Increase Your Motivation with These 8 Tips

Whether you are motivated by improving your aesthetics, overall health or the ability to perform daily activities, it’s important to hone in on what drives you to make your workout a priority.  Listed below are eight tips to help increase your motivation to start your New Year off strong so you can reach your health and fitness goals.

8 Tips for Increasing your Motivation 

1. Pep yourself up. Sometimes people skip the gym because they experience low self-esteem and are afraid of failing at their workout.  The truth is, telling yourself that “you can do this” or “you will work out today” is all you need to do.
2. Focus on right now. It can be difficult to look up to the summit of the mountain when you are on the bottom only to realize your trek upwards will take a long time.  Rather than looking at the end point when you start, focus on what you can control and take it one day at a time.  Focus on what you will do today rather than what is ahead of you tomorrow and the day after that.  All the pieces will fall into place if you are able to focus on today.
3. Take small steps. Taking small steps will help increase your chances of success as well as your confidence and self-efficacy.  If you try to do too much at once, however, you have a greater risk of failing, which can leave you feeling defeated and take a toll on your self-esteem.
4. Think about past accomplishments. When we think about the tasks we need to complete or obstacles we need to overcome in the future, it can make us feel anxious.  Instead of thinking about the future, envision a previous workout accomplishment and how you felt completing it, then use those positive memories to help motivate you.
5. Learn how to enjoy your workouts. Too many people dread the idea of completing a challenging workout.  Rather than giving in to this negative mentality, consider being grateful for your health and the ability to perform these exercises so you can look forward to and enjoy the challenge.
6. Go with a buddy. When people feel a sense of community and camaraderie, they can be more motivated to continue with their fitness program, so invite a friend next time you hit the gym. Many places offer group personal training so you can work out with your friend while getting professional direction from a personal trainer.
7. Mix it up. Adding variety to your workouts can be a great motivator and help prevent boredom and burnout. For example, instead of doing steady-state cardio three days a week, consider doing a mixed interval training or plyometrics workout to target the entire body.  Switching up your cardio workouts will not only prevent monotony, it will challenge your body in new ways to further improve your fitness.
8. Reward yourself. Finding a small, but fun way to reward yourself for small, medium, and large goals is a great way to keep yourself motivated.  Every time you reach a goal, reward yourself with new fitness gear, fitness trackers, or even a sweet treat.

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