5 Ways to Stay Motivated to Workout

Five ways to stay motivated to work out and get in daily movement without hating your life. 

Have you ever set goals to go to the gym a certain amount of times? Or started a fitness program and then quit? You are not alone, many people set goals to get more active and then struggle to achieve them. If this sound familiar, try these 5 easy ways to stay motivated to workout.

5 Ways to Stay Motivated to Workout

1. Swap your mindset to using movement to feel good instead of to burn calories:

Workouts and movement should make you feel good, strong, and energized. Nutrition, habits, and lifestyle are for weight loss. Workouts are to move your body in ways that give you feel-good endorphins. When you swap your mindset of having to do workouts to lose or maintain your weight and do them because you enjoy the way it makes you feel it makes it so much more desirable to get in daily movement. 

2. Grab a friend or fur friend to make it more fun:

Working out with a friend or fur friend can give extra motivation and just make movement more fun. It’s like the buddy system-you have someone to rely on and push you harder. My dog gets so excited to go walking I just can’t skip it! Schedule a workout or fitness class with a friend. It is much harder to skip a workout when you have a friend waiting for you. I met both my husband and one of my best friends at the gym, so a bonus is working out can also be a great place to meet new friends!

3. Switch it up with a variety of exercises and movements:

Expand your definition of a workout. Workouts don’t have to mean going to a gym or a class. Workouts should be fun and activities that you enjoy. This could mean anything from walks to dancing, to kayaking. I love to rollerblade, bike ride, paddleboard, and go hiking, as well as dance around my house! 

4. Schedule into your calendar ahead of time:

Schedule your workouts and daily movement into your day. At the beginning of the week take time to schedule your walks, yoga, classes, or gym time into your calendar so it is non-negotiable. It can be so easy to think you have time to get in movement, but then all of a sudden it is after dinner and the day slipped away from you. By scheduling your workouts you will have set aside time for yourself and your body each week. 

5. Use the free Paceline app to get rewarded for movement 

The Paceline app is 100% free and rewards you for moving your body each week. Connect your Apple Watch, Fitbit, or Garmin watch to the Paceline app, complete 150 minutes of elevated heart rate activity per week, and get rewarded with gift cards to Amazon, Chipotle, Lululemon, & more. It’s a great way to keep you motivated to move each week. Make sure to use code LIVEWELL when you sign up for Paceline to get a free lululemon $5 gift card once you hit your first weekly goal!

Tag me @lauralivewell and tell me what motivates you to stay active!