How to Motivate Yourself To Workout | 7 Insanely Helpful Tips

How to motivate yourself to workout? “I have no motivation to exercise.” We’ve all been there. In fact, it’s completely normal to lose fit motivation. Today we’re talking helpful tips on how to motivate yourself to work out consistently.

Hi! I’m Marissa. A 26-year-old sports bra designer, entrepreneur, Instagrammer, creative, business owner, but most of all – just a girl passionate about sharing healthy and balanced lifestyle tips with women like you who strive to find balance in their fitness journeys. Spoiler alert – it’s really not all about lean abs and spending hours in the gym.

I know maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be really overwhelming. I started working out consistently back in 2018 and seriously, I’ve been working out 4-6 days per week straight for 5 years now.

Above all, I know the secret to consistency, how to enjoy your fitness routine, and most importantly – how to stick with it.

Check Out This 3 Month Fitness Transformation

This Post Is All About How to Motivate Yourself to Workout

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How to Get Motivated to Workout

1. A Secret HUGE Benefit of Exercise

If you’re struggling to find motivation to workout, chances are, your fitness goals aren’t clear enough. Here are a few motivating reasons why you might want to exercise:

Why Are You Working Out?
1.) I want to lose weight.
2.) I have a lot of anxiety and exercise helps manage it.
3.) I enjoy working out.
4. I am unhappy with how I look in my body.

Now, how do you stay motivated to work out once you know WHY you’re doing it? This is called measurable goals. Here are some measurable fitness goal ideas:

Fitness Goal Ideas:
1.) I want to lose 20 pounds before my wedding.
2.) I want to complete a 30 day workout program.
3.) I want to move my body for 30 minutes per day for 1 month straight.
4.) I want to run a mile in less than 8 minutes by the end of the summer.

Do you see why it’s essential to understand your why and define measurable goals? If you don’t know WHY you’re working out, it can be really easy to lose workout motivation.

I started working out because:

Why I Started Working Out:
I was going through a bad breakup and I needed a way to deal with my emotions
I was unhappy with how I felt and looked in my body
I wanted to improve my lifestyle.
Measureable Fitness Goals I Made:
I want to workout for 6+ days per week for one year straight.
I want to complete the 80 Day Obsession program.
I want to run more than 1 mile in one by the end of summer.

And guess what? I achieved all of those goals and more!

Here is my 10-month fitness transformation from Jan. 2018 to September 2018.

Above all, I set measurable goals for myself and stayed consistent. If you have no motivation to workout, your goals are not measurable enough and you need to dig into WHY you want to exercise.

Why am I so lazy and unmotivated to workout?

It always makes me laugh when people say, “how do I motivate myself to work out when I don’t want to.” If you don’t want to work out, you’re not doing the right exercises! We are naturally born to move.

Have you ever noticed how it is SO much more uncomfortable to stay standing for a period of time than it is to walk around? We are built to move.

A huge reason why I exercise is that it helps manage stress. Consistent exercise has proven to increase endorphins in your body. Endorphins are natural pain relievers released by your body that helps relieve pain, reduce stress, and improve your sense of well-being.

AKA exercise has amazing benefits to not just your physical transformation, but your overall health! If you’re feeling lazy and unmotivated to work out, chances are you’re not planning exercises that excite you!

Here are a few exercise ideas you might enjoy:

Exercise Ideas to Get Motivated:
1.) Walk at your local park with a friend/dog for 30-45 mins
2. Do a FREE, 20-minute HIIT session on YouTube
3.) Rollerblade for 45 mins on a paved path
4.) Bike on a nature trail for 1 hour
5.) Lift dumbbell weights for 30 minutes
6.) Try out a resistance loop workout

Also, here are a few of my favorite activewear pieces that make me feel confident, especially when I can’t motivate myself to work out.

2. Workout at Home vs. The Gym

If you want to motivate yourself to workout every day, you must make it really easy and convenient to work out! Likewise, I personally love working out in my home gym. It’s convenient, quick, and effective.

