Ways to Motivate Yourself to Work Out
“We all know that being active and participating in a regular workout program is good for our mind, body, and soul. But sometimes the internal dialogue that tells us to skip our workout or grab takeout and work a few hours more takes over. When this happens, it can be hard to follow through on your plan to make it to the gym and prioritize fitness. That’s when having a list of motivational tips and tricks can help you be consistent. We’ve compiled a list of practical ways to help you stay motivated and on track to meet your fitness goals.
1. Listen to a podcast. Choose a podcast you’ve been wanting to listen to, and only cue it up when you’re working out. This gives you something to look forward to when a gym session doesn’t sound all that appealing.
2. Use a fitness app. There are hundreds of fitness apps with workouts ranging from yoga and Pilates to high-intensity interval training and bodyweight circuits. Choose one app and schedule daily workouts that focus on different fitness goals. For example, cardio on Monday, yoga on Tuesday, strength training on Wednesday, and so on.
3. Pick a cause. Whether you’re a runner, walker, or CrossFit fanatic, choosing a cause to compete for can really help motivate you. There are tons of competitions that support causes like: Alzheimer’s research, cancer research or funding for families, diabetes research and advocacy, and many more
4. Watch and work out. Just can’t say “no” to your favorite TV show? Hop on the treadmill or other cardio equipment, turn on the TV, and watch the time fly by. You can even make it a habit to only watch your favorite show when you’re exercising.”
For more tips read Healthline
#Workout #Exercise #Motivation #Consistency
💬 How do you keep yourself motivated to stay active?
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How do you keep yourself motivated to stay active?
while these tips all seem well ....
I find TV and even listening to podcast / music can be distracting example tune in a channel on a streaming music and a disliked song etc comes on i tend to slow or stop to find another channel or skip etc
walks for causes tend to be grouped and like walking in a crowd sometimes limited by the pace set by others.
apps and fitness trackers can help but in the end ........... being accountable to yourself is key ...... people i know buy things but if they do not wear or do not keep charged it is a short lived attempt
i believe in goals and consistency ..... measuring distance / steps to know your set and meet it every day ....... not just some days a tracker that makes a streak helps as you cannot work around it or make excuses electronics do not care they only count ........
@toughTiger6481
Everyone is different and it is right that not all techniques will fit everyone. I get that some of these tips might be distracting.
I think everything also depends on how we use the tools we know. I have seen so many people who do not set measurable and attainable goals, leading to inconsistency or feelings of being a failure. I think the ones with streaks might be a good idea although I can imagine that for some people it might be too exhausting to work every single day, especially at the beginning.
How do you like to exercise? Do you have a specific routine that you stick to every day?
@globalBraid3744
i have walked a MINIMUM of 6 miles a day for the last 600 days straight ....
have challenges on an app and virtual races with people all over the world
@globalBraid3744
Awesome Post! Thank you for sharing!
Ways that I keep myself motivated (which can be a challenge sometimes or some days), is to continue to put myself in situations that keep myself and give myself motivation.
1)"Group fitness" classes and being around other "Like-minded" people~
2)Fitness apps~
3)Accountability partner (if or when I need one) through a family member~
4)But my last and most favorite, is DOING THINGS that I "ENJOY"!......(Its difficult to keep up a workout or activity if you are Not enjoying what you are doing!)
@PoliteOcean
I love all your tips!
I also think one of the most important things is to find an activity that you enjoy otherwise, it can be a huge challenge to remain consistent. I think group fitness is a great idea, I especially like it if I go with a friend because then I have no excuse not to work out and in breaks, we can chat and it is a more pleasant experience.
How does an accountability partnership works?
@globalBraid3744
Hey there Braid... "accountability partnership" is just like what you described and said in your post....
its about finding a friend, family member etc... someone who "keeps you accountable" in your workout and goals. Someone with the same like-minded goals who can help you to keep going and succeed when you are having a hard time staying motivated!
Ohh, thanks so much @globalBraid, I love working out but it’s hard to find the motivation. These are really helpful!
@globalBraid3744
How I keep myself motivated to work out is to think critically about exercise by gently, patiently and lovingly challenging my thoughts and beliefs around the situations that are keeping me from doing what's for my highest good.
Also I watch motivational people on YouTube like theleanbeefpatty and brotherhammond.
Furthermore I invest in courses and products that could help such as workouts on DailyOm, a blender for smoothies and apps such as Fabulous, Headspace and The Work.
@Dallady
Haha. It's so funny because I sound like I know what I'm doing when really I'm barely getting by, fighting tooth and nail for resources and constantly being given the runaround by government and non-profit workers who refuse to step up to the plate.
