7 Ways to Find Motivation to Exercise

7 Ways to Find Motivation to Exercise –

Sometimes you wake up and the last thing you want to do is workout and maybe if you got a terrible night sleep you should not do a strenuous workout routine. I know first hand how hard it is to find motivation to exercise. It is still important to move to keep your lymph system flowing and turn off the fat storage hormones that kick in when you are sitting on your butt.

When I got adrenal fatigue and Hashimoto’s in 2010 it was very hard for me to exercise and I had no energy. I have slowly built back up to doing some kind of weights, run/walk intervals 4-5 days a week. I feel terrible if I sit all day at the computer that is for sure and believe me it is easy to do. I know that exercise improves my outlook so I am more optimistic about healing. I truly believe the more we move the happier we are and that will translate into achieving health and fitness goals such as weight loss.

7 Ways to Find Motivation to Exercise

1. Put on your workout clothes and shoes

Just this simple act can trick your brain into movement and exercise. You know how you feel more confident when you put on a suit? The same thing happens when you put on all your exercise clothes down to your gym shoes. You will look the part so it will be easier to get off the couch to go outside or to the gym.

2. Put on some peppy music

For me I love to use Pandora on my smart phone or computer when I am looking for motivation to exercise. I don’t really listen to rap normally but for some reason the beat really makes me want to workout. I usually put on some Jay-z or Dr. Dre. I love Pandora because it is free and there is such a variety. If I have some of my favorite music going through my earphone even before I exercise it gets me in the mood to move.

3. Make it quick

Exercise does not have to take all day. I do most of my workout in 20 minutes or less. I love sprint workouts where you run for 30 seconds then walk for 90 sec. Repeat this process until you complete 8 sprints.  Sometimes you will hear this type of exercise referred to as HIIT which stands for high intensity interval training and that is basically the same thing. Dr. Mercola has a good video on how to do it. You can also do HITT with exercises such as

I also like circuit training which is where you do 4-8 different body parts back to back without much rest. An example would be lunges then pushup, then squats, then back rows. This kind of activity  will boost metabolism by building muscle and it also has the benefit of saving time. Hitt training and circuit training have the added benefit of EPOC where the body burns more fat for 24 hours which does not happen with long slow cardio (source).

4. Get a good night sleep

If you don’t sleep lets face it you’re toast and not the gluten free one. Every fiber of your being will scream “NO” to exercise so set yourself up for success. I try to get to bed about 10:30pm and if I don’t I know it is going to be bad news bears on the exercise front and basically everything else. Btw…Not sleeping will also make you want to pig out, but I digress…

Read my article 10 tips for sleep good here:

5. Do exercise you love

I love being outside and breathing fresh air so that make me more motivated to workout. I like to hike and talk to my friends so lots of times I will make plans to walk by the water or in a park  instead of eating with someone. You get to catch up and exercise all in one what a win/win.

I also love dancing so I like to do Zumba because the class is energetic and has a fun vibe. I like the music and that Zumba is friendly for all levels. Don’t think you have to do Crossfit or marathons in order to feel like a healthy active person. If you like those things then great but don’t feel like a failure if those activities do not feel right for you. I actually did two half marathons and I feel like it really propelled my illness including adrenal fatigue and Hashimoto’s.

6. Keep it simple

In order to find motivation to exercise make sure your routine is compatible with your life. If you hate group exercise don’t don’t think that has to be part of your routine. If you can’t find motivation on your own then find a buddy. There are tons of exercise groups on meetup.com. I don’t like schedules so I usually reject having to be somewhere at a certain time but I know that about myself. I can usually come up with my own exercises since I was a personal trainer for 7 years. Not everyone has that luxury, I know.

If there is a video you like pop it in. If your gym is on the way home from the office make sure to pack your bag so you don’t have the excuse of forgetting your gear. If getting a walk in during your lunch break with some co-workers is what works for you bring your shoes. The point is to keep it simple or you will find your motivation coming to a screeching halt. The best exercise is the one you will actually do!

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7. Don’t beat yourself up

For years I thought exercise was about self torture for eatign too much. It took me a long time to view it in a different way. Now I know it is about feeling strong and improving self esteem. It also has benefits for balancing hormones when done in the right way. I also used to feel terrible when I missed a day of exercise. Now I when life gets too busy I just forgive myself and start fresh in the morning with no guilt.

Anything you do should be in alignment with your heart. I am not saying don’t push yourself and try new things but if you give something new a shot and it doesn’t work just move on. You need your body to work for you for the long haul so use your intuition about what types of exercise feel right for you.

Bonus Motivational Tip: Get a fitness tracker such as this one. There are apps you can use to tap into an online community and compare steps with your friends. You may feel motivated to exercise by seeing your steps that are measured by this device.

Are you a Real Fit Mama?

I love the approach in my friends Julie, Real Fit Mama’s online e-book program.  Her book is photographed in nature with simple exercises you can do anytime and anywhere with minimal equipment. Julie’s e-book really aligns with my philosophy of how I trained my clients for 7 years.

Get it here: