Hi, welcome back to my blog!
Getting into shape and becoming healthier is something many of us want to do. Keeping the motivation to hit the gym week after week can be difficult sometimes. But don’t worry, because I’m here to help! This summer I worked really hard to get a fitness routine that works well for both my body and schedule. I’ve definitely lost motivation at times, but I’ve always pushed myself to get back into the swing of things. Here are 4 ways I stay motivated to work out!
1. TRY GROUP FITNESS
I can’t tell you enough how much I love the group fitness classed at my gym! The gym I go to uses Les Mills and Body Combat is my favorite class! This summer, I went twice a week to Body Combat with my mom, along with Yoga once a week. Going to a group fitness class is a great way to keep yourself motivated. For one, you never want to be that person to leave a class early, which will ensure that you stay the whole time and get your full workout in! Secondly, if you go regularly you’ll start to see the same people week after week and make connections with them. Having friends will make you more excited to go back to the gym for the next class! My mom and I got acquainted with the regulars at the Body Combat classes, so seeing some familiar faces always made the class more enjoyable!
2. BUY CUTE WORKOUT CLOTHES
Not much will motivate me more than getting new workout clothes. Whenever I buy new clothes in general, I always want to wear them as soon as I can. It’s the same for workout clothes! So, by buying new clothes to workout in, you’ll want to wear them and work out in them! This is a great thing to do if you need a little boost in motivation.
3. FALL IN LOVE WITH THE POST-WORKOUT ENDORPHINS
You don’t need to absolutely love running or cardio to want to do it. I’ll be honest with you, when I’m running or doing some form of cardio workout, I’m not having the best time of my life. However, what I do love is the feeling after I finish a workout. This summer I did BBG by Kayla Itsines and those workouts were hell. But the feeling when I finished each workout was addicting. Don’t get discouraged if you aren’t enjoying working out as much as you think you should. First, work towards focusing on the post-workout endorphins. I mean, they do make you happy!
Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t. – Elle Woods
4. HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE
You can do this a few different ways! My friend and I set up a joint Instagram account to post pictures from workouts to hold ourselves accountable. Snapping those #GymSelfies can be pretty beneficial. If you realize you haven’t posted in a while, that probably means you haven’t worked out in a while which will make you want to hit the gym (or home workout) and get back into things! If you’re not comfortable posting pictures, just snap some progress pics to keep to yourself and check in every few weeks. Another thing I started doing recently is tracking my workouts in a journal. Every month I set up a calendar and color in each day that I work out. Looking back on the month and seeing how many days you skipped working out allows you to reflect and reset for the next month!
If you’re having trouble gaining motivation to work out consistently, just take things one step at a time. You don’t need to (and won’t) become a fitness guru overnight. Just work towards building up your routine to something you can sustain long-term and you’ll get into the swing of things in no time!
Success and Self-Care 