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31 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Exercise
80 percent of success is showing up.” - Woody Allen
How do you find motivation to exercise when you just don’t feel like
getting off your butt? I ask myself this question every now and then, and
I have the feeling I’m not the only one.
A few weeks ago, I wrote 4 Simple Steps to Start the Exercise Habit …
and the fourth and final step was to add motivation as needed until the
habit sticks. This post is to help you with that fourth step.
There are a million ways to motivate yourself to exercise, actually,
but these are a few that have worked for me. And trust me, I’ve had days
when I’ve struggled with exercise. Most recently, the things that have
helped include finding a workout partner (one of the best motivators!),
logging my exercise, reading magazines, books and websites, and rewarding
myself.
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How you feel after a workout. I
always feel great after a good workout. It’s a high. And I let that
motivate me the next time: “You know how good you’re going to
feel, Leo!”
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Time for you. While many people make
time to take care of others (kids, spouse, other family, co-workers,
boss), they don’t often make time to take care of themselves.
Instead, make your “you” time a priority, and don’t miss that
exercise appointment.
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Calories burned. If you count
calories (and it’s really one of the most effective ways to lose
weight), you know that the more you exercise, the more calories you
burn — and the bigger your calorie deficit.
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Having fun. Exercise should be fun.
If it isn’t, try a different kind of activity that you enjoy. As
long as you’re moving, it’s good for you.
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How you’re going to look. Imagine a
slimmer, fitter you. Now let that visualization drive you.
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Magazines. It motivates me to read
fitness magazines. Not sure why, but it works.
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Cover models. Sure, they’re
genetically freaky, and probably Photoshopped to look perfect. But for
some reason, looking at how good a cover model looks helps motivate me
to work harder.
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Blogs. I enjoy reading blogs about
people who are into running, or losing weight. It can show the ups and
downs they go through, and you can learn from their experiences.
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Success stories. I find the success
stories of others incredibly inspirational. If a fitness website has
success stories, I’ll almost always read them.
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Forums. Do the monthly challenge on
the Zen Habits forums, or join another forum full of like-minded or
like-goaled peopled. Check in daily. It really helps.
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Rewards. If you exercise for a few
days, give yourself a reward! A week? Another reward. Do it often in
the beginning.
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Fitting into new clothes. Wanna look
good in a smaller size? Work out!
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Being attractive. That’s always a
good motivator, as I’m sure we all know. Edited to correct
language.
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Adrenaline rush. I get a rush when I
exercise. Ride that rush to complete the workout.
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Stress relief. Wound up after a long
day at the office? Get out and work off that stress. It makes a world
of difference.
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Time for contemplation. I love, love
the quiet time of exercise for thinking about things. Most of this
post was written in my head as I exercised.
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A workout partner. Best thing I’ve
done.
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An exercise class. Sign up for a
class, perhaps with a friend, and you’ll be motivated to get there
and work out.
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A coach or trainer. Worth the money,
just for the motivation.
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An exercise log/graph. For some
reason, writing it down is extremely important. Really. Do it for a
week and you’ll see what I mean.
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Your before picture. You often
don’t realize how far you’ve come. Take pictures.
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A 5K race or triathlon. Just sign up
for one, and you’ll be motivated to train.
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The dread of feeling “yuck” from not
exercising. I hate how I feel after not exercising. So I
remind myself of that when I feel tired.
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Living long enough to see your grandkids …
and play with them.
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The scale. It’s not motivating to
weigh yourself every day, as your weight fluctuates. But if you weigh
yourself once a week, you’ll be motivated to have it keep going
down, instead of up. Combine the scale with the measuring tape, and
measure your waist.
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Reaching a goal. Set a goal for
weight, or your waist measurement, or a number of days to work out, or
a number of miles to run this week. Setting and tracking a goal helps
motivate you to complete that goal. Make it easily achievable.
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Posting it on your blog. Tell people
you’re going to lose weight or exercise daily, and report to them.
You’ll make it happen.
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Motivational quotes. I like to print
them out or put them on my computer desktop.
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Books. I just bought a
strength-training book as a reward. It makes me want to hit the
weights!
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Others commenting on how good you look.
When someone notices the changes in your body, it feels good. And it
makes you want to work out more.
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An upcoming day at the beach, or a reunion.
Nuff said.
What are your motivations?
ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE EMAIL THE MODERATORS
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