pay for the next 12 sessions right from the start (or however the classes are blocked). Instead of using the drop-in feature many classes offer, which provide flexibility to people with busy schedules, use your money to commit yourself to going. These classes aren’t typically prohibitively expensive, but who wants to throw their money away?
Yes, 12 weeks will likely commit you to about three months but think of it as a great way to stay motivated to exercise. Knowing that you spent the money will help you to push yourself to show up and get what you can out of the class each week.
Don’t Stop There. Pay Attention to How you Stay Motivated to Exercise
These are some simple ways you can stay motivated to exercise. If, at any time, you feel your drive levels are dropping, apply any of the tips mentioned above and you will be back on track to achieve your fitness and weight loss goals.
Throughout your workouts, pay attention to what is pushing you to keep going. Is there a certain time you find easier to exercise than others? Is there a specific sport or workout you find particularly enjoyable or rewarding? Pay attention, take note, and work with what you find out!
Recent Comments