Over time I’ve really learned to love exercising, but for some people it does take a hard push to get comfortable and make it a part of their daily routine. I was one of them. My life style is pretty sedentary. I have a tech job in an office where I spend 90% of my time sitting in front of a monitor. I didn’t pay much attention to what I was eating and I occasionally indulged in alcohol treats. It wasn’t long before I noticed my midsection was a little rounder than I’d like it to be.

Over the last 2 years I’ve spent a lot of time playing with different ways of motivating myself to workout and here’s what works for me.

1. It’s never too late - Never think it’s too late to start working out. The older you get the faster life seems to fly by, so if you start working out right now, then before you know it it’ll be a month later!
2. Don’t think of it as a chore - If you dread the elliptical or treadmill like you dread digging a hole in 100º weather then you’ll never learn to enjoy exercising. Think of it as a fun project where you’re conditioning your body to make it look and feel like whatever you want with every workout session. Once you start seeing results, this one is easy to get over.
3. Find the right time for you - I never pay any attention to people that say you should workout in the morning or evening because its more effective. Workout when you want to workout. If you hate getting up extra early to fit in an exercise then you’ll never learn to enjoy it. When your energy level is at it’s highest and you’ve got some time to dedicate, then that’s when you should workout.
4. You’re not too busy - I know you’re busy and there isn’t any possible way you would be able to fit in an hour workout, but come on. You need to stop thinking about exercise as a “might workout” and more like a “will workout”. Think of exercising like taking a shower. No matter what happens, you will find a way to take a shower at least once a day. You don’t say “well, I might take a shower today if I can fit it in”.
5. Get dressed up - Sometimes if I’m not in the mood to exercise I’ll just put my workout gear on and do stuff around the house. After a while I realize that I’m already wearing my workout clothes so I might as well go workout. It might sound stupid, but it really does help.
6. Use media - When I’m exercising I like to zone out. It helps me pass the time quickly without constantly staring at the clock. Use whatever media helps you zone out. Personally, I use television and music. When I’m using the elliptical or treadmill I like to watch TV and when I’m lifting weights I like to listen to high-energy music. Why not schedule your workout around your favorite sitcom? I’ve seen people reading books and magazines to people working on their laptop. Whatever suits your fancy.
7. Think ahead - Instead of thinking about how grueling this workout’s going to be think about how good you’ll feel when it’s over. You’ll have more energy, a better attitude, less stressed about fitting a workout in, etc… After I finish a lifting weights session I like to look at my muscles in the mirror. They look bigger because of all the water weight and I realize that it’s only temporary, but it gives me enough motivation to do the same thing the next day.
8. Find a workout partner - Competition is a great motivator. Find a workout buddy and set a goal. Whether it be a target weight loss/gain or a push-up contest a healthy competitive spirit could really give you that push you’ve been looking for. If you can’t find a workout partner and can afford a personal trainer, then that’ll work too.
9. Join a gym - This is what got me into working out seriously. I wouldn’t say I’m thrifty, but if I’m paying $80 a month for a gym that I’m not going to then that bothers be a little. Gyms have all sorts of great perks and benefits. The one I went to had a few free fitness consultant sessions to help me figure out what it is I wanted to accomplish.
10. Be hard on yourself - If I miss a workout or eat something I know I shouldn’t have then I beat myself up about it. Not to the point where I’m crying or depressed, but to the point where it fuels me for later use. I use it as a motivator to workout harder and longer in the next session.
11. Quantify your workouts - If you’re a little obsessive compulsive like me then use numbers as a motivator. For instance, I wear a heart monitor where I track my heart rate, calories burned and the length of time of my workout. I like to set small goals during the workout like, ‘I’m going to run until I burn 100 calories then do crunches until I burn 50 more’ or ‘I’m going to try to run for 5 minutes while maintaining a heart rate of 170bpm’. I also like to keep track of what I accomplished in previous workouts and try to beat that number in the next workout.
12. How’s your health - This should be the number one motivator. Think about yourself for a second and how much you enjoy life. Do you have kids? Grandkids? I’m going to spare you the science specifics because I’m sure you already know how exercise can lengthen your life expectancy and strengthen your immune system. Exercise builds up your entire body inside and out.
13. Do it for the ladies/men - Although this sounds a little superficial, lets face it, you want to look your best at all times no matter what. You want nothing more than to go a long while without seeing an old school mate and have that person say ‘damn, she got HOTT!’. When you look good you feel good. Exercise builds confidence and self esteem. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Hopefully this will help you on your quest for exercise motivation. If you’ve got any comments or tips I’d love to hear them!