10 Tips for Better Fitness Motivation

Struggling with fitness motivation lately?  Many of my personal training clients who use my coaching at https://transformingstrength.com/individual-coaching/ go through the exact same challenges when trying to get fit. Here are ten tips to help get you out the door and keep you going once you’re there so you can move closer to your health and wellness goals.

1) If you happen to be run down, don’t feel like going to the gym, or are in a bad mood and are close to throwing in the towel, commit to ten minutes of exercise.  More than likely, you will probably end up completing a full workout.  The blood will start pumping, your body will start to loosen up, and afterwards you will feel much more relaxed.

2) If you are hesitating to get out the door at all, then simply put on your gym clothes. Once they are on, you’re one step closer to using them.

3) Make a list of your worries, the challenges in your life, or the exciting times ahead.  Use your exercise time to focus on these aspects of life, rather than the monotonous training grind.  Exercise is a great time to work through the bumps in the road.  Conversely, it is also a great time to focus on the positive and have a great workout as your body feeds off the excitement and anticipation.

4) As we’ve touched on before, find a workout partner.  Working out with someone gives you a commitment to keep – you are obliged to turn up and you can compete against each other, support each other, and spur each other on – you will work harder and have more fun.

5) Listen to uplifting music before and during your exercise – it has been proven to make you run faster / train harder, and to give you a more intense focus and keep you absorbed in your workout.

6) Track your training progress.  Research has proved over and over, that we get more out of ourselves when we log our activities. Record your weight loss, your waist size, the amount of time you spend on the stair climber – anything like this will spur you on to beat your record and push yourself further.  Beyond motivation, It is very difficult to discern what is working and what isn’t if there is no record.

7) Think flexible.  If you are struggling with the thought of exercising, break your plan into smaller, more manageable segments.  If 40 minutes of the step mill has you grumpy, set out to do 10, or even switch to another exercise altogether.  Only consider the present moment and soon you will be finishing your workout before you know it.

8) Visualize yourself exercising and feeling good. See yourself on the home stretch of a run – imagine how good you feel, see yourself lifting heavier weights, visualize completing a heavy workout and how empowered you feel – this is positive thinking and it sets you on the path to complete these visions.

9) Bribe yourself.  Set yourself rewards for achieving certain exercise benchmarks.  Be sure that your rewards are not directly linked to any struggles you may have.  If you are trying to lose unhealthy fat mass, avoid using food as a reward.

10) Last but not least, avoid putting too much pressure on yourself.  We like to look at it as being possessed, not obsessed.  Obsession creates stress, and who wants to face something that creates extra stress in their life?  Any exercise you do at the gym today is better than not exercising at all because you set the bar too high.  Try to enjoy the process.  Creating healthy habits that last is a fitness journey that can’t be completed overnight.