Exercise is one of those things that gets better with repetition. The more consistent you are, the more enjoyable it becomes! But it takes time to build the momentum, and hanging in there long enough to really reap the benefits is no easy feat for those who aren’t exercise-inclined. Lack of motivation for exercise is one of the biggest barriers that we see in our role as Exercise Physiologists.
We get it! When you’ve had a long day, when you’re feeling low, or when there are other things on the to-do list, putting your shoes on for a run or going to the gym can be the last thing you feel like doing. The couch has a way of calling to you! And hitting the snooze button is so much more appealing than rolling out of bed and putting your activewear on…
Can you relate to the struggle to stay motivated to exercise? You are certainly not alone – believe it or not, us exercise enthusiasts face the same challenges at times. But being the behavior change experts that we are, we know a few little tricks of the trade to keep ourselves, and our clients, moving. If you find yourself yo-yoing with your exercise habits (or simply not exercising at all), we hope these 7 tips help you get into a positive, consistent exercise routine!
Our 7 Tips to Stay Motivated for Exercise
1. Remember, getting started is the hardest part.
If the little devil on your shoulder is trying to talk you out of an exercise session, ignore him for long enough to get yourself out of the door. Start that walk, run, or gym session with a commitment to do at least 5 minutes. Once you get started, you’ll often find it easier to keep going! And if not, 5 minutes is still better than nothing, right?
Another good tactic is the 5-4-3-2-1 rule, designed by Mel Robbins. When you catch yourself procrastinating on a task, stop yourself in your tracks. Make the commitment to act on what you are avoiding. And 5…4…3…2…1 – Go!
2. Plan it ahead.
“Think of your workouts as important meetings you have scheduled with yourself. Bosses don’t cancel.” – Unknown
Schedule it in, put it into your calendar, have the gear you need ready and waiting to go. For busy schedules, it’s all too easy to let the exercise session slip to the bottom of the priority list… But if you’ve booked that hour slot in at lunch time, and your walking shoes are right there at your desk, how much more likely is it to happen? Make that commitment, make the time, and work your schedule around it as if it were a very important appointment that you can’t skip. Because in the long-term, it is.
3. Put your gear somewhere that you see it.
Whether that be a gym bag by the front door, your activewear on the dresser, your swimmers sitting on the passenger seat of your car… Put it somewhere visible. If you see it there prepared in advance, there are less opportunities for your brain to fire off excuses that land you on the couch instead. You can grab and go, rather than dawdle until it gets “too late” to go!
4. Exercise at a time that suits you.
If you’re not a morning person, attempting to get into a routine of exercise before work is setting yourself up to fail. Why make life harder than it has to be? Try for a lunchtime or evening session instead so that you aren’t fighting your own body clock!
Conversely, if you find that you get too engrossed in your workday to take time off at lunch, or are too tired at the end of the day, get your exercise done first thing in the morning. Tick it off early so that you can hit the day running! There is no right or wrong approach, it’s a matter of finding what works best for you and your schedule.
5. Accountability helps!
We all need someone to give us stern words sometimes. Whether accountability is your partner telling you to get up and go (annoying, yes, but you’ll thank them for it later!), or a friend who is waiting to meet you for a run, it means that backing out of your exercise session involves fronting up to someone else. It also means that you can support and encourage each other along, ESPECIALLY on the days where that little devil was tempting you with the lure of the couch!
6. Substitute, don’t cancel.
If you’re really not feeling it, and strategy one is just not doing the trick, swap the exercise out for something different. A walk instead of a run, a yoga class instead of a spin class, or stretches instead of Zumba. There are many ways that you can move and still feel like you are nourishing your body!
7. Variety is the spice of life.
It’s easy to get bored when you do the same form of exercise each time. Give yourself options! Why not integrate one swim a week? A recovery session for stretching or yoga? A bushwalk? Keep things interesting and you may even find that you look forward to your sessions! (But as in tip 2, plan ahead, so that you don’t find yourself procrastinating while you try and decide which type of exercise to do that day!)
Good Luck!
The human brain likes to tempt us with options that don’t involve effort, especially when we are feeling tired or low in mood. Staying consistent and motivated for exercise sometimes involves a few little brain tricks. Give these a go and see if they help to encourage more consistency with your exercise sessions.
It won’t happen overnight, but hang in there and let that exercise momentum build – your body will thank you for it!
Author: Yolanda van Vugt
Clinical Exercise Physiologist and Content Creator at Specialised Health
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