Working out isn't always fun, and sometimes it can be difficult to motivate yourself. Skipping a day doesn't feel like a harmful act - especially since you know that no single workout session will produce a measurable result. A consistent workout routine can help to make you happier, healthier and more attractive - but you have to remain motivated. If you regularly skip workouts, the results may take a long time to manifest themselves - if you see results at all. Are you ready to change your life? Are you in it for the long haul? These seven tips will help you maintain a high level of motivation and keep your workout routine on track.
1. Track Your Progress
One of the best ways to keep your motivation level high during any fitness routine is to track everything about your progress that you possibly can. Tracking your weight alone may be a poor motivator because weight changes slowly - so track your body's changes in other ways. Track your body fat percentage or changes in your body's measurements. Track your athletic performance as well. If you run, track your longest distance - and try to break your record. If you lift weights, reward yourself each time you increase the difficulty of your program.
You can also track your fitness progress visually. Start an Instagram account, and share a picture of yourself each week. Many people look to social media services such as Instagram for inspiration - and you'll probably gain followers quickly. Their positive feedback will motivate you to continue working hard.
2. Update Your Wardrobe
Has your body changed for the better since you began your workout routine? Why are you still wearing your old workout clothes? Update your wardrobe with some workout clothes from a company such as Fabletics, and highlight your new body. Nothing is a more powerful motivator than all of the extra attention that results from an effective workout routine. Each time you buy a new set of workout clothes, throw out an old set. You don't need those clothes any more.
3. Organize Your Life
Making the decision to lose weight and improve your level of fitness says something about who you are. It says that you value hard work and are willing to commit to a program that will take some time to produce results. Most people who gain weight during the holiday season, for example, never lose it - your level of commitment makes you different. Use that commitment as a springboard toward revamping the rest of your life. Clean out your refrigerator, and fill it with healthy foods. Reorganize your home. Pay off an old debt, or start a new investment account. You'll find that motivating yourself to continue working out is much easier when your workout routine is only one part of an overall plan to improve your life.
4. Get a Workout Buddy
Do you have a friend who would also like to lose a little weight? Ask him or her to become your workout buddy. You'll skip your workout days less often if you know that skipping would disappoint a friend. Working out with a buddy may also inspire healthy competition and lead to quicker results for both of you.
5. Keep a Log
The most difficult part of any workout is getting started - and from time to time, you probably find an excuse to skip a day. Nearly everyone does. You shouldn't feel too guilty about a single skipped workout. If you skip several days in a row, though, a pattern begins to emerge. Keep a log by marking a calendar with an "X" on the days you don't exercise. If you're unhappy with the number of "X" marks on the calendar at the end of the month, make sure that the calendar has at least one less "X" the following month.
6. Reward Yourself for Progress
Are you working out with a specific goal in mind? Perhaps you have a target weight that you'd like to reach. Divide your goal into milestones - every five pounds lost, for example - and ask your friends or family to buy small gifts that you'll open when you reach those milestones.
7. Change Your Routine
If you've maintained a steady workout regimen for a while, you've probably experienced slower progress as you've inched closer to your target weight. Maintaining a high level of motivation becomes more difficult when you know that a single workout probably won't translate to a noticeable difference on your scale. When you find yourself losing motivation, it's time to change your routine. If you run, change your route. If you exercise at home, buy a new piece of equipment. If you go to a gym, load your phone with a new music playlist.
If you've maintained a steady workout regimen for a while, you've probably experienced slower progress as you've inched closer to your target weight. Maintaining a high level of motivation becomes more difficult when you know that a single workout probably won't translate to a noticeable difference on your scale. When you find yourself losing motivation, it's time to change your routine. If you run, change your route. If you exercise at home, buy a new piece of equipment. If you go to a gym, load your phone with a new music playlist.
*This post is in collaboration with Fabletics.
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