Ways to Motivate Yourself to Exercise Consistently

Table of Contents

Motivation is a funny thing. Anyone who has worked to make a dramatic change in their life knows this first hand. Without a strong internal desire and source of motivation, you can’t expect to accomplish anything significant. 

That’s why the first step is always getting that initial spark of inspiration that gets you going. You have to decide what it is that YOU want to do.

There’s no sense in attempting to motivate yourself to do something you don’t want to do or something you don’t believe in. You can use motivation as fuel, but it won’t be sustainable for the long haul if it isn’t coming from within. 

Once you know what it is that YOU want and are excited about, then it’s time to figure out a way to do it consistently.

That’s where motivation hits a brick wall. It’s easy to be motivated if you only have to do something for a few days – but what about when you want to make a long term change in your life? 

There are countless workout programs and diets that work well in the beginning, but once that initial spark of motivation fades, those programs fail. They don’t take into account that – with no real internal desire or source of motivation – you will eventually stop doing what it is that you set out to accomplish.

Ways to Motivate Yourself to Exercise Consistently

If exercise feels like a chore or if you have to rely on motivation or inspiration each time, then chances are good that won’t last for very long. So how do you make exercise a top priority and not something that comes from outside sources like motivation?

The first step is to realise that it’s your life and you should be living for yourself. If other people don’t want you to make changes in your life, then who cares what they think! If the only reason why you haven’t become healthier is because you haven’t been consistent, then make a change. Make it happen by doing something today!

Just Get Started With Something Small

For anyone who wants to make a change in their lives, they will most likely have to do it gradually. That is fine and completely normal. In fact, that’s how many of us have made changes in the past. In order to make exercise a priority, you have to start something as soon as possible. 

Any kind of physical activity is better than nothing at all! Even if you only go for a short walk or do a single 30 minute workout, that’s great. You can take baby steps and build your way up from there. As long as you are consistent in some form, that’s a step in the right direction.

Find An Exercise Buddy

You must have heard this one before! Having a workout buddy is a great way to make exercise more enjoyable and it will give you more motivation when times get tough. In my opinion, working out with someone else is at least 50% of the battle. 

If you have a friend that likes to exercise and you can motivate each other, then good for you! If not, there are plenty of websites out there where people who want to work out with others can find someone in their area or on similar schedules.

Also Read: Fitness Advice & Workout Tips

Find An Exercise Video

Well, that’s a great idea, but not everyone likes exercising outdoors or even has enough time during the day. It’s important to find something you enjoy doing so that exercise can become a consistent part of your life. If it feels like a chore, chances are good you won’t stick with it for very long.

Celebrate the Small Things

Everyone likes to be praised! If you accomplish something, reward yourself. Don’t reward yourself with food or sweets though!! You can reward yourself by buying that workout DVD that you’ve been wanting or even just buy some new clothes because your current ones don’t fit. It doesn’t have to be something big. Sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest difference in our lives.

Make it a Competition

This might sound odd, but you should compete with yourself. Competing against others isn’t going to help you because there will always be someone faster or stronger than you are. If that’s your reason for not exercising, then you’re setting yourself up for failure. 

Instead of competing against others though, compete with yourself. Competing against your previous best times is a great way to stay motivated and it will give you something to work for.

Just Do It

If you set out on a journey towards good health, don’t let anything hold you back, not even yourself. Many times people cannot stick with good intentions because they are being held back by negative thoughts or feelings.

You have to learn how to push those aside if you want to succeed in life. Get rid of the part of your brain that tells you things like “I don’t feel like it” or “I’m too busy”. If you really want to make a change, then do what it takes.

Give Yourself Time

So many people give up on their goals because they don’t see results fast enough or at all. You cannot expect to see dramatic changes in your body within the first few weeks of starting something new.

In fact, if you’re doing something correctly, you won’t see big results until you’ve been exercising consistently for at least 3 months. You can’t change your body that quickly! Just keep pushing on and know that it will eventually be worth it.

Be Firm

If you make a deal with someone else to exercise together but they don’t show up, then you have to follow through with your end of the deal. If you let them off the hook and they do it again, good intentions will become a thing of the past and chances are good that exercise will never be a part of your life again.

Keep Track

If you’re just getting started with exercise, it’s good to keep track of your progress so you can see how far you’ve come. This could be as simple as writing down everything you eat and seeing how many calories you take in each day or it might mean purchasing a training journal and recording all of your workouts. Either way, when we see what we’ve accomplished it gives us something to be proud of.

Talk About Your Goals

If you make a decision to change something in your life, you might as well tell everyone who will listen because they might have advice for you, motivation they can give you during hard times or they just might want to join in on the fun! 

By letting others know your goals, you are giving yourself support. You will also be making yourself accountable to them by telling them of your plan.

Remind Yourself Why

When you get ready for bed each night, take a few minutes to write down all the reasons why you want to make changes in your life. Seeing it in writing might help you to refocus your attention onto these reasons if you are having a difficult time. If it helps, read what you have written out loud each morning before starting your day.

Stop Thinking About It

It’s great that you are making plans for change but don’t just plan to do something someday in the distant future. Think of specific dates, times and ways that you are going to hold yourself accountable. 

Don’t go on “vacation” without planning for when you are coming back. You have to stay focused on the end result.

Conclusion

If you want to be healthy, fit and have a great looking body, then you have to do the work necessary to get it. Don’t depend on others for your success because they will always let you down eventually. Instead, put the ball in your court and go for it!