10 practical ways to motivate yourself to exercise

I always thought I would be fit and would never have to motivate myself to exercise because I just love it! Ah! How things change. I am a mother to a very active toddler and now I have to motivate myself to exercise. Here are nine ways I motivate myself to workout. These are not unique to me. They are ideas anyone can use.

1. Watch weight loss stories: There are so many weight loss stories online and watching them motivates me. I think "If someone else can lose so much weight and transform their lives, I can definitely find time in my schedule to work out." I love to watch weight loss stories on Youtube or Netflix's "Bringing sexy back"

2.Set a time of the day to exercise. Picking a time of the day to work out means part of the decision-making process has already been performed so all you have to do is stick to it. It may seem like something that is inconsequential at first but I have had better success with this than I have had when I tell myself "I will exercise sometime in the evening."

3. Plan to exercise every day- If you have not been exercising often, you probably will not get to it every day but you are more likely to do it sometimes if you put it on your daily to-do list. 

4. Use Pinterest as your personal cheerleader: I love Pinterest because it has so many creative and motivational ideas that you can have available to you at any time by saving it on your own Pinterest board. Save motivational pins about exercising. There are so many motivational quotes about exercising, and simple work out routines on Pinterest. This way, if you are too busy to make it to the gym it is only a Pinterest pin away. 

5. Add in physical activity to your day: Adding in physical activity to my day by walking around the store or taking the stairs instead of an elevator is a good way to motivate myself to exercise. This usually lets me know when I am out of shape.  

6. See exercise as a mood-lifter: Most people don't want to move when they are down in the dumps but if we see exercise as a way to pick ourselves up emotionally, we are more likely to do it. The other options like watching a movie or eating junk food will slowly become less of a pull.

7. Use a calendar as your journal to mark days when you exercised and for how long.

8. Set a specific goal with a specific timeline. If you are trying to lose weight you can set a goal for how many pounds you would like to lose per month. It should be something realistic. ( I will add some examples of realistic weight loss goals). If you are trying to gain muscle tone. Assess your muscle tone by measuring the circumference of your arms or your waist.

9. Pick a form of exercise that fits your lifestyle: If you are someone who likes to stay indoors, use work out videos. If you like being outdoors, go run in a park.
10. Get a health coach: Last but not least, get a health coach. Get someone to keep you accountable. It is important to know your health coach's qualifications and educational background. It is also important to be committed to the process your health coach will take you through.. Contact me to talk with me about ways that I can help you reach your fitness goals.