Staying motivated and continuing to work out is one of the more challenging aspects of your new fitness regimen. Life becomes routine. You get used to the daily grind: going to the gym, doing cardio, and dieting.
Then suddenly, you realize that those times were better than they are now! Ugh, motivation! What's worse than having an unenthusiastic attitude towards working out?
You would think it would be a lack of self-motivation, but the truth is most people have that one thing that keeps them from exercising regularly (perhaps you do too!).
Top 5 Ways to Stay Motivated and the Benefits of Working Out
- Have a Schedule
Sometimes, it can be hard to motivate yourself to work out at 8 pm if you have nothing planned or nowhere to go afterward. Having a set time for working out and some plans for after will help keep you from making excuses and feeling like it isn't worth it to go out of your way for a little bit of exercise.
- Find a Workout Buddy
Those who work out with a partner have much higher success rates than those who don't have a gym buddy to keep them accountable. When you're having a bad day, your workout partner will be there to pick you up and get your butt moving again. When they're having an off day, you'll be there to help them stay on track, too.
- Listen To Upbeat Music
A great way to keep yourself feeling positive and energized at the gym is by listening to music with a good beat. Most gyms have a system where you can plug your headphones into the speakers and listen without disturbing anyone else around you.
Listening to fast-paced songs will give you an extra boost of energy as long as you don't overdo it—switch from high-energy songs at the beginning of your workout to slower ones.
- Pay Yourself for Each Day You Work Out
If you're the type who needs to have some incentive to stay on track, consider paying yourself for every day that you exercise. Some days, it might not be in the budget, but a small amount of money can motivate you to put on your sneakers and get moving.
Once you're done, deposit the money into a separate account so that you don't wind up spending it—with any luck, by the end of the month, you'll have at least enough money to buy yourself something nice.
Make sure that you don't set a negative consequence for missing workouts—if you do, and then if something does come up and one day is missed due to illness or something else outside of your control, it could be perceived as a failure and make it harder to get back on track with your routine.
It's better to give yourself something positive to look forward to than to punish yourself for not sticking to your routine.
- Track Your Progress Regularly
Track your progress regularly because it can be a great way to stay motivated. It's like those little stickers you get for being a good student in elementary school—it's not really about the sticker but about having some tangible reward for being successful.
Bottom Line
If you want to be healthy, you need to stay motivated. Setting goals on your own is a good start but getting other people on board is also essential.
Even if you don't tell others what your goals are, having someone else to speak can help you in your journey to success. Motivational apparel can be an excellent tool for staying motivated and may have benefits you haven't considered.
As you can see, sometimes finding motivation can be as simple as realizing that others have experienced the same struggles you have. Staying motivated is a road to improving your life and reaching new heights. If you're feeling defeated, start from the beginning and realize that you only have one way to go: forward.
