Motivation To Exercise

Welcome to 2017. If you’ve been waiting to begin something, now is the time. A new year brings new mindsets, new ideas, and change. As a health and fitness professional, I often get approached for advice and wisdom about how to get motivated. So many times during my day I will be asked this question: "I want to workout, but I just don't have the MOTIVATION. How can I get motivated to EXERCISE?" The answer to this question is not a quick solution, but a LIFETIME journey! Motivation truly comes from within. Figuring out what is important to YOU will be the first step towards finding the motivation to exercise. Asking yourself what you "do it for", and how you want to FEEL is another helpful tool in getting you motivated. Here are six tips that will help you get motivated to exercise: 

1. PLAN a time at least 3 days per week that you will COMMIT to exercising for at least 20 minutes.

2. Find an ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER that you can trust to keep you accountable for exercising. Set aside 5 minutes at the end of the week to talk on the phone with this person, or even just a text message to check in with each other. 

3. REWARD YOURSELF with something that you enjoy at the end of the week for staying committed to your exercise goals. Keep this reward inexpensive, and not food related. Some examples are: a bubble bath, going to a movie, getting a manicure, buying a new outfit, etc.

4. Set SPECIFIC goals, whether it be weight-loss, muscle toning, or improving your posture. Write out WHY these goals are important to you, so you remember why you are doing this!

5. Figure out how you want to FEEL after your workout. If you remember how good it feels AFTER you are done exercising, you will be more likely to be motivated to do it again. If you don't like how you feel after your workout, try something new that makes you feel a sense of accomplishment once you have finished it. 

6. Be PATIENT. Take it one day at a time, and one step at a time.

If I were to be asked the most important one of these six tips on getting motivated, I would say its figuring out how you want to feel after exercising. Our mind-body connection has gotten so lost in our world today. We have to remember our bodies will give us the information we need if we just listen. Listening to that perfectly imperfect body of yours is the key to staying motivated. Your body knows the way. Trust yourself. Trust the process.