Have you ever arranged or started an exercise routine and quit after a few days? If you have, then you’re definitely not alone. The truth is, countless people desire to achieve a fit body or shed a few pounds. But sometimes, it’s a lot easier to plan than to execute. As some people would say, if only exercising were as easy as eating, everyone would be doing it every day without a problem.
There are several reasons some individuals start an exercise routine and then give up only after a short period. It may be that they got bored, they got tired, the results were too slow, or they were simply not enjoying the whole routine. Luckily, there are several things you can do that’ll help you stay motivated during your exercises and help you stay consistent.
Here are five powerful ways to keep you motivated during exercise so you can make the most of your routine:
1. Set Realistic Goals
Before you begin, you need to have clear goals for yourself. It’s hard to stay motivated when working out if you don’t even know what you’re trying to achieve. Furthermore, setting goals that are way too ambitious might lead to frustration and eventually prompt you to give up.
Make sure you set realistic and attainable goals for yourself. You can create two sets of goals: one for the short term and another for the long term. A short-term goal may look like any of the following:
- Walk 10 minutes around the neighborhood four times a week.
- Lift weights twice or thrice a week.
- Reduce soda intake.
These are small steps that’ll help you achieve your long-term goals. Once you check some items off your list of short-term objectives, you’ll be more motivated to keep doing what you’re doing. Meanwhile, a long-term can look like this:
- Lose or gain five pounds in two months.
- Complete a five-kilometer walk.
In short, long-term goals are the ones that serve as the end or ultimate result of your fitness routine. Overall, setting short- and long-term goals for yourself will help keep you on track with your exercise routine. If you feel like quitting or starting to make excuses, you can quickly look back at your goals and remind yourself that you’re almost there. You can also check out a helpful resource to help you overcome your excuses and just keep going.
2. Find Ways to Make Exercising Fun
As mentioned, one of the reasons people quit exercising is because they feel bored or feel as though they’re punishing themselves. However, exercising will only be boring if you don’t like what you’re doing in the first place. Thus, when creating a workout routine, make sure you only include exercises that are actually fun for you. For instance, if you love biking but hate jogging, then center your exercise routine around biking.
If you’re into sports such as basketball, volleyball, and swimming but don’t like gym workouts, focus on doing sports in order to stay physically active. For instance, your exercise routine can be swimming for 15-20 minutes in a pool four times a week. This may sound tiring to some, but it’ll be a fun workout for a person who loves swimming.
Remember: exercising shouldn’t be boring, and you have the freedom to make it as enjoyable as you want it to. When you’re having fun, you’ll more likely stick to a particular exercise.
3. Join Forces with Others
There are many individuals out there struggling to keep themselves motivated and consistent with their exercise routines. So why not find those people from your social circle and join forces in doing your exercise routines? You can invite your siblings, friends, colleagues, partner, or kids to work out with you.
If you want to go on walks, jog, bike, or hike in the mountains, do it in groups. You can also gather your neighbors who want to take fitness classes with you. If you can’t find a workout buddy from your social circle, you can sign up for health and fitness clubs or sports groups. Having an exercise buddy will help you feel more accountable for showing up for your workouts.
4. Listen to Your Workout Playlist
Have you ever wondered why gym centers play music for their gym-goers? Even marathon events play music for participants. This is because music is a great distraction tool that helps people forget about the pain or exhaustion, they experience due to physical activities. But sometimes, it’s hard to stay motivated if you’re not listening to your favorite songs.
Thus, consider bringing your earbuds and cellphone and listening to your favorite jams when going to the gym. If you’re working out alone at home, you can use high-quality speakers instead. This’ll make your workouts more fun and encourage you to exercise regularly.
5. Reward Yourself
Each time you finish an exercise session, grab a few minutes just to pause, feel good, and be proud of yourself for what you’ve finished. Savor the positive effects and good feelings you got from your exercise. Those are internal rewards that’ll make you commit to your exercise routine for a long time.
Aside from internal rewards, external rewards will help you stay motivated, too. A couple of examples are buying a new set of workout clothes and treating yourself to a spa session.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to get back that enthusiasm you once had for exercising, it’s time to start moving! Establish your personal goals, find ways to make each session fun, work out with other people, and congratulate yourself for every success. And whenever you feel like quitting, look back on these tips so you can continue your journey toward health and fitness as soon as possible.