Motivational Workout Tips

The only thing standing between who you are and who you want to be is what you do. You know that when your workout motivation reaches the point of zero, you're in big trouble.

Here are my top 6 tips to help boost your motivation to exercise and get you moving. I guarantee that if you follow them, you'll become a gym-addict!

Workout Motivation Tip #1 – Find & Make Time to Workout

We all need more time in our days to get everything done. However, that can’t be an excuse for cheating on your workout plan. How many times a week do you need to exercise? Maybe 3 or 4? How much time do you need? One hour sounds plenty to me. So if that's the case, you'll need 4 hours a week. Did you know that a week has 168 hours? Do you think you could find those 4 hours out of the 168 to get your workouts in?

Drop something you don’t need – Most people spend 2, 3, maybe 4 hours a day in front of the TV. I consider TV to be the biggest time-eater of our time at home. Maybe you think that sitting on the coach every evening watching your favorite show is the only way to ease the tension from the day? Not true folks! How about going out for a run? Taking the dog out for a brisk walk? It'll take the stress off and reenergize you in the process. Besides TV always goes with food and drinks that are definitely not a part of your 'health & fitness plan'. As I always say....life is too short to spend it on the couch watching reality TV!

Become an early riser - Personally, I enjoy the benefits of rising earlier in the mornings. I wake up and start my day at 4:30 a.m., hit my workouts, get it done and go about the rest of my day. I feel energized, focused and mentally alert and ready to take on any obstacles that come my way. Try it & see for yourself.

Prepare your meals ahead of time - I always like to prep my meals on a Sunday for the week to come. This way it saves me time as all I have to do is grab & go. Plus, I also know that my meals are healthy & prepared by me. Buy in bulk, get yourself a vacuum sealer and save $$ in the process too.

Don’t get caught up in the gym chit chat - Get in, train hard, take care of business, get it done and get out!

Build your personal home gym - It's great to have home gym equipment in the next room - and it doesn't need to be expensive. Consider buying a TRX Suspension Trainer, kettlebells/dumbbells, medicine balls, heavy ropes, ab wheel, Superbands, etc.

Workout Motivation Tip #2 – Start Today

Put it off for a day and 10 days will pass. Don’t wait for the perfect day to come – it won’t. Don’t procrastinate. Start today and make a lifestyle commitment!

Workout Motivation Tip #3 – Make It Fun

Do you look forward to your workouts? Or do you force yourself everyday into exercising? People who don’t like what they're doing will sooner or later quit. Please do yourself a favor & figure out a way to get involved in making your workouts consistent, productive and fun!

Join a group or find a gym buddy - When you know someone is expecting you to do something, you're less likely to skip it. When you have one of those bad days, the level of support you have will definitely will help you get over the hump.

Make your own best/favorite workout music compilation and listen to it during your workouts.

Disguise your exercise – walking the dog, playing catch with the kids, or working in your garden also helps you keep fit.

Workout Motivation Tip #4 – You Gotta Keep It Real

Remember one thing – results take time. It's NOT an overnight process. Don’t expect to lose 10 pounds this week just because you stuck to your workout plan. The same goes when you miss a day. You won’t gain weight back immediately but if that one day turns into ten days or a month, you'll regret your lack of perseverance & steady progress. So work for realistic goals and don’t expect any miracles. As I always say - there are no short cuts, just hard work!

Workout Motivation Tip #5 – Keep A Workout/Activity & Nutrition Log

Make a workout plan - set specific and realistic goals, keep track of the days you workout, activities you performed, what you ate that day & how your feel. Doing this will help you see your moments of weakness and plan ways to overcome them. When you know how certain circumstances make you react, you could try to avoid them or you could work to change your reaction.

When you happen to have one of those bad days that everything seems pointless and you feel like giving up, just take a look in your log to see how far you've managed to come. No one said it would be easy but it will get easier within time.

Workout Motivation Tip #6 – Make It A Habit (A Good One, That Is)

When you do the same thing over and over again for a given time it becomes a habit. You don’t have to think about brushing your teeth, styling your hair or flushing the toilet – all these things have turned into habits. You do them no matter if you're late, if you're sick, if it's raining outside or whatever day of the week it is. The more you do it on a regular basis, it becomes a part of your every day tasks.

Lastly, don't forget to reward yourself. It never ceases to amaze me how hard we are on ourselves when we don’t accomplish, and how hard we are on ourselves when we DO accomplish. Whenever you reach a milestone, have something in mind - like a trip to the day spa, new shoes or clothes. Rewards can be anything - including things that are non-edible.

These are just a few common used techniques to keep up the motivation while working out. If there's a similar technique in your mind, use it and don’t let boredom touch you in between sets.

Be good to yourself, train hard & stick with it!

-AR