Spring is around the corner for us in the Southern Hemisphere. For those up north, you’re heading towards Autumn or Fall, and both are the perfect time to get into a fitness regime if you’re not already in one. It can be difficult to motivate yourself to exercise, especially if you’re a mom, have a full-time job or simply have a lot of responsibilities that already steal your focus. I know that my day is packed full of things that always need to be done, and quite frankly… they are often left undone because I can’t fit everything in.
The one thing I never sacrifice is my workout time. It’s my time and it’s super important to me. If I don’t work out often enough, I actually become this awful person who is so difficult to live with. I get kranky because I feel like shit, because my body thrives on being healthy and feeling well. For the sake of my family and friends and the world around me – I must exercise! 🙂
The thing is, it can be difficult to get yourself motivated if you’re not already in a rhythm. So here are five ways for you to inspire yourself to work out. They are simple, they are actionable and they will help!
1. Get Family Or Friends Involved
“Those who train together, stay together.” Even best friends, sisters, moms, and daughters too. If you battle to stay motivated on your own, then get one of your loved ones involved to share the journey with you. You can support each other when things get tough, you can motivate each other when you don’t feel like working out. The only thing you need to watch out for is when you convince each other to skip your workout! That’s not the point of teaming up.
2. Stage A Competition With Friends
One of the other advantages of teaming up with a workout partner is some healthy competition. You can both (or all) set goals in the beginning and see who reaches them first. There is something about the human spirit and the need to achieve, and when matched up against your partner in a race to fitness, you will have that added element of fire under your butt to keep you going.
Some of the competitions you could have going are:
- First to run X amount of kilometres
- First to hold a plank for X amount of time
- First to be able to do X amount of pull-ups/push-ups… or even just one pull-up! Those things are fierce!
- First to reach a goal weight
- First to reach a goal dress size
It’s also a good idea to use a fitness app to help measure your progress. Gamifying the process makes it so much easier to attain goals when you can see them presented in a digital format.
3. Buy Some New Kick-Ass Workout Gear
If you’re going to be taking this new venture really seriously, then you need to have the right gear for it. Having new workout clothes will inspire you to wear them, and once you’re dressed for the part, you might as well follow through with the actual exercise. You can splash out or you can go budget, there are great options for any price range. All you need is a really good pair of leggings, a decent sports bra, a top, socks, and great workout shoes. If you’re on the yoga bus, you don’t even need the shoes! Win! You can use that budget to buy a mat.
4. Plan A Variety Of Different Workouts
One of the most common reasons for workout failure and premature bailout is boredom. It’s easy to get bored when you’re repeating the same workout every day, so why not try and mix it up a little bit? Add a variety of different workouts to your week and you’ll find yourself sticking to the programme for longer. There will be some that you enjoy more than others, so think of that as the yin and yang of exercise. You have to take the good with the bad, but at least there is always something fun to look forward to. Combine walking, running, strength training, yoga, Pilates, dance fitness, swimming, aqua aerobics, and HIIT workouts.
5. Set Micro-Challenges For Yourself
Start small and grow from there. By setting small challenges for yourself, you can slowly chip away at your overarching goals by dealing with one small challenge at a time. If you’re running, you can start by setting goals in terms of short distances or the time you complete a distance in. If you’re doing yoga, you can start with a gentle Hatha class and slowly work up to Ashtanga. If you’re doing Pilates, you can start with beginner exercises and progress to more advanced work when you feel strong enough to challenge yourself further.
You could even go so far as to reward yourself with each milestone you reach. Chart it all down in the beginning and write down a few special gifts or treatments that you can reward yourself with when you reach a milestone. For example you can go for a massage when you successfully complete the first two weeks of your exercise programme. Knowing what the rewards are can help you stay on track and work towards them.
Do you think this will help you? Let me know! I’ve got some other tricks up my sleeve too and I’m happy to share them. Connect with me on Facebook or Instagram and let’s chat about getting you going!
