Learn how to have a motivated workout and actually enjoy exercise with these 10 workout motivation tips.
I love exercise.
No serious, I LOVE working out. It makes me feel good. I love the concept behind moving my body and building strength. I love what exercise does for my mental and physical health.
Exercising is the most important source of my confidence and I have found nothing else that boosts it more. To me, working out is more than just completing a series of exercises. It’s an important step for an active lifestyle. It is something that I NEED to incorporate into my life.
However, it hasn’t always been like that.
My love for exercise came with a shift in my mindset.
Being involved in sports my whole life showed me how enjoyable exercise can be but it also showed me how miserable it can be when practiced the wrong way and how easy it is to slip into a state of inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle.
Unfortunately, many people view exercise as a tedious and energy draining task that has to be forced upon.
If that is you, keep reading because I have 10 amazing tips to help you get motivation and actually enjoy working out.
10 Tips to Actually Enjoy Working Out
1. Focus on the outcome
Ok so, maybe it’s hard to actually love performing heavy squats or making your arm tremble on your tenth push-up rep.
However, if you think about how good you will feel physically and mentally after complete the workout, it will be a lot easier to get up and get the gym session in.
You want to stop associating exercise with something you have to do and rather, think of it as something you get to do because it feels good on the body, boosts your mood, lowers anxiety and depression and cultivates feelings of happiness and satisfaction.
Therefore, if you focus on the outcome of exercise and how you feel post-workout, it will be a lot easier to want to workout.
2. Do what you LOVE
There are so many different form of exercise and there is not one that is the “best”.
If you want to start enjoying exercise, you have to find something that you actually enjoy doing. For example, if you hate running, don’t spend all your time on the treadmill.
Simple as that.
Luckily for you, there are so many other options that gives great results.
When you are creating your workout, include exercises that you like. If you are new to fitness, you might have to experiment with different exercises before you know which ones you like and dislike. However, if you are making a workout and don’t like lunges, don’t include them.
Cater your workouts to your own preferences. And when I say there are so many different forms of exercise, think outside of the gym too. You can join a recreational sport team, go swimming, try a spin class, etc.
The options are endless. You just have to find what you enjoy doing and your workout motivation will increase too.
3. Find a fitness buddy
Working out with other people can be a lot more fun and motivating than by yourself.
Find a fitness buddy to help keep you accountable and who you enjoy spending time with. Crush those fitness goals together!
Want to achieve your fitness goals? Explore these 3 Simple Steps to Create and Finally Achieve Your Fitness Goals
4. DON’T overdue it
Exercise can be an amazing for boosting the mood, increasing energy and productivity, and improving your ability to do your daily activities.
However, if you find yourself leaving the gym feeling physically exhausted and wiped out, that might be a sign that you are over-training.
It is natural to feel fatigue in your muscles and body, however, if you are feeling overly tired to the point that it interferes with daily activities, you may want to take it back during your gym sessions.
The key to consistent exercise isn’t about how hard or how long you go to the gym, it’s about simply getting there and moving your body. If you dread going to the gym, avoid the mindset that it’s all or nothing. That simply isn’t the case.
Going to the gym and walking on the treadmill for 15-minutes is still better than skipping it all together. This also takes some pressure off which makes everything more enjoyable and you will feel more workout motivation.
If you want a fast and easy workout, try The Best 15-Minute Yoga Workout: Sun Salutation Flow Series Guide
5. Consider your “why”
Your “why” is your purpose. Why do you want to exercise? Why is it important that you enjoy it?
Your why refers to your purpose.
If this case, the reason you exercise or workout.
Maybe it’s because you want to stay healthy, maybe it’s because it helps your confidence, maybe it’s because you have a special event coming up and want to look good. Whatever your reason and your why is for wanting to exercise is important to identify and remember.
Knowing your why makes you committed and PASSIONATE about your goals and life. With passion comes a lot more love and joy.
6. Treat yourself
Just like anything else in life, you should treat yourself after accomplishing something. When you have reached a milestone or made it through a tough week, don’t be afraid to treat yourself after.
Everyone likes treats. And everyone deserves to celebrate life.
When you treat yourself regularly, it becomes much more enjoyable to do challenging things.
If you just go to the gym, workout, and go on with your life every single day or week, that will feel boring and overdone.
However, if you get a message after a workout or grab coffee on the way home from the gym, it will feel more rewarding and exciting to exercise. Treat yourself, big or small, and you will feel more workout motivation and more joy.
7. Keep it fresh
Doing the same workout over and over again isn’t just boring, but it also holds you back from progressing as well.
Overtime your muscles adapt to the weight and exercises in your routine. When you do the same thing over and over again, you will start to see a plateau in your fitness gains and in your motivation.
You want to keep the same workout routine long enough to track your progress and progressive overload which is done by increasing your weight or reps each week. However, you don’t want to keep it too long where your body is already adapted.
Try to meet in the middle.
As a rule of thumb, you should switch your entire workout routine every 6-8 weeks and mix up a few different movements within your workout every 1-2 weeks.
This will keep things interesting but also allow you to see progress and stability.
8. Set small, attainable goal
When you are starting your fitness journey or trying to enjoy your time at the gym, setting goals can be a fun way to get workout motivation and encouragement.
However, it can also add a lot of pressure.
Instead of setting big, long-term goals, opt to set more small and attainable goals. These are goals that are challenging, yet can be achieved within 1-2 weeks.
This tends to take the pressure away from achieving these grand goals, and shifts your focus to living in the moment and going to the gym as a way to de-stress and move your body.
9. Listen to music or podcasts
This one may seem obvious, but putting on a pump-up playlist or listening to music or a podcast is a great way to make working out more enjoyable.
Put in some head phones, turn up the volume, and get your sweat on!
10. Do an exciting challenge
Doing the same thing over and over again is a quick way to get bored at the gym. Luckily, there are so many workout challenges all over the internet that you can try to spice up your gym routine.
To further explain, one of my goals this year is to complete a workout challenge. My favorite fitness influencer and personal trainer has a bunch of different 6-week challenges available through out the year. This is one example of an exciting challenge you can do.
Although the example above was a challenge that is over a month commitment, there are a bunch of single workout challenges too.
And there you have it! Working out is something I truly enjoy and hope to share that excitement with you! Let me know if you found any of these tips helpful and what you do to gain that workout motivation and enjoy your time at the gym.
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