My Path to Fitness

Finding Motivation to Exercise

Strategies for Staying Motivated to Exercise Regularly

Rubina Khush Jan

Published in

Write A Catalyst

5 min readJul 24, 2024

Why is it so difficult to get back to exercising once there comes a huge gap? There was once a period in my life in which I was super active and very happy.

I exercised regularly in my office gym with a trainer. It was one of the best times in my life. I was super fit, ate healthy and led a healthy lifestyle.

Then Covid hit and everything closed down. After that, I tried to keep up with my routine but I never succeeded in getting that routine and commitment back.

I lack motivation now. I don’t know why. There was no particular motivating factor back then in my life but I was still fully committed to my gym routine. I miss that.

Maintaining a regular exercise routine is quite challenging now, but I also know that it’s essential for my overall health and well-being.

These days I am trying to find the right motivation which is the key to making exercise a sustainable habit.

Here are some strategies I am planning to start implementing to stay motivated and enjoy my fitness journey.

Setting Realistic Goals

To start initially, one of the most effective ways for me to stay motivated is by setting realistic and achievable goals.

Now whenever I want to start exercising my mind automatically goes back to that highest level of fitness when I could easily do 60 crunches or 500 rope skipping.

I have to forget that for the moment and now start all over again by setting realistic and achievable goals.

To achieve my main goal of being super fit again I am breaking down it into manageable steps.

My first step is to stay active daily and try to get back into a healthy routine.

Instead of aiming to lose lots of weight or build muscle starting from day one, I am planning to fix a time daily to be active and stick to it as a first step.

This approach will help in staying focused and positive making it easier to stick with my routine. The goal is to get up and exercise or be active for 30 minutes daily for the next 60 days.

Finding Activities To Enjoy

One thing I learned during my last experience was that whatever exercise or routine I follow it has to be fun. It should not become a chore and boring thing.

Exploring different activities that are genuinely enjoyable is key to making working out more fun and less of a burden.

Whether it is dancing, swimming, hiking, or playing a sport, engaging in activities we love improves our chances for success. Mixing them up is also one way to keep routine interesting.

Last time I experimented with different forms of exercise and settled for dancing and it suited me best. Mixing up my routine with a variety of activities kept things interesting and surprisingly fulfilling.

This time around I plan to explore swimming or maybe playing a sport. Let’s see what is manageable and affordable for me.

Creating a Support System

I can not emphasise to myself enough why the support system is important. I used to attend dance classes with my sister back then. We had fun and supported and competed with each other which was fuel for motivation.

Either joining a gym class with a friend, a family member, or a colleague or sharing goals and progress within our circle creates encouragement and also creates a sense of community.

Hiring a personal trainer in a gym or joining an online fitness class is also a good way to create a support system to find inspiration and advice.

The idea is to create a support system to boost motivation and keep a check. Luckily my sister is still around and I am excited to share my plans with her.

Tracking Progress

Back then I used to have a calendar on my desk. I marked it daily after coming back from the gym. I liked doing that. It gave me a sense of achievement especially to look at my whole crossed-out calendar at month’s end.

Now, I realize keeping track of one’s progress can be a powerful motivator. Using a fitness journal, app or wearable device to log workouts and monitor achievements is the best way to see tangible evidence.

It certainly boosts confidence and keeps up the motivation. Since my initial goal is to get back into being an active routine, I am planning to get a smartwatch.

Maybe I will get a side table calendar too like old times to stay challenged and engaged.

Encouraging Ourselves

Encouraging ourselves is equivalent to rewarding ourselves for showing commitment to exercise. Appreciation for oneself and showing gratitude to the body for doing what it does is the reward it deserves.

As I recall now after each exercise class, our instructor would do stretching and some yoga techniques to practice gratitude which now I realise how important it was for our bodies.

Positive thoughts and loving your body for doing what it does every day are crucial. Rewards can serve as positive reinforcement making us more likely to stick with our routine.

A Marathon

Wrapping it all up I feel that finding the motivation to exercise regularly requires a combination of setting realistic goals, finding satisfying activities, building a true support system, tracking progress, encouraging oneself and practising gratitude.

I plan to create a sustainable and enjoyable exercise habit that supports my long-term health and well-being by incorporating these strategies into my fitness routine.

My takeaway from my previous experience is that the journey to a healthier self is a long-term commitment, not a short-term objective, so staying patient and persistent is key.

I plan to start fresh and this time stick to my routine no matter what. Let’s see how my plan goes! Do share how you find motivating factors to get in shape.

Hi, I am Rubina. Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this article, try these next :)