How to Motivate Yourself to Workout Regularly

I haven’t always been consistent with working out.  And to be honest lately, it’s not been on my radar much at all.  I used to never work out and would come home and watch TV all night.  I started to feel like I was stuck in a rut and something had to change.

Coming home and doing the same routine, with the same shitty job- all of which I could change. While changing jobs took some time, getting in a consistent exercise routine and setting some goals was an instant decision I could work on immediately.  So I did, and using the follow tips I pretty much stuck with it consistently

Set reminders and goals.

Use your phone to remind you at a certain time you need to workout.  Another great option is to get the Productive app and set up goals for yourself.  As you do them, you mark them as completed and it keeps track of how long you’ve been consistent with your goal.  Seeing that calendar of day after day of working out and not skipping has really kept me on track.  I don’t want to lost my streak!

Stick to a shorter workout

when you really don’t feel up to it.  I shoot for at least 20 minutes a day.  Check out this post for some short but really amazing yoga workouts.

Change into your workout clothes immediately after work

or when you wake up, depending on when you work out.  When I get off work, I go straight to my closet to get into my yoga clothes.  It’s an added bonus that they are also comfy.  I may not workout in them right away.  After dinner and some time to relax, I feel ready to get moving usually.

Leave your workout equipment and yoga mat out and easily accessible

I work out in my dining room, so I have my stuff all out ready for when it’s workout time.  That way, I don’t have to waste time finding anything and I can get right to it.

Focus on the end result

Focus on the end result, not how comfy and lazy you are feeling at the moment.  Think how much better you will feel even if you only do 15 minutes of a workout

Reward yourself

I tend to do this alot.  “If I do workout for 20 minutes, then after I can watch TV guilt free” or whatever you would like to do that you can put off until after you’ve worked out.

Plan out your day

Set a specific time of day that you plan to workout.  When that time rolls around and you have consistently worked out around that time of day, I feel less inclined to skip when I’ve planned it out and been consistent

Try working out at different times of the day

For me, I tend to workout in the evenings after work.  If I had a job that allowed me to work out at  9 am, I’d probably prefer that.  Try working out before heading to work, or maybe on your lunch break.  Some days after work I don’t want to do anything so a workout before work always makes that feel okay.  See what works best for you, you may be surprised that you don’t actually mind getting up a little early.

Workout at home

if your excuse is you don’t want to pay for a gym membership, well that’s no longer valid.  With youtube and the internet, free workouts are basically endless and you don’t even have to go anywhere to do them.

Try going to a gym

If you find yourself distracted at home when trying to work out, then try out a gym.  Some people do better at a gym and work out harder with others around.  Maybe the people around you will inspire you or become your new bestie, you never know.  My problem with the gym is I’m cheap and usually don’t want to leave my house, so at home works for me but you may enjoy going to the gym and interacting with others more.  You won’t know until you’ve given it a try.

Switch up your workouts

I tend to do well repeating the same workouts, but when I’m feeling bored with it I just change it up. That’s one reason I like yoga, you can always change up your flow.  Other than yoga, you can go for a run instead of the elliptical or try out a HIIT workout.  There are tons of ways to fit in a workout and keep in interesting, you just gotta look for them.

Overtime, if you establish your routine it will become easier.  Give your new routine a solid try for at least 2-3 weeks in order for it to become a habit you enjoy. Some days it may be hard and you really may not want to workout which is where all of the above come in to play and help motivate you to stay on track.  Think of how much better you will feel if you get in at least a 20 minute workout!

New to my blog or yoga? You may also enjoy these posts
30 Minute Workouts to Start your Day
9 Common Terms Used in Yoga Class
15 yoga workouts under 15 minutes
How to Create and At Home Practice

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