An exercise routine isn’t always about losing weight. There are several advantages of exercising a few times a week. If you’re regular about it, those workouts can help you gain strength, tone your body, and retain muscles for the long term. 

Many people make a New Year’s resolution to exercise more. They even sign up for new gym memberships. As time passes, the novelty wears off, or their routine gets too hectic. 

These scenarios make working less of a priority. But why do you need to have a workout routine? 

Here are a few reasons why: 

• It lowers stress levels
• It enhances your fitness levels, improving muscle strength and cardiovascular health.
• It has mental health benefits, including lower anxiety, fewer depressive thoughts, etc.
• It contributes towards maintaining your health in the long term.
• It can increase your energy levels and stave off fatigue or burnout.
• It can improve the quality of sleep.

There are several other peaks of exercising regularly, but are you ready to achieve them? Perhaps you’ve already invested in equipment for home workouts, but it’s just gathering dust. 

You may not have visited the gym in a while. More specifically, you may not be able to motivate yourself to exercise. If this sounds familiar, all is not lost. It can be hard to start or restart a workout routine. 

Don’t give up, though; the following tips can boost that motivation quickly!

1. Listen to the Right People

First, you need to exercise in the right frame of mind. Listening to fitness experts such as Charly Arnolt can give you valuable information. 

Instead of viewing exercise as a chore, you might start seeing it as the most vital part of your day. 

How to go about it? 

You may have several options for listening to motivational people. Some ideas include:

• Podcasts
• Audiobooks
• Masterclasses
• Livestreams
• Live meet and greets

Some articles can also boost your motivation for regular workouts. Make sure to read up on some pieces of expert fitness advice whenever things start slowing down. 

2. Do it for Yourself.

Many people may start exercising with other people in mind. For instance, they might want to impress their significant other. Perhaps they’ve been ridiculed for their weight and now want to be confident in their body. If your main aim looks something like this, you will probably give up quickly. 

Instead, try viewing exercise as a way to better yourself for no one other than yourself. Of course, happiness and validation from your loved ones matter. However, seeing exercise as ‘me’ time can help you look forward to those sessions. 

3. Treat Yourself Responsibly

We all need something to look forward to, so why not have a reward for exercising each day? You must be responsible when deciding on these rewards, as excess junk food or skipping exercise aren’t good options. 

Instead of these, you can try bribing yourself with the following rewards: 

• New workout clothes
• Workout shoes
• Anything you want to listen to—a podcast, a thriller audiobook, or a new music album

The point of these rewards is to use them only when working out. For example, you might build up the temptation of listening to that new audiobook. Save it for the gym or home workout sessions. The same goes for clothes, shoes, or anything else.

4. Set Realistic Goals

When your motivation levels are high, selecting challenging goals is tempting. You can quickly lose motivation if you don’t fulfill these goals. 

In place of these, go for simple goals that can help to change your whole lifestyle. For instance, focus on workouts that you can complete in 10 minutes instead of one hour. Increase the difficulty level and length of the workouts once you’re comfortable with the previous plan. 

At the end of the day, remember that physical activity is better than being sedentary. If you can’t do a strenuous cardio session every single day, think about walking daily instead. These expert tips for setting realistic workout goals should help. 

5. Set a Schedule

Most of us have a similar lifestyle: getting up in the morning, commuting to work, and reaching our workplace on time. When there’s a work meeting, we don’t put it off until our mood changes. The reason is simple; we don’t because we can’t. 

Why not apply the same reasoning to your workouts? Schedule your workout routine in a calendar, just like you do with work meetings. Believe that missing this workout session is not an option. These sessions should be non-negotiable except for an accident or other major event. 

Even if you can’t manage to work out in the mornings or at a specific time, put it on your to-do list. That way, it becomes something to cross off before bed at night. For example, you might set aside some time for a walk. However, it may be cut short by an actual work or emergency family meeting.

Remember, there will be some days when none of that is possible. Don’t beat yourself up in such cases; sometimes, there’s no option but to miss your workout. This is when you don’t lose hope but try to get back on track as soon as possible. 

6. Make it Exciting

There are several ways to make your workouts more like interesting activities. Here are some ideas to try out:

• Get an accountability partner to keep you on track
• Make friends while working out and schedule sessions accordingly
• Compete with a friend to get to a certain workout goal first
• Join a social support group that organizes workouts together

Conclusion

The hard truth is; many of us are at high risk of a sedentary lifestyle. We have screens to entertain us; there’s food and grocery delivery; we can even work at home to make a living. 

With all these conveniences, chances are that you have to make time for exercise consciously. You must also be in the right mindset, which is sometimes the most difficult part. 

Consistency is essential when you’re aiming for better health and strength. So don’t give up!