Everyday we wake up and know that we should eat better, sleep more, stress less and go workout. The pressure to look your best and feel your best is extreme that it sometimes is just too overwhelming. Instead of enjoying working out we loathe it sometimes. We go to the gym to punish our bodies instead of empower them. For a very long time I thought the gym was meant to be torture – “get yourself in there you slob and run for an hour”. I literally sometimes would say this to myself, just bash my body and even if I had an awesome workout I never left feeling good about myself. I just felt like “okay that’s what you’re supposed to do, now go home and eat carrots and do it again tomorrow.” It was a terrible battle for years and I never truly enjoyed the gym or my workouts because I wasn’t in the right mindset, at all! I share this with you, my readers, because I am sure you have either been there or are there right now. You don’t always look at your body as a work in progress, you nit pick, you tug at body parts, you self destruct – but here are some tips on how I have been working to be more motivated to go to the gym and workout. I hope they can help you and keep you in a great, positive place which is ultimately what you will need to stick to any routine – whether inside or outside of the gym.
The gym is not meant to be a torture chamber – it’s a personal CHOICE to go so if you’re going to be there you might as well enjoy it. No one said in order to be healthy you have to do things you hate. If going into a physical gym is not for you, find a way to be active that you truly get up and get excited about. Maybe it’s going for a long walk with the dog, roller blading or taking a boxing class. Whatever makes you tick go do that! If you are going to spend an hour anywhere don’t you think you should want to be there?! Pick an activity and place you feel good, comfortable and empowered to be your best self.
Get an amazing set of workout clothes. This might seem a bit vain but I get the best workout when I lay my gear out and actually like what I’m going to be training in. Ever wear a pair of workout shorts or pants that were way too tight, or were riding up your behind? Probably didn’t have a great workout right. You also probably felt super self conscious – so make sure that what you wear makes you feel freaking amazing! You don’t have to go spending a fortune either ladies – I get most of my workout gear at TJ Maxx or Forever 21. (my tank top here is from TJ Maxx and pants from Forever 21!) Nike gear I usually just get on Amazon like sneakers
Log your progress! Whether it’s taking a weekly progress photo that only you see, using your phone’s note pad to mark big accomplishments or using MyFitnessPal to monitor your goals – seeing a visual reminder of where you’ve been and where you’re going is always a great idea. Sometimes I scroll through old images and remind myself “Hey, look where you were a few months ago, stop being so hard on yourself!” When you look in the mirror everyday you won’t notice it, but if you put a photo side by side from months ago you will and you’ll feel good and proud!
Do it with a friend or spouse. Find a workout buddy, if that works for you, to keep you accountable and stay motivated. Some people need someone else to push them a bit and get them off the couch – that’s okay! I personally love to workout alone but that’s me. Even if me and my husband “go” to the gym together we say “see you after your workout” and go our separate ways lol. Do what works for you but joining a workout class or going with a girlfriend will surely keep you motivated.
Whatever it takes to make you have a healthy and happy relationship with working out is what will keep you motivated. I LOVE going into the gym and lifting weights and strength training. I really am not a huge fan of cardio, I don’t enjoy it, unless I make it a game. That’s why if I do the stair master for 45 minutes I am changing up how I am stepping every five minutes to keep it fun and interesting, otherwise I would jump out the gym window. Learn what works for you and do that, don’t focus so much on following what everyone else is doing. You are the one who has to go to do the workout and commit to it, so find what you love! If you like classes – join them! If you enjoy running – get out there and hit the pavement! Just find what works for you and stick to it.
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