Sometimes even the best intentions like a packed gym bag, or a clearly scheduled calendar aren’t enough to get you to the gym. Unfortunately, most of the time, the hardest part of actually working out is finding workout motivation in the first place.
While years in the past may have come up short on your fitness expectations, 2020 is a new year, and a new opportunity to make it happen. And because you’re absolutely worth it, I want to provide you with my top 5 inspirational ideas to help you muster up the workout motivation to totally crush your fitness goals and dreams in 2020. Who’s with me?!
1. Reward Yourself for Real
While you may be motivated to work out for all the right reasons- like health or weight loss - it can get hard to stick to your guns in the thick of it. It’s okay to reward yourself along the way, in fact I recommend it!
Reinforce your own positive behavior (working out) with a tangible treat such as a new blender to make yourself protein shakes and smoothies, that cute new workout outfit you’ve been eyeing, or simply a home cooked healthy dinner. By rewarding yourself with something that supports your fitness journey, you keep your positive momentum going while keeping your workout motivation fresh along the way.
2. Have Your Power Playlist Ready
There’s just something about music that can bring pure palpable energy to life like nothing else can. So, get together a list of those feel good songs that make you feel confident, fierce, and like a million bucks.
Play your playlist as you start getting ready to work out to get your energy up before you have the chance to change your mind! Keep the tunes going all workout long to keep that workout motivation flowing. What can I say, Beyoncé gives a better pep talk than me 8 out of 7 days of the week!
3. 10-Minute Minimum
The hardest part about working out is just getting the workout motivation to get started. While the gym has its perks, it’s not difficult to see why your cozy sofa and fluffy slippers could steal the day. So, just start with 10 minutes at a minimum. If you complete the 10 minutes and don’t want to work out that’s okay, but odds are once you get moving the endorphins and excitement usually take over and you’ll want to keep going!
4. Find an Activity You Really Enjoy
One thing that I love so much about fitness, is there’s no one right way to get fit. There are endless ways to get and stay fit, and so many activities to choose from there’s really no excuse to not enjoy what you’re doing.
Give yourself permission to think about and pick out an activity you really enjoy. It doesn’t have to be conventional - if putting in the miles on the treadmill or a traditional weightlifting routine aren’t your style - head outdoors for a hike, grab some friends for a pickup game of basketball, or sign up for a boxing class! If you love what you do, workout motivation will be the least of your worries.
5. Invite a Friend
Working out is so much better together! The numbers speak for themselves. One study found that 95 percent of people who started a weight loss program with friends completed the program compared to 76 percent of those who did the program on their own. In addition, the friend group was 42 percent more likely to maintain their weight loss.
So, grab a friend, get some coffee, and strategize your fitness plan for 2020 together. Even if you can’t work out together every day of the week, you can keep each other accountable through the hardest days when you’re tired, hungry, and impatient to see results.
If you need somewhere to start, come join me on the Official Sunny Health & Fitness Community on Facebook. It’s a safe place for you to connect, learn, grow, and find the workout motivation you need for your fitness journey. Let’s do this, 2020 is our year to shine!
Looking for more ideas? Be sure to catch our Unusual Motivation Strategies episode on the 9-5 Fitness Podcast.
