10 ways to motivate yourself to work out

Okay I will be the first to admit that I am not in any way a super fit gym bunny, but I have gone from not working out at all to finally getting back on track and working out consistently 3-4 times a week, so I thought I would share my little tips and tricks that have helped me stay motivated. Again, I am far from perfect, but these are the things that have helped me get back into a good routine, where I am starting to feel stronger and healthier than I have in a very long time.

I hope you guys find this helpful, please feel free to share your favorite tips and tricks in the comment section ♥

Photo by Heather Schwartz on Unsplash

1.) Find a workout buddy

Having my sister as my workout buddy is honestly my number one motivation for dragging my otherwise quite lazy ass to the gym. It works wonders to have someone to hold you accountable and who counts on you to the same for them. If I had to go on my own, then I certainly wouldn’t get out the door that early – and that is even though I am usually the one who have to convince her that we need to go, but I just feel more motivated now that we are two and I feel responsible for her as well. If I am lazy and give in, then she won’t get to the gym and get closer to her goals and optimal health either. It just works you guys!

If you do not have a friend, family member, boyfriend/girlfriend etc. you can workout with, then I can really recommend looking for a workout buddy online. There are so many groups on Facebook where people are looking for a workout buddy, so there is a good chance that there might be someone in your area as well!

For my fellow Danish residents – a lot of people in the Facebook group by Helse Matilde Find en veninde #dueraldrigalene are looking for workout buddies so make sure to check it out! I have found a new friend through this group + we have started a monthly food club with 4 other girls as well!

2.) Pack your gym bag and lay out your gym clothes the night before

It is little things like this that will be so helpful when you get up early for the gym. You will be tired and looking for an excuse not to go, but if everything is already packed and your clothes is laid out, then there are very few excuses not to get your butt out the door.

Back when I used to workout really early before my uni classes, then I would even sleep in my workout wear and have a bottle of water + snack ready in the fridge, so all I had to do was roll out of bed, put on shoes and grab my water + snack to eat on the way to the gym. A bit extreme, but quite effective.

3.) Invest in cute workout clothes

This one might be a bit superficial and silly, but I absolutely LOVE cute workout wear and I feel so much more motivated to go to the gym, when I know I have a nice and well fitting set of workout wear to put on. I mean, I don’t wear makeup to the gym and my hair is usually a bit of a mess as well (sweat = frizz), so it is nice to wear something that I feel good and confident in. I always do better at the gym when I feel confident.

4.) Remind yourself why you started workout out in the first place

If you are considering skipping the gym, then remind yourself why you stared working out in the first place. I started working out again this January for many reasons, the most important one being my health of course, but let’s be completely honest here, it is also a very motivating factor that I would like to feel comfortable and look my best when wear a fitted dress (like I used to before gaining weight last year) or when I go on vacation and wear a bikini (LA here we come!).

5.) Be your own motivation – track your progress

One of the things that motivates me the most is seeing progress. It can be that I have lost weight or are able to lift more than usual, but it can also be things that are less measurable like feeling healthier and more comfortable in my body.

I recommend that you take photos of yourself from different angles + measure yourself as well. It can be very toxic to weight yourself, but as long as you do not do it very often or let it affect your mood and everyday life, then it can be a great tool to keep track of your progress as well. And I recommend this to everyone, no matter if you want to loose weight or not. It can be difficult to see results and changes in your body as they usually happen quite slowly, it can be very demotivating at times, so it is nice to have photos and measurements that will show you that you making progress and that you are getting fitter.

Photo by Maria Fernanda Gonzalez on Unsplash

6.) Follow fit, healthy and motivational people on social media

Okay I know that this one might not be for everyone. Some people find that it affects them negatively to follow these kinds of accounts on social media, if you are one of those people then you should of course just skip this step.

Personally I find it very motivational to follow positive people on social media who are fit and leads a healthy lifestyle. I love to be inspired by their workouts, meals or simply their banging bodies – hah I might feel slightly bad looking at their photos if I have just eaten junkfood or something like that, but generally I find that these kinds of accounts have a positive effect on me and help inspire me to be the best possible version of myself.

7.) Share your workout goals with friends/family/social media

Again, this tip might not be for everyone, but I have found that it really helps me stay on track when I feel like I have someone holding me accountable for my actions – or lack thereof. It should of course not be something that adds too much pressure, but more in the likes that you might face a bit of (loving) teasing if you end up totally neglecting your goals and if you are a bit too proud, like myself, then you will do anything to stop that from happening ;)

8.) Make a kickass playlist

I love to make playlists that will put me in the right mood to just kill it at the gym – it means so much to have a kickass playlist that will put you in the right mood and just make you want to get into full beast mode! I can be on the verge of dying (..or at least it feels that way) on the threadmill and then one of my favorite songs come on and I will immediately feel motivated to just keep going!

9.) Set mini challenges for yourself

Other than setting those larger overall goals for yourself (please keep them realistic or they will have the opposite effect), then I am a big fan of setting little mini challenges for myself when I am at the gym. It can be everything from doing 2-5 extra reps per set than usual or improving my amount of burnt calories per 30 minutes on the threadmill to switching it up and having to try something completely new at the gym (a good way to keep it fun and fresh).

10.) Use your imagination to keep you going – make up scenarios

Besides listening to music, then this is my number one way to really push myself at the gym. It might only work if you have an overactive imagination like I do, but I love to make up all these silly scenerios when I workout to motivate myself and push myself harder.

An example could be that I have been watching SAS: Who Dares Wins lately (ex special forces soldiers take civilians through stages of the selection they went through to become SF soldiers), so a scenario could be that I pretend to take part in the selection and need to push myself to the limit to be able to keep up. Super silly (and very unrealistic, I am weak AF and those guys are hardcore!), but it seriously works so well! Haha there is no way that I am not giving it 110 % on that threadmill or in the weight room with that scenario in my mind + some kickass music in my headphones!