As a matter of fact, here are some of my home gym essentials that have helped me stay consistent and motivated to work out over all of these years!

However, if you do not have the option to work out at home, be sure to sign up for a gym that is close by, has good vibes, and motivates you to show up and get your exercise in!

3. Workout in the Morning vs. Evening

How to motivate yourself to workout in the morning or the evening? Firstly, knowing when your energy levels are the highest and when exercising fits into your schedule is the key to staying motivated and consistent in your exercise routine.

In addition, I find that my energy levels are the highest in the morning. I love the feeling of waking up, smashing out a workout, and not having to worry about getting movement in for the rest of the day.

With that being said, life happens and I don’t always workout in the morning and that’s okay!

My best tip to motivate yourself to workout alone in the morning or evening is:

Plan your workouts around your schedule, daily
Know when your energy levels are the best
Understand where you’ll skimp and try to prepare for that!

4. Plan Your Workouts & Stay Consistent

Alright, now that we know WHEN we should be working out and WHY, let’s talk about getting results to help you stay motivated.

Generally, it’s no secret that getting physical results is extremely motivating. I’ve been working out for 5+ years and here’s how my body has changed.

The physical results have been motivating, but how I feel in my body is why I’ve stayed consistent. My body fluctuates so much day-to-day (sometimes I’m leaner, sometimes I’m super bloated – frankly, I’m quite bloated compared to normal in my July 2022 photo) so relying on your physical appearance isn’t always reliable.

All in all, staying motivated to workout is all about having a plan and knowing your why.

Here are a few Instagram influencers that I love and that I have been following for years that promote balance, maintainability, and quality workouts. You can check out some of their super affordable workout programs below.

Fitness Programs on Instagram I Love:
1.) For bodyweight, pilates-based workouts: melissawoodtepperberg
2.) For heavy lifting, gym-based workouts: Whitney Simmons, The Alive App
3.) For HIIT, body-weight quick workouts: Sarah’s Day Ebooks
*bonus, she just released a pregnancy program for postpartum moms!
4.) For a huge variety of workouts: Kayla Itstines Sweat It Challenge

Furthermore, if you’re looking for actual physical results and you’re new to fitness – I highly recommend investing in yourself. It takes YEARS to learn the ins and outs of fitness, and the quickest (and most maintainable way) to fast-track your fitness journey and maintain workout motivation is to rely on professionals who do this every day!

5. Working Out Alone vs. With a Workout Buddy

But really, how do you motivate yourself to workout when you don’t want to? Well, of course, a workout buddy! I personally prefer working out alone (and jamming to some good beats), but sometimes grabbing an accountability partner is the key to staying consistent and working out every day.

6. Take a Break

Above all, if you’ve done all of these tips listed above and you’re still lacking fitness motivation – chances are, you need a break! I’ve been following Natacha Oceane on Instagram for yearss now and love her transparency about taking months off and not losing any results.

You can check out her Instagram page here.

Comparatively, sometimes taking a break is what your body needs to find the motivation to train again. You’ll find that more times than not, you’ll come back stronger.

7. Daily Habits to Improve Your Fitness Routine

Now that we’ve got your fitness routine and motivation levels back up to par, let’s chat about some daily habits that I incorporate into my routine to ensure that I always stay consistent.

Daily Habits For Fitness Motivation
Get plent of sleep! Your muscles rebuild when you’re resting, not when you’re working out
Be aware of your healthy and balanced food intake (and if you’re not sure, speak to a Registered Dietitian for professional advice)
Shoot for 30 minutes of movement per day
Take intentional rest days at least once per week!
Change up your workout routine if you find that you’re not motivated for months on end

There you have it ladies – my 7 best tips for how to motivate yourself to workout. All in all, life is all about balance. Do not let your healthy lifestyle or your fitness routine consume you. Fitness should add to your life in a positive way, not take away from it.

See you in a few days xoxo.

How to Motivate Yourself To Workout | 7 Insanely Helpful Tips

Check Out This 3 Month Fitness Transformation

This Post Is All About How to Motivate Yourself to Workout