Everyone has it differently with exercise and weight loss. For someone the biggest problem is to start, another one cannot force themselves to devote to sports regularly and someone gets discouraged if desired results do not appear immediately. Motivation in exercise is one of the most important factors, without it set goals are fulfilled only very hard. If you have already decided to start with regular movement, the first step, big for a human, you already have successfully behind you! Let's look at how to keep motivation for exercise so that you stay with it long-term.
1. Set a goal
It is easier to walk along the path if we know that at its end lies our desired goal. It works similarly with exercise. Whether you started moving because you want to lose weight for swimsuit, want to feel healthier or simply found a healthy hobby, congratulations. Try to visualize your dream figure before every exercise or for example back that doesn't hurt after whole day sitting at computer. We do not recommend focusing on every single gram on scale, it can fluctuate according to time or even whether you just ate, that is not exactly the motivation you are looking for.
Much more important is good feeling after exercised hour and smile you find in mirror. Smaller number on scale can however be long-term goal. Write down on paper how much you would ideally like to weigh for example after first three months of exercise, subsequently after another three months and so on. But as they say – keep it real. Realistically achievable goals are easier to follow.
2. Don't forget regularity
Regularity and consistency are key in exercise. At the beginning it is not exactly wisest to set movement so that you will exercise 3 hours every day. Such motivation won't last long. Demanding resolution is naturally hard to follow alongside other duties and tends rather to fail. Start for example with intensity 3-4 times a week with hour exercise. Try not to skip any, if circumstances allow.
Regular exercise goes hand in hand with required results. Your fitness will also improve, your body will boldly get used to such regime and you will see that if you skip exercise here and there, you will even miss it. Only by perseverance can maximum effectiveness of exercise be achieved. Good motivation is also to give your body time, correct diet and not try to achieve miracles immediately.
3. Exercise with a friend
If you have a friend or other close person at hand who would like to take up regular sports too, it is a good idea to exercise together. You can push each other, "hype" when one of you doesn't feel like it and if one of you steps on it fully, the other will definitely want to catch up. Small friendly competitions are also good motivation. You can invent a challenge in form of 50 squats, longest possible plank, morning exercise and similarly. However, definitely do not choose someone as training partner about whom you know that they tend not to finish things. Such exercise could have exactly opposite effect for you.
4. Vary exercises
After a few weeks of exercise you will get into it properly and get used to endorphins, which your body will ask for itself. If you feel that you are starting to get a little bored and don't know how to keep motivation for exercise, don't stop, but swap some accustomed exercises with others. Instead of stationary bike go for a run for example, swap tabata for yoga or call a friend to exercise. Exchanging accustomed exercises once in a while is good for your muscles too, as they got used to the old ones and need challenge in form of new movement. You will see that you will have good feeling from muscle fever that new exercise brings. Advantage of training videos is that trainers think also about feeling of boredom and therefore always prepare something new and you don't have to rack your brains with what to practice.
5. Motivation is also reward
Theory of carrot and stick applies also in sports. Each of us needs to let off steam and exercise is no exception. Within setting intensity of trainings don't forget to include some rest day in schedule too. Exercise for example early in the morning, even before you start working and for the rest of the day you can have peace of mind and thought of Netflix and Chill waiting for you in the evening. Good motivation can also be tasty healthy (and here and there even unhealthy ;) ) meal waiting for you in fridge after workout.
For hard work you can reward yourself also with meditation, during which body and spirit rest after exercise. When setting goals write down also desired reward, which you will treat yourself to after achieving them. Whether it will have material or for example experiential form. Reward can also be quality training program.
Other tips and tricks that keep you moving:
Music
Make a good playlist for exercise that always gets you out of chair and lifts your mood. Music you like can be great motivation.
Photo before and after
Take a photo of figure before and after exercise after certain time. This way you get proof that hard work pays off. In recent years it is popular way of how to keep motivation for exercise.
Treat yourself to comfortable and nice sports clothes
Motivation can also be quality clothing, in which you will exercise comfortably and feel sexy in it. Exercise is after all "me time" and should be all just about you!
Quality aids
When exercising online from home aids used for example also by trainers in their videos will help you. You can exercise with them anytime and with well planned exercise they will help you achieve goal easier. They can be varied with different exercises, so you definitely won't be bored.
Count downwards with exercises
During training consisting of repetitions of individual exercises it is good to count from highest number to lowest. You won't think about how many crunches still await you, but on the contrary, how many you have already managed.
Conclusion
The best tool for how to keep motivation for exercise is you. Don't forget that photos on Instagram are just photos and you don't know what is happening in their background. If after a week of exercise you don't see perfectly flat stomach in mirror, don't get discouraged. Important is regular training, which should bring you mainly good feeling about yourself and that you are doing something for yourself. Don't let yourself be disgusted by unimportant things and with every small success be proud of yourself and reward yourself appropriately!
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