You know you should be working out.
You bought that set of dumbbells for a reason, and you’re definitelynot ready for swimsuit season yet. Unfortunately, it’s just so easy to make up an excuse.
Maybe you’re just really tired after a long day at work, or you’re too stressed to hit the gym. Perhaps it’s cold and wet outside, and you just don’t feel like doing anything.
Unfortunately, while it’s pretty easy to set your fitness goals, it’s not so simple to stick by them. Changing into your workout clothes and banishing your inner couch potato is easier said than done.
However, if you can’t force yourself into action, you’re not gonna get those rock hard abs.
Sorry man.
So, how do you overcome your desire for procrastination and motivate yourself to workout?
We’ve got some workout motivation tips to help.
1. Reframe your fitness goals
If you’re already asking yourself how you can stay motivated, then you’re in trouble.
The fact that you need the motivation to get rid of your dadbod suggests that you don’t have the right goal in mind.
Maybe you’ve been telling yourself that you need to get in shape to attract more ladies, but if you’re doing alright with your dating game, the inspiration just isn’t there.
Perhaps you’ve just had a vague desire to get fit for no real reason up until now. Unfortunately, that’s not going to last after you feel the first ache in your legs after hitting the gym.
Ask yourself what you actually want to accomplish and find a way to visualize that goal. Heck, you can even Photoshop a picture of yourself surrounded by babes and stick it on the fridge if that helps.
Just put your visual motivation to workout away when you have guests.
2. Focus on how great you’re going to feel
When you’re sweating at the gym or working out a home, it’s easy to get focused on how you’re feeling right now. You’re overwhelmed with exhaustion and discomfort, and all you want to do is get home and fall on your couch.
Picture how amazing it’s going to feel to look in the mirror and see your new six-pack. Imagine the confidence that you’re going to have when you stroll into the bar looking like Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson.
If long-term goals just don’t do it for you, you can also give yourself a short-term goal too.
For instance, if you’re struggling to find the desire to go to the gym, give yourself a reward after you’re done with your workout. It might be a nice hot shower or a delicious but healthy meal.
Whether you’re thinking long-term or short-term, it helps to have something positive to focus on that goes beyond the pain in whatever body part you’re working out.
3. Keep workouts short (and regular)
If you’re struggling to figure out how to motivate yourself to work out, you probably shouldn’t be aiming for multi-hour exercise sessions.
Your motivation for working out is likely to dwindle even more if you’re getting home from work after a long day, just to spend 3 hours at the gym.
Although a long workout is probably going to get you closer to your goals than a short one – 30 minutes is better than nothing.
As well as keeping things short and simple, it could also be a good idea to schedule a regular workout time.
For instance, you might exercise first thing on a morning, before you go to work. Or you could prefer to grab a quick sweat session before your dinner each night.
Whatever works for you, stick to the routine. You’ll find it’s much easier to maintain your strategy if it feels like a natural part of your day.
Alternatively, if you’re just telling yourself “you’ll get it done eventually,” you’re more likely to miss out on exercise entirely.
4. Find a workout buddy
If you’ve ever hit the gym with a pal before, you’ll know it’s much easier to get through the hour or two you’re spending there without losing your focus.
Having a friend to chat to or just hang out with you when you’re pumping iron is a great way to maintain your motivation.
Time flies when you’re having fun, right?
It also helps to have a particularly “swole” mate who’s going to force you to keep pushing yourself when you’re feeling lazy. You can compare your body to theirs and take their advice to heart.
Even if your pal isn’t rippling with biceps, you can still ask them to hold you accountable and make sure that you stick to your workout routine.
Having a workout buddy around means that you’re not just letting yourself down if you fail to follow through on your schedule. It’s much harder to ignore your buddy
5. Have a killer playlist
If you don’t have a pal to take with you to the gym, or you’re working out from home, then you’re going to need something else to increase your workout motivation.
A free fitness app that guides you with advice from a personal trainer could be a good choice for some people.
However, if you’re looking for something more simple (and free), then could try a playlist instead.
Load up your smartphone and make sure that you have a stream of amazing music to listen to. Remember, the purpose here is to find tune that are going to get you feeling pumped and focused.
Avoid any tunes that aren’t going to be particularly inspiring – this isn’t the time to rediscover your love of Mozart.
Don’t be afraid to add some guilty pleasure tracks to your routine too. If you’re wearing noise-canceling headphones, no-one’s going to judge you when you’re hitting the treadmill to the sound of Katy Perry or Taylor Swift.
6. Think variety and fun
Working out gets pretty boring after a while. You get into a routine of hitting the rowing machine or running around the block at a certain pace, and everything sort of blurs together. Unfortunately, there are two problems to this monotony.
First, if you’re used to your exercise routine, it’s not going to be much fun. Eventually, you’re going to lose your workout motivation and think of exercise as a chore that you would rather replace with a Netflix binge.
At the same time, if you’re doing the same workout every day, your muscles will eventually get used to it. That means that you’ll stop gaining tone, and you won’t lose as much fat.
Switching things up with regular variety and new ideas will help to keep you motivated and entertained.
With that in mind, when you start to get bored of whatever you’re doing, look for something new to spice it up.
Replace your jog with a late-night dance class. Add a spot of yoga to your routine before bed – find what works for you.
Finding motivation to workout
Finding motivation to exercise isn’t always easy.
Most people need to track down a strategy that works for them by doing things like covering their mirror in embarrassing photos of themselves or buying themselves an outfit that they can’t wear yet.
There’s really no one-size-fits-all way of getting things done.
If you’re still wondering how to get motivated to exercise, then consider talking to your mates about how they stick with their routines. The chances are that they’ve been through the same things as you – so they may be able to give some useful insights.
Alternatively, why not check out some of the articles that we’ve shared here on Blitz’d? You might find a workout routine that you never considered before.
Whatever you do, stop making excuses.
It’s up to you to earn the body you want – so get out there and do it!
Blitz yourself better!
Now read these:
—Should you fast to lose weight?
—Get ripped at home with this workout.
—The ultimate workout water bottle.
—How to motivate yourself to workout.
—Lose your dad bod today!