How to Stay Motivated to Exercise

I recently did a take-over day on the David Lloyd Peterborough Instagram account to give viewers a day in the life of a Personal Trainer. It was so much fun and one of things I did was answer any questions people had regarding health, fitness and food. One of the questions that came up was ‘How do I motivate clients? As I’m struggling’. I thought this was a great question and talked a lot about it on the page. However, there’s probably lots of you out there that didn’t see me chatting away so I thought I’d write it up for everyone.

Firstly, motivation isn’t linear we don’t just get motivated and keep on climbing the ladder. January is often a time we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be ‘motivated’ with all the ‘New Year, New Me’ flying around. However, I often find people over do it, hammering the gym everyday and by the end of the month are completely worn out and then loose their stride for the rest of the year. Motivation comes in waves, sometimes we feel super motivated other times we don’t. On cold, wet days getting out of the duvet can be a struggle. Trust me, the 5am starts defrosting my car and driving to and from work in the dark don’t exactly get me excited. Even us Personal Trainers and fitness fanatics aren’t always raring to go! Motivation is unique to each of us; what works for me might not work for you or your bestie. So, here’s a few things that you might find helpful.

Workout with a buddy
Find your workout buddy and take them along to the gym with you. If you’re new to the gym or classes it can be quite intimidating to go alone so having someone there with you to make you feel comfortable can be really helpful. It’s also a great way to spend some quality time together. Catching up on the latest gossip in between sets and putting the world to rights, just makes working out all the more fun! Making plans to meet with a friend also keeps you accountable, you’ve made a commitment to someone else so are less likely to skip out or find an excuse.

Focus on the positives
Another top tip of mine is to focus on the positives and how exercise makes you feel. After a few shorts weeks of regular exercise you will start to notice the benefits it’s having. You may find your sleeping better; you’re daily activities like shopping and climbing the stairs become easier and you have more energy. You’ll start to feel stronger, your clothes may fit better and you’ll start to feel more confident. And that’s not to mention the huge benefits it has on our mental health. These are just a few of the things I’ve noticed since becoming a Personal Trainer and working with clients but find your own positive. Write it down if it helps, you could put it in your diary or on the fridge as a reminder for those days you’re not feeling so motivated.

Book a class
This is one of my favourite things to do if I’m not feeling particularly motivated to go for a run or train in the gym. It’s another one to keep you accountable and make a commitment to someone other than yourself. It’s even better if you’ve got a friend to go with too and also a great way to meet new people at the gym. You never know you may find your new workout buddy. The more the merrier!

Invest in a Personal Trainer
If you’re new to exercise or lacking in direction and unsure on the things you should or shouldn’t be doing investing in a Personal Trainer can be really beneficial. A big part of our job is to keep you motivated and find what you enjoy and what works for your body. It’s also advisable to ensure you’ve got the right technique to prevent any injuries from occurring. We’ll share our knowledge with you and get you on the right track.

Find what you enjoy
This is probably the most important one out of all of them if you ask me. Exercise should not be a chore, it should be something you enjoy and part of your lifestyle. Exercise comes in all different forms; from taking a walk to lifting heavy stuff to dancing and yoga. If you’re moving your body you’re exercising. If the gym isn’t your thing, find something else that is. There’s lots of things you can do in the comfort of your own home or outside in the fresh air. You’re more likely to stick at something you enjoy. If you get bored of a particular class or exercise style, try something new. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

Set some goals
It’s hard to stay motivated sometimes if you don’t have a goal or target in mind. Setting yourself some goals can help us to stay in a positive mindset. These can be short, medium and long term goals. Having a long-term ‘big’ goal is good to have but I also find setting weekly or monthly goals help us to stay motivated in the here and now. Long-term goals can take months or years to achieve and we sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture. Therefore, seeing those short-term results help keep us going. It could simply be trying a new class, drinking more water or eating more fruit and vegetables.

Track your progress
I find keeping a record of my progress helps me to see how far I’ve already come on those days or weeks I’m feeling less motivated. Looking back to see how my weights have increased really keeps me going. Your progress is individual to you and will be related to goals and what you want to achieve. A notebook with daily scribbles can be a really useful tool. I keep track of the weights I’m lifting as that’s one of goals at the moment but you can use it however you like.

Get organised
A lack of motivation can often be disguised as ‘too busy’ or ‘not enough hours in the day’. We often find excuses, myself included. If you lead a busy life fitting in time to exercise can be more challenging but not impossible. It’s important to schedule the time in your day just like you do everything else. We make appointments to have our hair cut or sit down to eat or go food shopping, so why not do that for the gym or your class. Investing in your health is just as important as the car’s MOT.
I find the best time to do this is on a Sunday evening. Sit down with your diary or calendar and schedule the days and time you intend to exercise. This again, keeps you accountable and you’re less likely to deviate from the plan. That time has already been set aside so nothing else should get in the way (most of the time).
Find the time of day that works best for you as well. Some people prefer getting up early to start their day with some training, others find half hour at lunch time or after work is best. Fit the time around your schedule and what feels good for you.
I also find that having everything prepared ready to go helps us to stop finding excuses not to do something. If you’re an early bird, have your gym kit laid out ready for when that alarm goes off. Prepare some breakfast the night before, whether it be a smoothie or some overnight oats; you’re all set to grab and go then! If you’re an evening person have your gym kit with you before you leave for work. You’re more likely to head straight there than go home and leave the house again!

Don’t be so hard on yourself
Last but definitely not least! Don’t beat yourself up if you’ve skipped a workout or not quite made it to as many classes this week. Like I said before, motivation isn’t linear and the odd day or week here and there isn’t going to destroy your progress in the grand scheme of things. It’s about creating a lifestyle and finding what you love, and doing it for you, not what society or anyone else thinks. You do you!

I really do hope you’ve found this helpful but if you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment or contact me.