How to Motivate Yourself to Workout: Proven Exercise Motivation Tips

For over two decades, I’ve been guiding women in their fitness journeys online. A critical part of this journey involves understanding how to make yourself workout, especially when motivation is low. It’s not just about reaching the finish line; it’s about appreciating and focusing on the starting line. Stringing wins together to create consistency and winning in the long game.

Start Small: Embrace the Starting Line

When considering how to motivate yourself to workout, it’s crucial to start small. Whether it’s a 5-minute stretch or a brisk walk, the key is to make that first step so effortless that you can’t say no. Start from the absolute basics and begin to string wins together. Once you see that you can do this, it’s much easier to add on and do longer more challenging workouts.

Exercise Motivation Prepare The Night Before Your Workout

Prepare the Night Before: A Simple Trick for Exercise Motivation

A practical exercise motivation tip is to prepare for your workout the night before. Plan your activity, where you’re going to workout, what you’re going to do, how long it’s going to take, etc. Lay out your workout clothes, set up your yoga mat, lay out your workout equipment, etc. This preparation mentally gears you up for the next day’s activities, takes out the setup work each of which makes it easier to get started.

Set Realistic Goals: Achievable Exercise Motivation

Setting realistic and achievable goals is vital. For example: Don’t aim to run an 8-minute mile immediately; start with a 10-minute daily walk. Gradually increase your time and pace, making your exercise regimen more challenging and rewarding. Eventually, your endurance and strength will build naturally allowing you to start to go for harder and harder goals.

Incorporate Easy Movements: Low Energy Exercise Tips

Understanding how to motivate yourself to workout when feeling low is essential. On such days, opt for gentle exercises like yoga, walking, or brisk household chores. Push mow the lawn, do outdoor yard cleanup with a weight vest. Any added movement to your normal routine, no matter how light, can boost your mood and energy.

Create a Routine: Consistency Over Perfection

For lasting exercise motivation, focus on creating a consistent routine. By incorporating physical activity into your daily life, it becomes a habit rather than a chore. Set up days of the week when you workout. Put them on your calendar. Don’t allow other distractions to keep you from your workouts. Treat them like any other important appointment…because THEY ARE.

Exercise Motivation - Buddy Up - Get a Workout Partner

Buddy Up: Enhance Your Workout Motivation

Having a workout buddy can significantly boost your motivation, especially on those cold, lazy mornings. A fitness friend committed to a similar schedule can be a great motivational asset. Accountability partners are key to winning in the long term. It’s why many of my online personal training clients tout such success. I’m with them every step of the way. They have someone to answer to when they don’t want to go to the gym, do their cardio, etc.

Give Yourself Some Grace: Understanding Your Needs

Recognizing when to push and when to give yourself a break is part of learning how to make yourself workout. If you’re low on energy, opt for restorative activities like deep breathing or meditation. Don’t make excuses, but for example, if you’re sick…you probably don’t need to head to the gym. Instead, do a mindfulness meditation or a deep breathing exercise. This way, you’re not skipping a workout, but simply replacing it with a lower impact activity that is more appropriate for where you’re at physically/mentally.

Hydrate Your Morning: A Simple Motivation Hack

An easy yet effective motivation tip is to start your day with a glass of water. It kickstarts your metabolism and wakes you up naturally, setting a positive tone for your day. My husband has a hack to motivate him to get his day started with a 16 oz glass of cold water. When he fills up his espresso maker with water, he also fills up his morning glass for water. While his espresso is brewing, he drinks his 16 oz. He makes a game of it to drink it before the shot of espresso is done brewing. Gamifying and creating habits that stack with others you’re already doing is a simple hack that can net big motivation wins.

The Two-Minute Rule: Overcoming the Hardest Part

If starting is a challenge, apply the two-minute rule. Commit to just two minutes of the activity, giving yourself the option to stop. Often, this is enough to build momentum and continue. My husband likes to say “Sometimes you have to get into it to GET INTO IT” and he’s right. By the time you start something, you’ve already overcome the hardest part – starting. Often times I’ll set out to do a 15 minute ride on my Peloton, only to find that by the time the cool down starts, I’m not ready to be done. I’ll add a cool down ride or low impact ride just to take advantage of my new found motivation. Getting into it is often all you need.

Seek Professional Guidance: Tailored Exercise Motivation

For tailored advice and goal setting, consider consulting with a fitness professional. As an Online Fitness and Nutrition Coach, I specialize in helping women find their motivation and craft a personalized fitness plan. I help my clients overcome fears of working out, craft plans that work around certain injuries or limitations, write plans that help gamify fitness and make it more fun. Professionals can be your go-to for taking away the guess work. That lack of motivation is often coupled with not knowing what to do. Having someone you can trust to share your goals with and help create a plan to achieve them is key in these situations.

Weaving Fitness into Life

By focusing on small, manageable steps and integrating physical activity into your daily routine, you turn exercise into a sustainable habit. It’s not just about how to motivate yourself to workout; it’s about celebrating what your body can do and enjoying the journey from the starting line. The people you see who seem to “have it all figured out” and that appear to have been into fitness their whole lives likely just figured out how to live a fitness lifestyle one step at a time, but KEPT AT IT. You can be that person too…it’s about playing for the long game and building on each habit as they come. You CAN do this. You CAN be motivated to workout.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fitness and Exercise Motivation

1. How Can I Find Motivation to Exercise Daily?

Finding daily exercise motivation often involves setting small, achievable goals. Start with manageable activities like a 10-minute walk or a short yoga session. Creating a routine and sticking to it can gradually build this into a habit. Also, remember to reward yourself for your efforts, as positive reinforcement can be a powerful motivator.

2. What Should I Do When I Have No Motivation to Workout?

When you’re struggling with motivation, focus on the ‘why’ behind your fitness goals. Remind yourself of the benefits, like improved health and mood. Sometimes, simply starting with something small, like a brisk walk or a few stretches, can help ignite your motivation. Additionally, changing your workout routine or environment can provide a fresh perspective and renewed interest.
Sometimes just starting a workout with the intention of it being short can be enough for you to say, “Fine, I’ll just do a 5 minute brisk jog” and many times, that will lead to sticking with it a little longer since you’re over the hard part – getting started.

3. How Do I Stay Motivated to Workout When Depressed?

Exercising while dealing with depression can be challenging. It’s important to set realistic expectations and acknowledge that some days will be harder than others. Gentle, low-impact activities like walking or yoga can be less daunting. Also, consider seeking support from friends, family, a fitness community, an online personal trainer or even a mental health professional. Remember, exercise can be a powerful tool in managing depression, as it releases endorphins that boost mood.

4. Can Exercise Help Improve Mental Health and Motivation?

Absolutely! Regular exercise has been shown to have a significant positive impact on mental health. It can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, improve mood, and enhance overall well-being. The endorphins released during exercise act as natural mood lifters. Consistent exercise can also improve sleep quality, which is closely linked to mental health.

5. What Are Some Quick Tips to Boost My Workout Motivation?

Quick tips to boost workout motivation include setting clear, achievable goals, working out with a friend for added accountability, listening to motivational music, and varying your workout routines to keep things interesting. Also, keeping track of your progress can be incredibly motivating as you see the results of your efforts.

6. How Important Is It to Set Fitness Goals for Motivation?

Setting fitness goals is crucial for motivation. Goals provide direction and purpose, making your fitness journey more structured and meaningful. It’s important that these goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Whether it’s improving strength, losing weight, or running a certain distance, having clear goals can significantly increase your motivation to stick to your exercise routine.