17 Ways to Keep Motivated as You Keep Getting Fit. We all want to feel fit and be healthy. What are some roadblocks we meet along the way to keep us from our objectives? Fitness and health look different to everyone. We all have different goals we want to meet to reach that level. Whatever poor exercise habits we have adapted overtime, there are ways to overcome them.
#1 Don’t Wait for the Feeling
Don’t wait until you feel like exercising. Even the most dedicated exercisers don’t always feel like rolling out of bed at 5:30 every morning.
All too often you want to wait for motivation, however the motivation arrives after you begin to exercise. The solution: Be your own motivation.
#2 Begin Again.
If you missed a workout, simply make a rational decision to begin again. Find a healthy routine that you enjoy and be conscientious and consistence in carrying it out.
#3 A Vision Board
Create a vision board of what your big picture is that you would like for an outcome.
#4 Small Changes
A healthy lifestyle is a marathon not a sprint. Life is a journey. If you have not been making healthy choices in the past, make simple changes now. Making a sudden change can be overwhelming. If you make small changes and are consistent with them, you will soon see results.
Exercise is Hard.
Being Unhealthy is Hard
Choose Your Hard.
#5 Be Flexible.
Life happens and things get in the way. Be flexible. If you can’t stop at the gym on the way home from work, keep a pair of running shoes in the car and go for a jog in the park. If you can’t do a full workout, spend 10 minutes at a time. Dance around the house, run up and down the stairs! Just keep moving!
#6 Invest in Exercise Clothes and a Water Bottle
Exercise clothes are an investment. Somehow, just putting them on signals that it is time to seriously put in your time. Buy something comfortable. A supportive pair of shoes and a good sports bra make all the difference in the world.
Make sure you stay hydrated as you exercise. The Elvira 32 oz. stainless steel water bottle is a wonderful, pretty little thing that will keep your water cold for up to 24 hours. It would be just the thing for you and a great gift for a friend.
#7 Lace Up Your Runners and Get Outside!
Put on Your exercise clothes, lace up those runners and go out the door. With the door shut behind you and the wind is on your face, you can find it easier to get moving.
#8 Schedule in Time to Exercise
You have a busy schedule, but you still can make time for exercise. Slot a time in your schedule to get in exercise that you can do and enjoy doing. Make a Time-Slot for Fitness.
#9 Do You Need More Sleep?
If you are truly getting too little sleep, try to change that. Sometimes you can cure it when you get out in the fresh air and get moving. Your energy will quickly return. Regular exercise helps you sleep well.
You are one workout from feeling amazing!
#10 Ways to Keep Motivated as You Keep Getting Fit.
If you feel that you are too fat, and have no muscles, that is an incredibly good reason to begin. There are many people who seemed “too far gone” yet somehow, they got the motivation to make a change.
Change can happen. I know of quite a few people at TOPS who have lost 100 pounds or more and now can walk for miles. I personally feel that the most motivation I have had is an inside vision and burning desire to stick to your plan until you achieve it.
When you challenge yourself, that is when you see results.
#11 Get a Good Playlist.
Exercise is hard, reward yourself with something pleasant to listen to as you run. I find it is much easier to go out for my daily activities if I have a good tempo music playing to keep me going.
#12 How to Exercise on a Budget
If you don’t have money for a gym membership, a few dollars will purchase a fitness app. You can workout at home or join a running club. MyFitnessPal is a good app; Nike app is also great, and it has tons of free workouts.
#13 HIIT
HIIT is the most effective exercise. Turn up the burn. High Energy Interval Training will get you moving and burn those calories! Even if you are not trying to lose weight, HIIT will put you in a better mood, lower your blood sugar, and more. You can add high intensity interval training to just about any workout like running, or swimming. Lunges, burpees, and squats are probably among the more popular bodyweight ones.
#14 You Are in Competition with Yourself
To stay motivated and stay fit it is best to ignore the comments of others. Do what you can do and do it to the best of your ability. You are in a race with yourself not everyone else. You want to create the best version of yourself.
