Extra weight isn’t going to just fall off while you’re sitting in front of the television, and your pecks aren’t going to get any firmer unless you put in the work. No matter how bad you want to get fit, lacing up those sneakers and hitting the gym isn’t always as easy as it seems. While it can certainly be challenging, finding workout motivation is important if you want to see your fitness goals come to life.
Finding Workout Motivation
Do it for the right reason. Whether you are wearing a bikini, a sundress or a three-piece suit, you want to be happy with the reflection looking back at you in the mirror. Sadly though, starting an exercise program simply because you want to look better isn’t going to motivate you much. Think about what else you want to accomplish through fitness besides looking good. Do you want to lower your blood pressure? Have more energy for the family? Keep your diabetes from leading to neuropathy or blindness? Having a goal other than “looking good” will give you more workout motivation. Once you figure out your reason, ask yourself WHY until you get down deep into what motivates you.
Be sensible about your goals. Setting goals is a good thing as long as they are achievable. Saying you’re going to lose 50 pounds in one week is not only nuts, it’s completely unrealistic. When you set goals that are too high, and fail to achieve them week after week, it can act as motivation kryptonite. You want to keep your goals challenging, but attainable. For instance, setting a goal to drop two pounds per week, or walk four miles per week on the treadmill is more in line with something you can realistically do without passing out.
Let go of the guilt. At some point, we all lose focus and eat a few too many fries or skip an exercise session . . . or three. Hey, nobody’s perfect. If you intend to hold yourself to the standard of perfection, you might as well hang up your gym shoes now. While you should do everything you can to keep setbacks to a minimum, don’t beat yourself up when they happen. Wallowing in guilt is not going to get you any closer to your fitness goals. It will instead, become an excuse for you give up. If you fall off track, get up, dust yourself off and keep it moving.
Don’t worry about what others are doing. As long as you live, there will always be someone fitter, healthier or more muscular than you are. If you spend all of your time at the gym comparing yourself to others, you’ll get discouraged and lose your workout motivation. Instead of worrying about how much iron the person next to you is pumping, focus on your own progress.
After tackling all the responsibilities of life, finding the motivation to go to the gym is not always easy. When you exercise for something other than appearance, set reasonable goals, accept setbacks as part of the process and focus on yourself, you can keep your workout motivation alive, so you can achieve your fitness goals.