@Dallady
I like your strategy! I think it is important to remain gentle to ourselves and not be too judgemental. I also find motivational videos helpful, thank you for your recommendations :) I will check them out.
I also have Headspace, it is a really good app. I am planning to get an app with recipes for healthy food and smoothies because sometimes I have no idea what shall I cook.
@globalBraid3744
"How do you keep yourself motivated to stay active?"
My answer: I've had very frustrating long-term health problems that I found could only be cured by regular exercise.
Experience, reading, and experimenting taught me that I absolutely must be active daily to:
- Sleep well regularly
(or I can't sleep well at all) - Stay unwound and relaxed
(or I get stress build-up easily) - Keep my legs feeling normal
(or my legs and feet hurt from sitting too long) - Stay optimistic and feel empowered
(or I get depressed and lazy from being too sedentary;
I think it's because being active tends to keep me active in general, but the opposite seems true too) - Get an instant feel-good feeling when needed
(or I feel lethargic otherwise) - Maintain my willpower
(or I loose it if I'm not very active
because being able to make myself exercise
seems to also keep my willpower strong) - Control my appetite and feel satiated after eating
(or I get cravings from very long-term inactivity, however my appetite definitely behaves better when I'm active a lot)
So I know from experience that regular physical activity solves my health problems above. So I must do it.
Another way I keep myself motivated is
I made it an automatic routine:
- I always do it after certain regular activities.
- The habit just grew and grew then.
-
So now I feel compelled to do automatically and that requires very little motivation.
Another way I keep myself motivated is,
I made it easy, very convenient, and very reliable fun:
- I found moves I really like doing
and videos I really like moving to. - I can do all the moves at home instantly for free,
so no big motivation is needed.
So now it's a virtuous-cycle where it feels good and it's easy, and that makes me want to do it regularly.
- I sleep better. I feel better in many ways.
- I just do it and now it's become a part of who I am as a person. I want to be fit and healthy and feel good.
If you want to try it, I created growth path steps that explain it all:
- Just search the free 7Cups Growth Paths below
- Click the Community box and search for Exercise
-
https://www.7cups.com/path/modifier/
@7motivation
Thank you a lot for your contribution and for sharing your growth path! I will definitely try.
How did you manage to be able to get such a good insight into what helps you with your health issues? It seems you have it all mapped up.
@globalBraid3744
To listen to my reply below,
click this Google Translate link
and then scroll to the bottom there and
click the play button 🔊 on that page.
Thanks!
Regarding your question:
- "How did you manage to be able to get such a good insight
into what helps you with your health issues?"
Answers:
- I searched the web first a lot
and I kept digging and digging
until I found really good answers. - I tried the ideas that seemed best for me.
- If the ideas didn't quite work,
I tried to figure out why,
which involved experimenting in a methodical way
and also searching the web more for specifics.
- I took notes and tracked my progress levels.
- I learned the Tiny Habits, Mini Habits, and Atomic Habits approach
to get the new habits to grow easier,
which I explained recently in a thread reply I made here.
https://www.7cups.com/forum/HealthyLiving_141/GettingStarted_824/Lookingforanexercisingguidevideoforanextremebeginner_295410/?post=3214116
It all took a long time because:
- Solving sleep problems was very complicated
until I knew all the appropriate things to know. - The problems turned out to be all interrelated too.
So I had to make simultaneous improvements
because these things all influence each other.
- Exercise and physical activity throughout the day.
- Sleep.
- Diet and nutrition.
- Hydration.
- Stress management.
- Habit building and management.
But after all that, I made some really amazing consistent long term progress.
- Now I sleep 8 to 9 hours a day consistently.
- I got rid of my constant hunger cravings.
- I don't get tired after eating anymore at all.
- I do a lot of cardio each day
and it feels really great.
And I really enjoy the fun videos and moves,
which I liked so much that I made into
7Cups Community growth path steps
to share with others here, Yay! - I feel much more in control of my life
with a very comfortable set of routines
that I found make life a lot easier.
And I'm able to improve them even
because repetition leads to coming up with
even more new ideas somewhat organically
so it's like a kaizen type of situation
that's a virtuous cycle
and things keep getting better and better, Yay!
@Berefos
I get what you mean and I definitely agree that walking is great for people who do not like exercise! :) However, I think it depends on many factors. For example, young people do not really have to exercise to stay fit and healthy but with age, it becomes increasingly difficult without exercise (our muscle mass dramatically decreases). Then there are also people who need to exercise to help manage pain etc.