5 Easy Ways To Stay Motivated To Exercise

Getting into an exercise routine can be tough, but we’ve got easy ways to stay motivated and reach your fitness goals--you'll be sweating in no time—no excuse needed!

Let’s get physical! Do you want to get physical but are finding it hard to stay upbeat about it? Don’t worry! A lot of people have those occasional moments of asking themselves “Do I really need to work out today?” So you’re not alone! To keep yourself motivated for your next workout session, here are a few tips and tricks that keep you going! 

1. You don’t need to work out every day
   Many people think in order to stay healthy, you need to devote at least 1 hour every day with a massive cardio intake for your workout, and if you don’t achieve this, then you aren’t working out properly. Well, we can say for certain that this isn’t true! Your body needs those crucial rest days for a reason. Rest days allow for your muscles to repair and recover their glycogen stores so that when you work out again, your muscles will be prepared to take on the next session! Not only are rest days good for your body and muscles, but they’re also good for your mind as well. Take time and explore what your focus will be for your next workout session during these times, meditate, or just take a breather and have some muscle recovery to help out with any soreness! Setting a schedule that works for your life, taking those rest days and understanding where to designate your energy for your workout sessions and what you’re comfortable with allows you to be able to really push yourself when you do work out!
   
   
2. Don’t be super restrictive about what you eat
   When many of us look at our food choices and are beginning a journey of wellness, we’re sometimes too quick to cut off a lot of cravings and pleasure foods. Feeling like you need to cut off all worldly pleasures while also ramping up your exercise game all at once can make you feel restricted while you’re maintaining a workout routine, but it’s all about balance! So, feeling a craving for a piece of that cake? Eat it! Remember that while healthy eating supports exercise, you can still indulge and eat good food while maintaining your health. Focus on whole foods that nourish you and make your body feel good, while also having the occasional treat! Maintaining a healthy medium between them makes your work out all that much sweeter, and to take full advantage of your work out when you’re in need of some extra energy, try some Pre-Workout!
   
   
   
3. Track positive achievements
   Every effort to better ourselves counts, even the smallest ones, actually especially the smallest ones because this is still definite growth! Did you just break your record of squats? Lift a new weight amount for your arm workouts or did a few extra seconds of cardio? That’s fantastic! Track all of your achievements, and celebrate! As they often say, Rome wasn’t built in a day, the same can be said about workouts and the goals you want to hit so your body can feel great during your workouts. Progress will happen slowly and when you see those building achievements, you deserve to celebrate all of those milestones during your workout journey.
   
   
4. Don’t compare yourself to others
   It’s easy to look at Fitspo models or bodybuilders on Instagram, and wonder why you’re not there yet! Fitness is an ongoing process and never ends; your journey is your own, and your progress is yours too! Make a regimen that works for your body and the goals that you’re trying to achieve, rather than comparing and trying to match pace with others because not only will working out lose the fun and feel-good element, but it may also unmotivate you when you set goals that you may not hit. Allow yourself to understand your body and its limits to gradually and safely work to extend and push beyond these limits and you’ll find great results in how you feel as your progress! The only comparison that you should be doing is between you now and you then, when you first started out! 
   
   
5. Make it fun!
   Remember during recess when we’d play tag, hopscotch or jump rope? Did they ever feel too taxing or boring? Nope! The reason why is that they were games, so you weren’t focused on making it through to the last mile or getting in those last few squats, you were just having fun as a kid! For some, working out becomes a numbers game, how many reps, how many minutes or seconds, etc. It’s very easy to get lost in the monotony of counting in your head, especially when you’re low on motivation and you’re finding it hard to get through your reps. There’s nothing wrong with changing it up and making it fun! There are tons of ways to make working out a fun habit that you want to do rather than an activity that you need to do. Find a sport or activity that you love, listen to your favourite tunes, or gym it out with friends for extra encouragement! When your mind isn’t focused on hitting certain goals and you’re freely enjoying what you’re doing, you’ll find that you can get through your cardio or workout easily!

We really hope that these tips will help you on your next workout session or when you’re feeling the pre-workout blues. It’s totally okay to have the occasional bumps in the road while you’re going through your fitness and wellness journey. Just remember to take those rest days and recuperate, and never stop having fun along the way!