5 Tips for Workout Motivation

5 Tips for Workout Motivation

If coming up with new excuses to not exercise actually burned calories, we would all be fitness models by now. Most of our excuses center around not having enough time, being too tired, having way too many pressing priorities, or not thinking we’ll see any change. All that negative self-talk can actually make us more tired and give us less motivation to work out. Even though many of us probably feel overwhelmed by the thought of trying to fit a regular fitness regimen into our already busy schedules, we need to remember that fitness can actually help our brains and bodies function better. To get you on your feet, here are five tips for workout motivation.

1. Get Some Sleep

Getting enough rest is critical to providing the necessary energy we need to work out. It’s also important to note that fitness and sleep go hand in hand—working out regularly helps you sleep better and sleeping better can motivate you to work out. While sleep repairs your body, conserves energy and gives your body time to recover, regular physical activity helps regulate your sleep cycle and produces adenosine, a chemical in your brain that helps you fall asleep.

2. Go for Shorter, High-Intensity Workouts

Many people mistakenly believe that they have to spend hours upon hours working out each week to see any real change in weight or strength. If you are new to fitness or haven’t worked out in a long time, working out too hard or too often can derail your health and fitness goals. A harsh fitness regimen may also produce too much cortisol in your body, the stress hormone that can slow down metabolism when the body produces too much of it.

Consider working out for shorter periods of time at more frequent intervals. Workouts of 15–30 minutes several times a week are much more effective than one-hour workouts two to three times a week. Try high-intensity interval training classes (HIIT), intense cardio workouts, and free weight regimens—these activities are designed to get a lot of work done in a short amount of time.

3. Keep It Simple

Simple activities are the best form of exercise. Think about the activities and chores you already do and the objects you interact within your home. If you don’t feel like buying an expensive set of hand weights, fill up a recycled milk container with sand or water and use that for resistance instead. Other chores like gardening, mowing your lawn, raking leaves, shoveling snow, cleaning the garage, repairing appliances, and walking the dog can be used to help you move more.

4. Add Variance to Your Workout Routine

Not everyone enjoys walking on a treadmill or swimming laps every day of the week. It’s important to find an exercise that stimulates you as a person and helps you grow. There are many different forms of exercise that require a person to utilize their cognitive abilities. For example, dance and Martial Arts have measurable effects on reducing dementia and Alzheimer’s later in life while sports like tennis, baseball, and golf utilize strategy and eye-hand coordination. Additionally, team sports like soccer and lacrosse require teamwork and cooperation. Participating in sports and activities can focus our efforts, giving our fitness regimen more of an objective. It helps us feel part of something greater than ourselves, which can also be a motivating factor to work out.

5. Invest and Commit

I was once given a tip for keeping myself awake while driving: hold a 10-dollar bill out the window while you drive. While I’m not certain this is a good idea, the principle of the advice is sound. When we have “skin in the game,” we often honor our commitments because we have something to lose if we don’t. Sign up for a workout class, gym membership, or team sport to hold yourself accountable for exercising more.

Guest Contributer: