Confession: I generally love to workout.
I’m one of those people that think sweating is fun and I like being active in general.
I especially love the extra endorphins and the ‘runner’s high’ I get after a great workout. Sometimes cardio and weight-lifting isn’t very fun, but the feeling after a quality workout is well worth it.
Plus, I’m pretty competitive (especially with myself) so any chance I get to better my score or time or whatever, I’m all for.
Yeah, working out is kind of my thing.
But that doesn’t mean I’m excited to go to the gym every single day. Or even half of the days.
But I still go.
So how do I motivate myself to go to the gym or hit the pavement for a long run, even on days when I really don’t want to work out? Well, I do the following, and I think these might work for you, too:
Have a goal, or many of them! I prefer goals that aren’t weight related (unless by ‘weight’ you mean how much you can lift above your head on a barbell). I like goals that inspire motivation instead of shame or guilt if they aren’t reached. Lose 5 lbs? Not the best goal (in my opinion). Running a mile under 8 minutes? Excellent goal. When I was marathon training there were many days I didn’t want to run 2 miles, much less 18 miles. However, my goal was to finish a marathon under 4 hours and that time won’t just run itself, so to the path I went to run it out.
Eat well. I admit, I suck at this. Yesterday I think I ate 20 chocolate chip cookies, and I’m not even exaggerating. But, if you eat well during the day, you’ll feel much better about working out later. If you eat at McDonalds every day, you’re probably going to feel like puking when you work out… not the best motivation to really hit the gym hard.
Have a workout buddy. I’ve met some of my very best friends while running in high school and college. Running can be really fun if you can catch up with girlfriends at the same time! Plus, there’s usually brunch involved afterwards, and who doesn’t love brunch? There have been plenty of mornings when I really didn’t want to get out of bed, but a call from a running buddy at 5:30am was the motivation I need to roll out of bed, put on some workout clothes, and get to the gym or streets to meet a friend.
Buy cute workout clothes. Yeah, yeah, yeah, this is a pretty girly motivation. But actually, I see guys rockin’ some pretty awesome shoes at the gym lately, so maybe buying new clothes is motivation for both genders! Honestly, I tend to buy workout clothes and wear them forever. And ever. But, when I get new clothes, I get extra-excited to go to the gym and show them off!
Keep a schedule. Know which days your schedule will allow you to go to the gym and stick with it! Don’t force the gym on days where you already have way too much going on. Don’t skip the gym on days that you have zero plans so you can sit home and watch the Real Housewives of OC. Hold yourself accountable by writing down a schedule on a calendar.
Write down what you do at the gym/track/etc. I’ve found that keeping a spreadsheet of my workouts holds me accountable. I’m a nerd, so I keep a Google Doc of every workout I do at the CrossFit gym. This is extra-necessary for CrossFit athletes because it’s important to know 1RMs and stuff like, but I also found keeping a log invaluable when I was marathon training. If you find someone a pre-made schedule, even better! Just stick to it and write down your times, weights, etc. (For runners I always recommend looking at Hal Higdon’s training plans, even if you haven’t signed up for a race.) By writing down what you’re doing each day, you can see progress and also see patterns of what works and what doesn’t.
So, get your butt to the gym!
(You’ll thank me later, probably).
(PS – In the spirit of transparency, I should tell you that I’m not perfect at this, at all. These are things that have helped me get to the gym, but it’s not like I go 5-7 times per week. More often I go 2-3 times per week and I make sure I get plenty of walking time the other days. When I was marathon training I worked out 4-5 times per week and felt great but exhausted (I ran about 35-45 miles per week). I think I have a nice balance right now so I feel really good about it, but I don’t want to give the impression that I’ve mastered self-control and motivation to sweat every day… I’m a work in progress!
Cheers! (and good luck).
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