5 Tips for Finding Motivation to Exercise

I don't know about you, but whenever I slow down with my exercise routine, I end up falling into a slump. I get lazy. Actually, it’s been fairly easy to get some exercise in lately because I’m spending some time in sunny Florida, but I’m heading back to New York next week and dreading the weather (but looking forward to seeing the fam again, of course). No more long walks in the sunshine. Sigh. Time to find some motivation.

Here are the tips that usually help me out when I’m lacking motivation:

1. Make it as easy as possible to get up and go. When the weather is nice, I try to go jogging every other morning, but occasionally I slip up. I set out all my workout clothes and accessories at the foot of my bed, ready to go. Everything is just one step, so there is no need to get overwhelmed. I can put on my jogging clothes and leave without spending time to procrastinate. The clothes are out where I can see them.

2. Get somebody to work out with you. Having an exercise buddy will put some healthy pressure on you to continue working out. An exercise buddy will also give you some friendly competition.

3. Reward yourself. I set a reward for myself every week. For example, if I work out every other day this week I will go to the movies with a friend on Sunday. If I don’t exercise, I will be watching television alone. The reward can be an activity or a free day away from dieting. There are plenty of ways to reward yourself to keep yourself working out.

4. Make working out fun rather than boring. Do a workout that you really like doing. If you like working out with the Xbox Kinect, you should keep doing that. If you don’t like going to the gym every day, cancel your account and start running. Join an athletic team at school or with friends from work. You will never be motivated to do something you hate, no matter how you reward yourself.

5. Use social networking sites. Tell people about your goals and all you plan to do to achieve them. People might be encouraging or they might provide some powerful motivation.

The truth is, anyone can make excuses. It takes a bigger person to make time. It doesn’t matter what you do for a living. You could be a busy doctor or a part-time administrative assistant; you can make time for exercise. All you have to do is make it a priority in your life.