Are you unmotivated when it comes to exercise?

Are you gaining weight and worried about your future health? Perhaps you need to reach a place where you start exercising to provide sustainable results. 

As you know, regular exercise helps to boost your metabolism, burn fat, and keeps you limber and flexible. Additional benefits include having muscle coordination and strength, building balance, and overall emotional health due to boosted endorphins.

Studies prove that people that exercise live longer and have healthier and more productive lives.

To go from no exercise to exercise regularly, here are 5 ways to motivate yourself to start and continue working out.

Identify areas that hold you back mentally

You decided to read this post because of the frustration you feel and lack of motivation for working out. You may realize that you have an old memory that is painful, maybe you weren’t included in sports. Perhaps the kids in school were mean in gym class or you were uncoordinated and got hurt. Maybe it’s nothing related to that, you just lack the skill of exercise and are even a little scared.

Did you know that feelings are not your GPS? Don’t let your feelings always guide or dictate your next move. When you feel like not doing something, like exercise, you need to ask yourself why. Take out a piece of paper and journal about your lack of motivation. Once you have journaled start to forgive anyone that hurt you or even yourself for feeling the way you felt. You will unlock the jail cell of shame and un-forgiveness that holds you back. Then you will become un paralyzed in the action department.

For years I was held back because of shame. I felt undeserving of the benefits of exercise because I had started and failed so many times! Anytime I choose a new workout program I would talk myself out of doing the work! Once I even bought a gym membership for me and my hubby. We only went 5 times total but I spent $2500 for it!!!

Imagine how many years, how many dollars, and how many moments missed on you holding yourself back. What could have changed internally for you to be able to get results? Getting rid of excuses.

Now it’s time to talk about a goal. Realistically you may not even know what you want or how to get it. Perhaps you are 5’7” tall and 250 pounds. You wear a size 24 but want to be slimmer. Most ladies think of a goal weight and then think of their “high school skinny”. Funny enough once you are in your 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and beyond you are no longer a hormonal teen and your weight can fluctuate even more. 

But I’m your mind, you need to drop 175 pounds. Truthfully this may or may not be an achievable goal. Your would do better to select a dress size to focus on. A great goal to create is to lose a dress size every month, until you are at your desired size. Think of going from a size 24 to a size 22 in four weeks. Once you are a size 22 you can achieve getting down to a size 18/20…..and so on.

Get OFF that scale! The scale is a trick because it doesn’t actually tell you the entire picture. After beginning your program you might actually gain scale weight by working out. If you jump on the scale you could deflate your momentum and that will naturally cause you to quit. When working out we all build lean muscle and we simultaneously drop fat. The body will slim but the scale will go up due to the building of lean muscle. Now that you know, stay off the scale as a strategy. Focus only on doing the activities that will get you in shape.

Find a reputable trainer or fitness professional. You MUST know that someone that guides you to get into shape can also hurt you. Movement is a tricky thing, there is a way to progress you incrementally and safely. There is also a way to progress you too quick and you could get hurt.

Some trainers and fitness professionals are extremely knowledgeable but have not studied the science behind the workouts that they create. Watch out for them! How would you know if someone has not formally studied their craft? Ask what they studied, where they got their certificate, and how long they have been in business for.  The preferred companies are National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA).  These programs can be studied online or in person or both. The progressive overload of fitness calls for specific foundational knowledge. As a client, you are increasing your lifestyle by hiring a good trainer. Make sure the one you select is qualified.

Also, your trainer must be humble and have empathy. I grew into an empathetic but encouraging trainer. When my clients fall off their plan I check on them. We create a quick action step plan and I follow up with them the next day.  I know the shame of being stuck or falling off. As long as you start all over you will be fine. As a client of fitness it is imperative that you are led by a leader, one who has the skill, knowledge, follow up and attitude that moves you forward. Sometimes you won’t like what he or she puts you through but you will LOVE the outcome!

One more tip to include is that you can fire your personal trainer. I have done that before. I spent great money on a female trainer and got in the best shape of my life. During our sessions she would talk about her personal sex life. I was just trying to get my fitness in, continue to reach my goals and be friendly with her all at the same time. She started dating someone new and b was V excited to share the info. I didn’t mind at first but my hard earned money became sessions of her working me out and telling me her graphic personal life. I learned a hard lesson: fire your fitness professional if necessary.

My next tip for you to start working out and to stay motivated is to go all in. Once you send your money or sign that agreement to start the program you might get nervous and want to back out. That is normal. You will need to get that fear understood. Example: you are taking your first trip out of the country. You booked your flight, hotel room, and local transportation needs. While getting on the plane you have reservations. You get nervous, wondering if you will be able to get around on vacation and not get lost. You decide to move forward and travel anyway.

Starting a new fitness program is the exact same way!!! You choose your goal, select your program, prepare to start and then…….. you get scared! That’s perfectly normal.

I hired my own trainer three years ago. I held myself back for years because “I am a trainer”. My big fat ego got in the way and also my big fat body wasn’t getting smaller. I needed a challenge and to eat better. I was mad at myself the entire workout and I was so sore the next day. I actually allowed myself to be in a bad mood because I was being pushed but also feeling super sore the next day. In fact, I could barely walk! I decided that the first week was “adjustment week” and the following weeks were for going all in. Before I knew it I lost 30 unwanted pounds of fat and lost 4 dress sizes. Because of my new confidence I even started an online fitness business which had twenty clients. My weight loss success was because I went all in and met my goals.

Since you have a size or weight loss goal, now is the time to use the Law of Vision to see yourself making progress in all areas of your life. Amazingly, when you get your fitness together you will impact other people and other facets of your life.  Close your eyes and dream a few, what will change when you change?  Will you be better in your relationships, a more productive person at work, even have more fun afterwards? Going all into your program will be strange at first but your new results will create momentum in other areas.

Finally, journal your progress. Make sure to write about any complements you are receiving, any noticeable changes such as your clothes getting bigger, and even the higher level of energy.  When you can play longer with your kids or do more lawn work you will amaze yourself as you will grow younger.

Sometimes you will struggle in getting fit. You might get discouraged. That is perfectly okay and writing about it will get you through the hump. Don’t get discouraged, as life will throw you some curveballs. If you choose to not put your health first you would still have challenges anyway. Might as well progress despite “life”! And think of all the hurdles you will overcome while getting healthier. They will make you stronger and more capable.

The time is now to get more motivated, and you need quick and easy steps to make that happen. To get from where you are now to where you want to be healthy wise requires identifying what holds you back, creating a realistic health goal, hiring a reputable trainer, going all in and journaling your progress. Make the commitment to follow what is in this blog post and you will produce results. Make sure you share those with me at [email protected] so I can celebrate with you.