Happy Friday! If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that fitness is super important to me and a big part of my life. I try and work out 5-6 days a week, for a lot of reasons. I genuinely enjoy working out and being active makes me feel so much better about myself, relieves stress, helps me sleep better, and is obviously just great for your overall health and wellness.
But, we’ve all been through seasons (or, are in a season) where we lose motivation and showing up at the gym is the last thing we want to do. Several of you have sent messages asking me for tips to staying motivated with working out…so, today I want to share with y’all some simple but effective tips to staying motivated with your fitness.
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1. Set reasonable and attainable goals
If you haven’t been to the gym in a month and just can’t bring yourself to work out…start by setting a reasonable goal for yourself next week. Ie: ‘this week I’m going to do something active for 30 minutes, 3 days this week’, or ‘this week I’m going to go to the gym 3 times after work’. If you’ve taken a long hiatus from working out (or maybe you’ve never consistently worked out!), starting off with something reasonable is key. I would encourage you not to say ‘this week I’m going to work out an hour a day for 6 days out of the week’, because you are likely to not achieve that goal and then just give up all together. Set a goal that has a specific number of days, and then try and make a plan of what you’re going to do: ie, go to the gym, go on a walk with a friend, go to a spin class, etc. The more specific your goals are for the week, the better
2. Remember the ‘why’
Remind yourself why you are working out, or wanting to be more active…and I would encourage you to write those reasons down! It can be so tempting after work to say ‘screw it I’m getting a mambo taxi and eating queso’ vs going to the gym…but if you remember ‘oh wait, I want to look and feel my best for my beach trip coming up’ or ‘I really do have so much more energy when I work out and I need that right now’, it’s so much more motivating to go to the gym (and then, queso later!). For me, some of my ‘why’s’ with working out are: I have more energy, I feel better about myself, my clothes fit better, I love being outside, running/working out relieves stress…these are a few reasons that keep me motivated to stay activated.
3. Do something you enjoy
If your goal was to work out 3 days a week next week, make it as fun for yourself as possible. If you despise running, don’t force yourself to go run 3 days next week. If you’re more of a group fitness person, go to a spin class or a yoga class at your gym. If you’re the social type with working out, call a girlfriend and ask her to go walk around the lake with you. If you have a show you’re really into, bring your iPad to the gym and watch Netflix on the elliptical or stair master! If you love being outdoors, take your dog for a run / walk (yes, you can do both! you don’t have to run the whole time!), around your favorite park. I recently joined Corepower yoga and have been SO surprised at how much I LOVE it. I look forward to going every day! There are SO many different ways to stay active, so make sure you pick something that you enjoy (or at least something you can tolerate!). You are much more likely to stick with your goals that way.
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4. Write your goals down / tell a friend
I’m a big believer in writing things down (obviously). I think if you get something in writing, it’s MUCH more likely to actually happen…especially if you take it a step farther and tell someone to hold you accountable! Set a goal for the month of March – for example, ‘I’m going to work out at least 3 days a week, every week in March’, and then I would encourage you to tell your sister or a girlfriend ‘hey, I’m really trying to stay more active and take care of my body. here’s my goals: will you ask me about them occasionally or help hold me accountable?’ OR even ask that same friend to join you at the gym once a week or go to a spin class with you! But, get those goals in writing, and then put the note somewhere you will see it all the time – on your mirror or the dash of your car or your computer at work.
5. Never underestimate the power of new clothes
As simple or silly as this might sound…having cute workout clothes motivates me SO much! If I have a new workout outfit, I can’t wait to wear it to the gym or a yoga class! Some of my favorite places to shop for workout clothes: carbon38, lululemon, nordstrom. Workout clothes are seriously my weakness. It’s also a good idea to make this a reward if you meet your goal! For example, if you meet your goal in March to work out 3 days a week every week…reward yourself with a new pair of kicks or really cool leggings!
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Outfit details: Open back tank (also available here) | Strappy sports bra (also available here) | Mesh leggings | Leather tote | Nike free RN tennis shoes (come in tons of colors!) | Sunglasses
Hope these tips to staying motivated help y’all out of any rut you might be in with working out! Or even if you’re not in a rut, maybe these tips to staying motivated will encourage you to set even higher goals for yourself! Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help y’all meet your fitness goals or make it easier for you to get moving! Have a great weekend!
xo Lauren
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