If it is sometimes difficult to find the motivation to work out, do not worry. You are not the only one – not by a long shot. Even if you are highly motivated in the beginning, you could lose it afterward.
Fortunately, there are many things you can do to keep yourself motivated. The best part is all of these are backed by science. You can overcome mental barriers by building a habit and setting yourself up for success. Roll this article on to get the motivating tips.
10 Tips For Motivating Yourself To Workout
When it comes down to it, motivation matters most for hitting the gym. But our Neanderthal brains are very bad at keeping ourselves motivated – especially when it is something that we might not enjoy doing all the time.
That is why you must “hack your brain” to motivate yourself to work out. Here are the top 10 ways to do it.
1. Have the Right Mindset
Instead of viewing it as a chore you need to get done, view it as something necessary for your well-being. This will help you have a healthy relationship with working out.
Try to make your workout sessions a way of self-love. Think of why you want to work out. Answering the ‘why’ will help you overcome obstacles and push you to do it.
2. Set Yourself Up for Success
You will only succeed if you rely on sheer motivation to start working out. Motivation is fickle, and it comes and goes. There is little you can do about that.
Instead, you need to set up your environment for success. Try to build a habit of working out during set time blocks. For example, you can prime your brain by laying out gym clothes near your bed for the next morning.
3. Add Some Varieties to Your Session
If you do the same old workout routine repeatedly, it will get boring pretty fast. So mix it up a little bit instead. To help you create a routine, you can use programme app to get a personalized workout routine made just for you.
As a result, you get more variety in your sessions, and the sessions themselves are tailor-made for you to get the best results. Moreover, you can add some varieties to your diet, like having delicious superfoods in your meals.
4. Workout With a Gym Buddy
Turning I should work out to ‘we’ should work out will help a ton. Researchers paid people to work out, and they still failed. However, finding the motivation will become much easier if you pair up with a gym buddy. When you are in it together, things get effortless. You, too, could feed off each other’s energy and drive.
It does not have to be one person, though. You can join many different communities. But the main thing to remember is to find like-minded people who will motivate and encourage you to keep going.
5. Reward Yourself
Rewarding yourself every time you finish a workout session will do wonders. It will create a habit loop in your brain. Over time, your brain will get used to it, and you will naturally be much more motivated to keep going.
Rewards can be anything. For example, say you started watching a show. You can tell yourself you will watch one episode after working out for 1 hour or 30 minutes.
6. Use a Fitness Tracker
A fitness tracker will show you tangible statistics on your workouts. Trying to keep yourself motivated can get difficult when you do not see results immediately. It is normal.
If you are working out to lose weight, you will not see immediate results just after a week. However, using a fitness tracker, you can see how many calories you burnt that week and how many steps you took.
7. Create a Playlist of Bangers
Curating an awesome playlist for yourself for your gym sessions will also help. You can even combine this tip with tip no. 3. For example, if a new song is out, you can tell yourself that you will only listen to it when you run.
Different people will have different ways of listening to music when working out. Some might listen to one song on repeat till they get tired of it. Others might shuffle a couple of songs in one session. It is all up to you.
8. The 10-Minute Rule
When you find it tough to motivate yourself to work out, use the 10-minute Rule. Often the getting started bit is the hardest.
If your sessions usually last for an hour, making yourself do just 10 minutes is not overwhelming. Once you get started, you might keep going and finish the full session. Resting in between workout sessions is a healthy practice indeed.
9. Plan Your Sessions
If you are working out without a set routine, you will eventually slip. However, a workout routine will help you plan and construct your days around your sessions.
It will take out the stress of finding the time to work out. Moreover, it will also help develop the habit of hitting the gym. A routine will be even more beneficial if you have never been serious about working out. Check out this guide on getting started with a fitness routine.
10. Do Not Be Too Rigid with Your Routine
This seems counterintuitive to what we just mentioned. Well, it is. But as much as it would help you to create a routine, giving some leeway for yourself will increase your chances of success.
The thing is, life happens. Something might come up, and sticking to your routine on a particular day or two might be impossible. In that case, it is essential not to stress yourself out. Instead, allow for some uncertainty in your routine.
What Is The Best Time To Work Out?
There are benefits to both morning and evening workouts. You could work out in the day and get it over with. This way, you finish a gym session even before starting a day.
On the other hand, your body performs the best between 2 to 6 PM, and your body’s temperature is at its peak. Technically, this period is when your body is perfectly ready. Working out later in the day also helps you sleep better.
However, as we mentioned, there is no one-size-fits-all answer here. Instead, you need to see what works best for you.
Wrapping Up
Do not think of working out as a chore. Changing your mindset is the first thing you should do. This will help you keep motivated. Make working out a priority. If you do this and then combine it with all the tips we mentioned, you will find it much easier to motivate yourself.
