How to motivate yourself to workout

The secrets to getting things done 

Do you know what the toughest part of staying fit is? No, it’s not finding a gym – they are a dime a dozen or knowing what type of exercises to do. The best way to add longevity to your life and stay fit is to discover the mental push you need to get yourself going. In other words, how you motivate yourself to do anything.

Not many of us want to get up at 6:00 am to exercise. Just the thought of it make some people go UGH !  And although our bodies were made to move, no one wants to do any kind of physical activity. . .  unless it’s running for the bus every morning or evening.

To get anything done, and especially starting and maintaining a proper fitness program, we have to get moving.

There are no secrets to motivate yourself — just practical steps to follow . . .

1. You must set goals. Set long-term goals and achieve them by setting shorter ones. For example, you may want to learn a new language within the next 12 months. This is your long-term goal. To get this done you will set aside one hour each day to learn idiomatic expressions such as ‘I don’t know’ or ‘what time is it’. You will need to learn subjects and verbs. By consistently practicing and accomplishing these short goals you will meet your goal of proficiency at the end of one year. Set similar goals for your health such as running a 5 K in six months or adding twenty-five pounds to your bench press in . . .
2. Make a daily schedule of your activities – all the things you do after waking in the mornings and before you to bed. Be consistent and do this for 10 days. This will give you a clear picture of how your time is spent each day. It will also give you a time slot as to when you can pencil 30 to 45 minutes to do your exercise routines. It would be great to get all your workout done at one time however you can break up your time in ten and fifteen-minute time segments.
3. Get a friend on board with you. This was one of the best moves I made when I started my fitness journey. Many times, I just didn’t feel like working out, but with the encouragement from a couple of friends, who were also beginners, I was able to stick out the difficult periods and gain momentum. ***
4. Picture yourself five years from now if you continue on your current path by being sedentary. You will more than likely gain excess weight, develop pre-diabetes, have problems with posture and balance, have respiratory issues, relationship problems, low self-esteem and a host of other debilitating issues.
5. Answer the question . . . ‘Why do I need to get healthy?’ Develop a ‘big why’? Remember you chose to be in the condition you are in right now.
6. Checkups. Have you had a health scare recently or have you been body shamed? Use that as an incentive to get moving again.
7. Think of how good you will feel once you finish your workout for the day. You may be surprise at how little time it takes to get your exercise routine done. Once you are done you will feel great . . . that you are one step closer to accomplishing your goal.
8. Document your progress by taking periodic pictures of your body. It gives you a positive feeling when you see the progress being made. And it doesn’t take a long time.
9. Join a virtual exercise class such as  dietbet.com for extra motivation and bet on your success. It’s a type of accountability class where you bet on yourself to lose weight and even earn money during the process.
10. You must have faith and hope that what you are doing to stay fit now will pay dividends in the future. Belief and visualization or imagery does work. Many athletes used this for motivation. Visualize yourself reaching or completing your goals. If you want a narrower waist then picture your waist getting smaller each time you work out.
11. Do you have loved ones you care for? If you do – then why not stay healthy so you can spend more time with them.

*** Although incorporating friends to help is a positive move, it’s ultimately up to you to get moving. You should not become totally dependent on others. Take responsibility for your health; no one else will.