This is your guide on how to stay motivated to work out when you have no motivation to work out at home or anywhere really.
Its hard to stay motivated every day and for some reason, extremely easy to fall into bad habits. This doesn’t just relate to your physical health and exercise, but other areas of your life as well.
So, the key thing when it comes to working out is knowing how to stay motivated.
If you find it hard to stay motivated for long periods of time, read Motivation Is The Key To Success (Why You’re Not Achieving Your Goals).
Everyone has their own reasons for doing something, and this post will help you figure out what makes you lack motivation, and what things you can do so that you are always ready to follow your exercise routine.
First, what are the best times to workout?
Knowing what time is best to do your exercise may actually be really helpful in terms of making you motivated to work out at home or at the gym.
The best time to work out is during the morning (and on an empty stomach) as it is the optimum time for you to burn fat off of your body. Research also suggests that if you work out in the morning, you’ll be less likely to get hungry throughout the day.
Do 10 minute workouts really work?
If you think that 10 minute workouts don’t work, think again.
A 10 minute workout that is focussed on high intensity interval training (HIIT) can actually have the same benefits of doing a 45 minute work out.
This is because in HIIT exercises, you push your body to work harder due to the short intense exercises that target all your major muscle groups.
The intense activity from HIIT exercises can also have great long-term benefits such as an improved heart health and stronger muscles.
How to stay motivated to work out
1. Find a workout routine you like
You don’t need to go to the gym to exercise; at home work outs can be equally beneficial too!
The best thing about working out at home is also that it is cost efficient (you don’t need to pay a monthly fee to attend) and time efficient (you don’t need to spend time travelling back and forth to and from the gym).
Following quick HIIT exercises on YouTube is a great way to work out and can easily be added into your routine.
If you’re finding it hard to get into a routine it may be because you’re following one that you don’t like.
Think about your interests; for example if you like yoga, search for some yoga exercise videos! Experiment until you find a program you like, and once it gets boring just look for something else again!
Set up a work out calendar/ schedule
Having an organised plan on what to do each day can be a great way to stay motivated to work out.
If you’re plan is on your laptop or somewhere digital, print it out and stick it on your wall. Each day cross off what you have done.
This is a great way to stay accountable and to also be proud of what you have achieved.
Create a designated space to work out
If you do your work outs from home, find a space in your house where all your workouts will be. Leave your mats, dumbbells, and exercise bands there so that everything is organised and you don’t need to waste time looking for things when you only have 15 minutes to do some exercise!
Stay accountable with your friends
One of the reasons why you stop following your work out routine and fall into bad health habits could be because you’re not staying accountable.
If you find it hard to complete goals by yourself, try achieving them with your friends. This may be something like completing a 10-week Zumba course or following a one month HIIT workout schedule.
Doing it with your friends makes it fun and easier because you can always check up on each other, tell each other about your progress and uplift one other when one starts to lose motivation.
Push yourself and give yourself a reward
Another way on how to stay motivated to work out is to give yourself regular rewards when you have achieved something.
Instead of getting annoyed that you missed out on a few days of your work out routine, adopt a more positive attitude that doesn’t make you feel crap and which motivates you to start again.
One of the best ways to do this is to give yourself small rewards whenever you have accomplished a fitness goal. This will inspire a positive relationship with your health and will motivate you to keep trying.
Set yourself goals
Having goals is extremely important in order to stay motivated to work out. If you’re exercising with no goal in mind, you will never be satisfied with where you have come.
Set small goals that lead to a bigger goal to make your health journey more doable. For example, saying you want to lose 20 kg in a month, or reduce your body fat percentage drastically within a month is first, extremely harmful for your body, secondly is bound for failure, and thirdly is going to make you feel terrible because you haven’t achieved it.
Be realistic and set goals that you know you can achieve.
Wear nice gym wear
Some people find that wearing gym wear that they like motivates them to work out.
If you’re finding it hard to work out, it could just be that you don’t feel like doing it because you’re wearing a baggy top and trousers that doesn’t make you feel good.
Invest in a good work out fit that makes you feel confident and ready.
Notice that I put emphasis on the word ‘feel’? Buying nice gym wear isn’t supposed to be an activity where you can just stare at yourself after you have bought it, but something that makes you feel good and motivated to begin.
Give yourself a pep talk whenever you’re having a bad day
At the end of the day, you can be your own greatest enemy or supporter. Its because you are constantly surrounded by your thoughts, 24/7, every day, for the rest of your life.
So start making your mind an inviting place; make it a positive place that supports you and makes you feel better.
Instead of thinking, ‘I’m not capable enough to do these exercises because they’re too difficult for me so there’s no point in doing them,’ start thinking ‘yes, these moves are hard. But bit by bit, I will get better and for now I’m going to do the best that I can.’
Start adopting a positive attitude towards your physical health. Its okay to have off days, because you can always try again the following day.
Surround yourself with motivational quotes
Reading motivational words and keeping framed motivational quotes can be really useful reminders when you’re trying to create a positive relationship with your health.
Put a quote image on your phone home screen or put a quote up in your bedroom wall.
Related:
10 Effective Inspiring Quotes For Women – GET MOTIVATED NOW!
The Only Confidence Quotes For Women You’ll Need! (Printables included)
Learn about your health
One of the best ways of how to stay motivated to work out is to constantly better your knowledge on heath and fitness.
We all know the obvious benefits of staying fit, but if you have any specific health concerns look into it and research into how you can help yourself.
This point isn’t directly related to working out; but staying in tune with all your body’s needs will help you appreciate all that your body does for you and will inspire a positive attitude towards it.
Work out because you want to, not because others are saying it
This last point is what I would personally say is the most important point on how to stay motivated to work out.
In general, everything you do in your life should be because you want to do it. And this goes the same way for your physical health too.
Don’t work out because other people are telling you to; if you do it because of them, chances are that you will fail because you personally aren’t ready. Or, you may accomplish your goal but because you did it because others told you, you now have a really bad relationship with your health.
Start working out when you genuinely want to, because only that way can you taste the true sweetness of accomplishing your goals.
The key points I want you to take away when it comes to starting a work out routine is to do it when you want to and do it in the way that you want to. Think about not only short term goals, but long term ones too and focus on learning about your body and building a positive relationship with it.
If you liked this post on how to stay motivated to work out and stay healthy and would like to read more posts related to physical health and fitness, let me know in the comments below!
For more posts about motivation/productivity and attaining success, read:
Find Your Life Purpose & Unleash Endless Amounts Of Potential
Sunday Routine To Prepare For A Hard Week & Skyrocket Productivity