#15 Project Your Vision
This goes along with a vision board. Make a mental image of where you want to be in 6 months, in one year. What would you like for your life to look like in 5 years from now. Now you need to imagine what kind of thoughts do you need to get you there. If you think like a healthy person, you are more likely to become healthy. As the saying goes, “As the mind goes, the man follows.”
#16 Make Your Health Your Business
Just as you take your 9 to 5 job seriously, so you need to take your health. There will come a time that you will retire, but you will always have your body to live with. You only have one body, so make it the best place that you can live!
#17 Making a Trade-Off.
If you have an injury, you do need to let them heal. Find a way to work around your injuries. Choose another exercise. Trade one exercise for another. Train another part of your body. Just stay as active as you can.
Work on your core, or your upper body or your legs. Under your doctor’s direction see what more you can do. Many times, determination helps you heal faster.
17 Ways to Keep Motivated as You Keep Getting Fit
You will find more ways to keep motivated as you keep getting fit! When you get out of breath and sweat, that is when change happens. Lace up your runners and go for it!
Put your runners on, go out the door and shut and lock it behind you. That alone should help get you in the mood for exercise.
The Benefits are Incredible – From Mental to Physical. Just Keep Active.
When you challenge yourself, that is when you see results.
As Nike says – Just Do It!
Please Leave a Comment!
17 Ways to Keep Motivated as You Keep Getting Fit are listed above. How do you see them for yourself? Have you used any of these in your life? What is the best motivation that works for you?
I would love to hear from you, my readers, as to what motivates you in life.
Disclaimer: If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. No content on this site should be substituted for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare practitioner. The information contained here is for informational purposes only. It is from my research and personal experience.
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Thank you for these helpful tips. I agree with you on this list; two years back I used to go to the gym to keep fit. But I could go once in a while because I was not that committed especially I could cease going after feeling some pain. I tried jogging which I am doing until today. I realized that exercise requires endurance.
Hi Gad, and thanks for stopping by with a comment. It is hard on your body and your psyche to be unhealthy, and it is hard to get out there and exercise. But the benefits of tying on those runners and getting out in the fresh air make it all worth the while. It is easy to make excuses, but I know from experience, when we put those excuses aside, the benefits are rewarding.
Hello there! This is a great article. Exercise is definitely an area where many people know they should be doing but often lack the motivation to start. These 17 ways you mentioned are all great ways to help bring one in the right direction. I forget how much difference it makes to just dress the part and even getting some accessories. I used to be bigger on HIIT but for me personally, I often get more hungry and end up eating more. But in general I do feel the increase in metabolism through more sweating (and hunger on that note). I guess mixing some of that with some lower intensity exercises will do wonders for me. Thanks for these tips!
Hi Mike, and thanks for stopping by with a comments. Some do, jokingly or otherwise, say they exercise, to build up an appetite for Dairy Queen! (self-defeating of course)
I find it helps to have a vision board, at least in your mind. If you have the broader picture as to what you want to accomplish, it is easier to build the habits to maintain your road toward fitness.
OMG, I think a higher power wanted me to find your article. I recently purchase a stationary bike because I can’t exercise as I once did. See, I was a victim of a hit and run, so it’s hard for me to be on my feet for too long. I was already a bit overweight before the accident, but I was still able to walk. Unfortunately, during my recovery period, I put on weight that is quite unhealthy. Your post has given me the motivation to keep moving regardless of my disability. Thank you so much for the excellent post.
Dear Moody, I am truly sorry to hear of your accident. It is amazing to see how people come through hard times and find a way to succeed. Being flexible is one key to try something different than what worked for us in the past. I pray you will find courage to continue as you heal and find a success in your new normal.
Great advice here, I can really relate to the “don’t wait for the feeling.” So many times I skip a workout because I feel like I’m magically going to wake up at 4am ready to hit the gym …. Then the reality hits. Also a good playlist and some great quality headphones are a must!
Hi Jerry, thanks for stopping by. I was working out every day until Covid hit. Now I re-read my own post and thought what good inspiration it is for me. I am over Covid now and “Don’t wait for the feeling” also gave me a lot to think about!. Music with a good tempo always helps as well! All the best!