Keeping motivation for exercise is probably the most challenging aspect of finishing a workout routine. When the motivation is not there what do you do? Don’t give up and call it quits if you are struggling with motivation.
See if you can relate to this scenario.
It’s 7 am: your alarm clock is hollering at you, “get your tail up!” You pound the snooze button. 5 minutes later, the irritating noise box is going off. What do you do hit the snooze button again of course. Surprise surprise, 5 minutes later it goes off.
You finally have enough and turn the alarm clock off and lay in bed thinking, man I don’t want to get up. I really don’t want to workout. I will just skip today’s workout, it won’t hurt anything. Can you relate? I know I can. Everybody will run into this problem at some point. What can you do when you don’t have the motivation to exercise?
Find some transformation images – Checkout pictures of some great transformations of others to help you. You might want to print them out and hang them somewhere to help keep you motivated.
Get inspiration – Find those that have already achieved the fitness goals you are working towards. This will help you become more confident.
Show yourself some mercy – Setbacks happen to the best of them. What you do when setbacks happen is what is most important. Don’t fall all the way off the wagon when you have a setback. Let your setback motivate you.
Remember to check your progress – Check your progress and results from time to time. This will help you realize what you are doing right and more importantly what you need to work on.
Stop the Excuses
Humans are tough creatures. When you push your body, you will realize that the human body is very resilient. You will continue to get great results when you push yourself. So why do so many people make excuses if that is the case?
“I’m too busy”, is the most common excuse. Really, you don’t have 10 minutes? You can put together an effective workout that will last a whooping 10 to 20 minutes. As long as you get your heart rate up to burn calories.
“I hate workout out alone” is another popular one. You don’t always have the option to have a workout buddy. Sometimes you have to fly solo. I do it all the time at home. Some will use this excuse and say they need a workout buddy to keep them motivated, they need someone to go to the gym with them. You really don’tt, you can do it by yourself. Believe in yourself.
How about this one? “I’m too old.” This one won’t work either. Whenever someone uses this one, I quickly ask them if they know who Tony Horton is (creator of P90X). Next I tell them that he is in his mid 50’s. He is more ripped than most guys in their 20’s.
“My back hurts.” Sometimes this can be a legit reason not excuse to not workout. But you can have a stronger back if you exercise and stretch your core. You are more susceptible to injury and pain if you have a weak core. Strengthen your core to lessen your back pain.
“I just hate exercising.” This can be a challenge for many. If you fall into this category, you might want to try exercising with a group, friends, or family or better yet take an exercise class at your local gym. Try an outdoor activity. Go mountain biking or hiking. Make fitness fun and more enjoyable. You don’t always have to be in a gym to get in a good workout.
“Exercise is boring”, is another common one. Fitness can be boring if you let it. Shake up your exercises from time to time. Try something new, something you have never done before.
“I’m too fat.” What better reason to exercise. Being overweight can lead to all types of health problems. Remember to start small. Don’t put the cart before the horse. Set small achievable goals and go from there.
“I’m just too tired.” If you are tired all the time that is a great reason to start working out. You have more energy when you workout. Have you considered that you might be so tired all the time simply because you don’t workout enough?
Don’t allow any of these excuses to cause you to get in the way of your workouts. If you don’t workout now when will you start? Next week? Next month? Next year? Find the motivation for exercise and make a positive change in your life today.
