Motivation to Workout

Ever have those days, or maybe even weeks, where you just can’t find the motivation to go from your desk, to your car, to the gym?  Or once you make it home from work you just can’t seem to muster the energy to lace up your running shoes to hit the pavement? Here are 5 tips to help you find the inspiration to get your workout in!

1. Visualize your Future Achievements

            Whether it’s crossing the finish line of your first triathlon, hitting a PR in a 5K, losing 30 pounds, or just fitting into your favorite pair of ‘skinny’ jeans, picture what that achievement will look like, how great you will feel, and the massive smile that will be on your face when you meet your goal.

2. Positive Self-Talk

            Ever tell yourself you are “too out of shape”, “too slow”, “too old”, or “this will never work” before a workout? Fight that negative self-talk with positive self-talk, focusing on your strengths, and remember, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”  Remind yourself that fitness is a journey; take it one day at a time, putting one foot in front of the other.

3. Focus on the Why

            Write specific, attainable goals, and post in a place which you will see every day, to encourage you to get your workout in. If you are lacking motivation prior to a workout, spend 5 minutes writing down why you workout and why you won’t give up. Remember, the secret to success is not will-power, but rather “want-power”. Choose to be active because you want to be!

4. Choose Activities you Enjoy

            There a multitude of ways to incorporate fitness into your life. If you don’t currently love your routine, mix it up! To allow you to look forward to your workout choose activities which you enjoy. Use your workout time for catching up with friends if you are a social butterfly or reserve the time as ‘me-time’ if you prefer a quieter workout.  

5. Look Around and Within

            Look for others who are working towards similar fitness goals. If you don’t find any friends or colleagues who have similar training goals and workout routines, check the internet, because chances are there is someone out there working toward similar goals. There are thousands of fitness blogs, along with sites such as DailyMile, DailyBurn, SparkPeople, and numerous others which allow you to record and track your workouts, while interacting and allowing others to see what you are doing.

            If outside sources of inspiration don’t fuel you, then look internally. Remember back to your last workout and how great you felt afterwards, whether you felt refreshed after a yoga class, completely spent after a high-intensity interval session, or energized after a lifting workout. Chances are, thanks to the release of endorphins, you felt better about yourself after the workout, then when you started! So whether its personal improvements or that drenched in sweat feeling, focus on how great you will feel and you will be out the door in no time!

Terrieha Romer is co-owner of RYP Performance, a company specializing in outdoor bootcamps, small group training, one-on-one personal training, program design, and athlete performance training. Terrieha has a Bachelors in Applied Physiology & Kinesiology, a Masters in Sports Medicine, and holds several nationally and internationally recognized fitness-related certifications. She is also a former Track & Field Coach and Strength & Conditioning Coach at the High School, Division I, and Division II levels, in addition to working with elite athletes as a volunteer at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.