Four Ways to Motivate Yourself to Get Moving
Being motivated to exercise is often the biggest challenge people face. Long work days, a full schedule or something more appealing like a night out with friends can easily get in the way of your motivation to exercise.
Here are four tips to motivate yourself to get up and get moving.
Fit it into your schedule
You’re more likely to exercise when you’ve already planned it. Determine what works best with your schedule and factor in anything that could sidetrack you. Include a few alternate options. For example, if you have a sick child at home preventing you from going to the gym, have a workout video at home as a backup plan. Being prepared can help keep the momentum going and prevent you from skipping a workout altogether.
Include other people
Asking other people to join you can be a motivator and a great accountability tool. Join an exercise group like a running group by searching for local ones online. Sign up for an exercise class or enlist a friend in a daily walk. Working out with other people can be fun and supportive.
Try new things
Make sure you find things that you enjoy doing. Not everyone is a runner, and that’s okay. Your motivation to do something you dislike will be non-existent, but if you really enjoy an activity, you’ll look forward to it and will be less likely to skip it. Try different ways to work out until you find ones you like and if you get bored with them, try other things. Explore classes and seasonal activities like cross country skiing or traveling to different hiking trails.
It’s not an “all or nothing” situation
You don’t need to set aside an entire hour to complete your workout. Split it up throughout your day. If you have 10 minutes, do something active for those 10 minutes. Whatever works for your schedule and gets you moving will have positive benefits in your life.
Remember that exercising isn’t just a matter of learning how to use your body, it also involves learning how to use your mind to push yourself into action. Follow these four tips, and hopefully you’ll be motivated to get out the door each day and get moving.
