Workout Motivation for Anyone!
by Taylor Smith, CHOP5 Nutrition & Wellness Blogger
Do you ever find yourself stuck under the covers in the morning? Lacking energy or inspiration to get outside? Dreading your workout?
If you’ve felt any of these ways before, you’re not alone. Motivating yourself to workout is a struggle for most people. I personally know how difficult it can be. Workout procrastination is real people!
With that being said, I want to help you to motivate yourself to workout! Through personal experience, I have learned the best ways to find self-motivation and even look forward to working out!
Here are some helpful tips to ease your workout anxiety and get you jumping out of bed in the morning (or whatever time) to attack your workout!
MOTIVATION TIPS TO WORKOUT:
Think about a general plan the night before of what you want to do for a workout/training the next day.
- Think about what general time works as well.
- Set an alarm if needed to keep you on track.
It’s more than okay if you need to adapt your plan the next day depending on how you feel or if something unexpected pops up.
- Listen to your body.
- Be flexible/creative if needed.
Fuel yourself properly before you workout.
- Do not skip a meal, especially not breakfast—so important!
- Eat at least a nutritious snack before, if you’re not hungry.
Listen to your favorite hype-up music to get you going in the morning/before your workout as you get ready.
- I put my AirPods in & listen to rap music!
If you need something/someone to hold you accountable at first, plan a workout with a friend or schedule a workout class.
- But do not rely on this forever because you must be able to motivate yourself.
Remember your “why”.
- Why do you want to workout?
- How do you want to feel in your body?
- Remind yourself of the times where you desperately wanted to do/feel better.
Implement rest/recovery days throughout the week.
- At least one rest/recovery day per week (you can have more as needed depending on how you feel).
- Your rest/recovery day(s) do not have to be the same day every week. (I encourage you to have a general idea but adapt as needed—every week is different for me!)
- These days are crucial to allow your body to repair itself & come back stronger. (Make your hard work worth it!)
- You need them so you do NOT get burnt out!
Take care of yourself both physically & mentally.
- Eat a balanced diet. (No restrictions & everything in moderation!)
- Get a proper amount of sleep.
- Prioritize your mental health.
- Limit bad habits (i.e.: alcohol consumption).
- Allows you to feel your best & feel energized to workout!
Have discipline.
- It’s very important to know when you need to take a rest/recovery day vs. when you need to push yourself to get out there.
- You know yourself—be honest with yourself!
It’s NOT “all or nothing”.
- You don’t have to workout for hours or nothing at all.
- You can do a workout for less time/reps at a higher intensity & it’s still more than worth it!
Mix up your type of workouts/workout routine.
- Important so you don’t get bored or go through the motions.
- Try new things & go outside your comfort zone.
- Challenge yourself & don’t be afraid to feel uncomfortable or fail at first!
I challenge you to try at least a few of these tips! If you do, I promise you that you will have a new perspective on working out & be able to motivate yourself consistently!
You got this!
NEW YEAR’S INTENTIONS UPDATE:
Looking back on the past few months, I’m proud of myself because I have consistently made mindful decisions of what I choose to put into my body. Eating a balanced diet with no restrictions and everything in moderation is extremely important to me. It allows me to feel my best physically and mentally as well as perform my best on the lacrosse field! It’s an essential part of the healthy lifestyle I love living. One of my favorite dinner meals that I created this month was salmon, couscous and buffalo cauliflower! (When building my plate, I try to pick a protein, vegetable and a grain.) Of course, a healthy Chopped Salad is great too!
