Keeping Up Your Motivation

The hardest part of exercise is not lifting weights or running. It's finding the will to do it in 
the first place. Plenty of people find themselves slipping away from their exercise 
routine because they have trouble maintaining motivation. If you want to be able to stick 
to an exercise habit, these tips will help you to keep motivation up. 

 
Do What You Like 
 
The beauty of exercise is that it covers so many activities. Some people might get 
exercise by running laps. Others might get it by lifting weights or shooting hoops. If 
there's a way you can work your body in a way that benefits you, that's all you need. 
Work on developing motivation by starting off with activities you already get enjoyment 
out of. For more difficult tasks, try to see how you can make them more enjoyable.  

 
Make It a Habit 
 
The easiest way to turn an activity into a habit is to do it every day. It's one thing to 
promise to yourself that you'll exercise every day, but you have to take measures to 
make sure you can stick to it. Bring your gym clothes with you to work so that you can 
easily change into them. Fight back against any urge to skip out on exercising when you 
don't have any reason not to go. The more you can stick to your exercise, the easier it 
will be to make it into a habit.  

 
Get an Exercise Buddy 
 
Some people enjoy exercising by themselves. They like how the solitude lets them clear 
their mind and focus on their exercise. However, if you're particularly social, you may 
have a better time exercising with a partner. You can enjoy their company and work to 
motivate one another. If you're having trouble with a certain exercise, a partner can 
show you how to make it easier on you or give you the encouragement needed to pull 
through.  

 
Find Joy in It 
 
Exercise shouldn't be viewed as something you have to do. The idea of viewing 
anything that does our minds so much good as a punishment is absurd. Learn to 
develop a positive relationship with exercise by thinking of it as something you "get" to 
do. To have the ability and time to enjoy exercise is something that should never be 
taken for granted. To keep your motivation up, learn to smile at the sound of the word 
"exercise" and any similar terminology. 

 
Track Your Progress 
 
Exercise can get frustrating when it feels like you're not making any progress. However, 
every workout you complete is another step forward. In order to make your progress 
feel more apparent, you need to keep a log. At the end of a workout, write down what 
you were able to get done. Even if your accomplishment is being able to run a bit further 
than you could the day before, it's still a sign of progress. 
 
So many have trouble with exercise motivation because they see the negatives of 
exercise far more than the positives. If you want to find the motivation to exercise, you 
need to have an upbeat perspective on it. Only then can you make exercise into 
something that you actively crave.


