5 tips to motivate yourself to work out, and keep working out!

1. Plan Everything Out!

• You will be way more likely to consistently work out if everything is planned out in advance so you don’t have to worry.
  • Put your workout time in your calendar
  • Which workout will you do that day? (Hint: Variety is GREAT for motivation.)
  • Where will you do your workout? Is that space set up?
  • Are there any distractions? Try to remove them. Your phone, family, or any responsibilities.

2. Have a Good Great Mindset!

• The better mindset you have, the better your workouts will feel, and more and more you’ll feel like the gym, your yoga mat, or the grass in your backyard is your new best friend.
  • Start and end your workout with 2-5 minutes of meditation to clear your mind, and let your soul breathe.
    • Fitness is a therapy for your body and your soul.
    • You are becoming stronger, physically and mentally.
    • Working out is a celebration of what your body can do.

3. Reward System!

• Rewarding yourself for a good workout is a great way for beginners to get in the habit of feeling good after a workout.
  • Your rewards should not be five cookies, because that will ruin the progress you made with your workout.
  • A reward could be having a cuddle session with your dog, or lounging outside in the sun.
  • Food rewards are very effective though, also great when you need a quick reward before heading off to your next zoom class.
    • One cookie is definitely okay. You can eat a cookie every day and still gain muscle, lose weight, and be a healthy person.
    • Over time, your body won’t think about the cookie anymore, and only think about the workout, and what you got out of that session.
    • Workouts will start to feel just as good as that cookie.

4. Write Everything Down!

• Writing things down can improve your commitment by 80%. Eighty percent!
  • Write down a goal, and look at the goal before a workout, and after a workout.
    • Your goal should be something you can accomplish, something you will grow from, but not too small so it still feels good to complete.
    • Before the workout, think of how this workout is bringing you that much closer to completing your goal.
    • After your workout, you can write down your progress. It is up to you if you want to write down numbers, or how you felt doing the workout. (Hint: Only write down numbers such as your measurements or weight once every two to three weeks.)

5. Surround Yourself with Motivation!

• Working out with someone or a group can always improve your motivation and productivity.
  • Whether you don’t want to seem like a slacker in front of your friends, or you want to set a good example and show off, working out with your friends is a great distraction and great motivation.
  • During quarantine, it is definitely harder to find motivation, (trust me, I know,) so setting up a time to do a FaceTime group workout would be such a great to stay social, and stay active.