7 Ways to Stay Motivated to Exercise

You’ve been told the benefits of exercise a thousand times and you know what you should be doing, but it can be so easy to find excuses. “I’m comfortable on the sofa”, “My favourite TV show is on”, or “It looks so cold outside”.

We’ve heard them all before, so how do you get (and keep) the motivation to get up and exercise regularly?

1 Plan

Leading a busy life, it can be hard to think that there is room for daily exercise. Make exercise a priority and plan it into your daily routine. Don’t make it optional. It also helps to plan exercise when you’re more likely to enjoy it. For example, if you find it hard to get out of bed in the mornings at the best of times, don’t try and exercise in the mornings. Try your lunch break or after work.

2 Get your gear on

The first step (and often the hardest) is just putting on your shoes and exercise gear. Once they’re on, it’s much easier to get going. Even better, treat yourself to something new. It’s surprising how a new pair of running shoes, item of clothing, or new gadget can encourage you to ‘try them out’. Plus you look good and feel good!

3 Variety is essential

Change your running route, try cycling instead, or swim in an outdoor pool instead of indoors. Keep it interesting by changing parts of your workout so you don’t get bored. The gym can quickly become a sterile environment, so if you’re a gym-goer, throw in the occasional outdoor session.

4 Make it social

Exercise with friends, have a laugh and you’ll keep each other motivated. They offer you support, can give positive feedback and make it fun! Alternatively, try group fitness classes or join a local team. If you thrive on competition, team sports are great. As is exercising with someone who’s slightly better than you so you are always pushing yourself to keep up.

5 The art of distraction

Exercising to music or while chatting to friends keeps you distracted. You may just find yourself exercising for longer or finishing quicker than you thought. If you’re at home, try exercising while watching TV or during the ad break.

6 Have realistic goals

You may not be planning to run a marathon, but it’s important to have goals and put them into practice to keep yourself motivated along the way. But be realistic! Don’t set them too far above your level that you’ll never achieve them. Write them down and remember to review them regularly as your fitness improves.

7 Don’t forget to reward yourself

It could be running an extra mile or losing a couple of pounds, but as you reach your personal goals and are happy with your performance, reward yourself. You might give yourself a day off or buy a new pair of jeans. Be proud of yourself.

Always remember the feeling you get after exercise - endorphins flying around your body, you feel healthy and pleased with yourself. Next time you’re thinking of skipping a session, remember this feeling and get exercising!

Each Monday and Friday at 6pm GMT, we hold a live workout on our Instagram page (makeyourselfproud_h24). No equipment necessary, although certain exercises can be done with dumbbells to increase the difficulty level. Remember to bring a bottle of water and a positive attitude 💪😊

Three Ways to Squeeze a Workout into Your Day

1 Set your alarm 30 minutes earlier

This may seem like an obvious tip, but it definitely takes motivation not to hit the snooze button and lie back down.

My next piece of advice may seem crazy but it worked for me. For the first few weeks wear a loose fitting workout kit to bed or place your workout outfit with your tennis shoes right next to your bed. When the alarm starts buzzing, put on your socks and shoes and get to it.

Working out at home or close to home is the best way to start out, because it removes any excuses about joining a gym or having to travel anywhere. Sure, jogging along a beach at dawn may sound nice, but in reality, you probably need to get your workout done and dusted as quickly as possible.

As your body gets used to the time adjustment, add an extra 10 minutes so that you can actually comb your hair and brush your teeth before you go.

2 Pack your workout clothes and take them to work

If you’re not a morning person, then it’s time for Plan B: the lunchtime power-walk. Schedule it in like you would a dentist or your hair salon appointment. It’s funny that we wouldn’t dream of not getting our hair cut, but taking care of our health often gets overlooked or sidelined. *Asking a co-worker to join will give you the extra motivation not to skip a session*

3 Split your workout into smaller segments

If finding a full 30 minutes is too difficult, then try to do 3 or more mini workouts. It’s fine to accumulate your workout throughout your day.

This tip works especially well for stay-at-home-mums with young children, because minding a child for 10 minutes while you jump around and squeeze in a workout is a realistic goal.

If you work in an office and sit down all day, try taking a brief 10 minutes to stretch out or walk around the office. It may improve your energy level and boost your concentration.

Making an activity part of your lifestyle instead of a chore makes results easier to achieve.

Once I decided to ditch my excuses and made time in my day to exercise, I was able to quickly progress to a regular spinning class, and being active became something I just did rather than something I had to think about. People even started complimenting me on all the extra energy I seemed to have.

Written by Samantha Clayton, AFAA, ISSA. Samantha is Director of Fitness Education at Herbalife.