Creating Motivation to Exercise
3 Tips for Starting Today
Regular exercise is something most of us strive for, but it’s all too easy for small barriers to get in the way of achieving that goal.
Maybe you want to become an endurance athlete or maybe you just want to be more active. Either way, starting is the hard part. Seriously. If you can get started, you’ll probably find the motivation to continue.
So how do you find the motivation to get started? The three tips below help me and I believe they can help you too.
Start Small
When the motivation just isn’t there, consider beginning with the small things. I mean the really small stuff. What do you do before you get started? For example, maybe fill up a water bottle or layout your workout clothes (or even better, put them on).
You’ll be surprised how much taking one or two low-effort steps will kickstart your motivation to take the bigger step of actually starting your exercise regimen.
As your habit strengthens, this trick will work increasingly well. It’s not uncommon that I’m really not in the mood to start my workout, but by the time I’ve taken the step of filling my water bottle, my mindset usually starts changing: I took the first step, I may as well finish.
It sounds simple and small — and it is — but give it a try and I think you’ll be surprised by the results.
Remember How You Feel Afterward (or trust me)
It’s not uncommon to dread starting a workout, but how many times have you actually regretted the decision once you start? How about once you’ve finished? I’m betting it’s rare at best.
More typically, you feel better both physically and mentally about the activity a few minutes after starting and almost always after finishing, right?
As much as your mind might be telling you that you don’t want to start because it’s going to be awful or you want to do something else, consciously remind yourself of how you feel during and especially after you’ve completed your workout.
Focus on the feeling you know will come, not the one you feel right now.
Give Yourself an Out
Don’t feel up to doing whatever you planned for the day? No problem. Give yourself permission to cut your activity short or decrease the intensity to something that sounds doable, just make sure your compromise still gives you time to warm up (5–7 minutes for me, but this is variable).
The goal is to play a trick on yourself, but it’s also ok to honor the agreement. If you start and your body is telling you to stop, then you should. Worst case, you still managed to get some activity in for the day. More likely, once you start you’ll remember it’s not so bad and you won’t feel the urge to stop that you expected. Stiffness and minor aches and pains you may feel before starting also often fade within the first few minutes.
You can actually play this trick on yourself throughout your entire activity as well. If the day is really challenging you, try continually setting goals that are just a little ahead of you — something far enough to be a challenge and give you chance to reconsider, but near enough that you truly believe you can make it — and give yourself permission to dial down the intensity when you reach them. More often than not, you’ll talk yourself into the idea that you can hold out just a little longer until you’re suddenly done.
I hope you find these tips above as useful as I do. Let me know your thoughts and please feel free to share any similar strategies you find effective.
Now go have a great workout! 😀
