10 Tricks To Help Motivate You To Exercise

We all know that exercise if good for our health, but often this isn’t enough to get us off the couch and down the gym. Most of us need extra incentives to spur us on. If you struggle to find the motivation to exercise, here are just ten tricks that could be worth trying.  

Set exercise goals

Many people find that having an exercise goal spurs them on. A lot of people make the mistake of choosing vague exercise goals such as wanting to lose weight or build muscle. To really motivate you, you’re better off creating tangible goals such as wanting to fit into a certain size of jeans or being able to lift a certain weight. Competitive events such as runs are also good goals to aim for.

Keep to a schedule

You should try to adopt a schedule in which you exercise at certain times on certain days. If you aim to exercise twice per week but don’t have scheduled times, you’re more likely to put off exercise. Try to find the best time to work out – this should be a time that suits your lifestyle. Some people find that they’re more raring to go in the mornings, whilst other people feel more motivated in the evenings. You may even be able to exercise on your lunch break at work.

Record your progress

Recording your progress can help to spur you on from week to week by allowing you to see how far away you are to your end goal. It can also allow you to see how far you’ve come. You can use apps to record your progress or you can start a diary. You can even share your progress as a blog or as social media posts.

Reward yourself

Rewarding yourself for exercising can also help to serve as a motivation. Plan a treat at the end of each workout – if you don’t exercise, you’re not allowed this treat. This could involve treating yourself to junk food, booking some spa treatment or even allowing yourself time to nap. Make sure that your reward doesn’t undo all your hard work – if you’re trying to lose weight, pigging out on junk food after may not be the best reward.

Buy the right kit

Investing in the right clothing and equipment could help to motivate you in the case of certain forms of exercise. If you’ve taken up running, for instance, buying some waterproof athletic gear could prevent you from putting off exercise when it’s raining (or you could buy a treadmill so that you can get in your running practice without having to go out in the rain).  Not everyone is spurred on by owning at equipment, in which case it could just be a waste of money. Focus on a kit that will make exercising more comfortable and not just gimmicks.

Get a workout buddy

A lot of people can benefit from the encouragement of someone else. A workout buddy could be ideal for providing this encouragement. This should be someone that’s ideally on the same fitness level and who wants to partake in the same exercise as you. If you don’t know anyone who is likely to want to exercise with you, another option could be to join a fitness class. Here, you will meet lots of like-minded people who can help to spur you on.

Get a personal trainer

Personal trainers can help you to find exercises catered to your exercise goals and your physical needs. You can usually find personal trainers at your local gym, but you may also be able to find them through social media. Rates are likely to vary and you may find that certain personal trainers specify in certain areas such as running, strength training or weight loss.

Listen to music

Many people listen to music as they exercise because it helps to set a rhythm, as well as serving as a distraction from the pain and exhaustion during a tough workout. Most people listen to music on headphones but you may be able to simply use speakers if you’re exercising at home. It’s worth creating your own playlist so that you’re always listening to tunes that you enjoy (although a workout could be used as a chance to discover new music too).

Take up a sport

Sports are great for combining exercise with a sense of competition and camraderie. Many sports such as basketball require you to train exercises such as how to increase a vertical jump, whilst games are workouts in themselves. This could be an alternative way of keeping fit if regular exercise doesn’t excite you.

Integrate exercise with other activities

You may also be able to combine exercise with other activities. For instance, you can combine exercise with many household chores such as hoovering and mopping. You may even be able to work out while you watch TV. This could be an ideal way of incorporating exercise into one’s day if you don’t have much free time.