Workout motivation

Hey guys! Marking the start of a fresh week & a clean slate, Mondays seem to be all about motivation.  Given that, let’s talk particularly about workout motivation.  During my recent trip to London, I received a few comments like “You’re so good to work out when you’re on holiday” but to me, that praise seems overrated and unwarranted for two reasons:

1) Although I no longer live there, London still feels like home and I tend to settle into a comfortable routine whenever I visit.

2) Whether I’m in Mumbai or not, working out remains part of my lifestyle.

Of course I’m human, and there are days where I don’t want to work out. Fortunately most of the time, a small pep talk and implementing a few tactics work wonders.  In case you find your motivation levels weaning, hopefully these will help:

1) Find a workout you love:  The only best workout is one that you love and can be consistent with.  Sure running burns plenty of calories, but don’t do it if you hate it.  Many people (including myself) see great success with lifting heavy but if you feel more comfortable with bodyweight exercises, stick with the latter. Regardless of your goals, working out should always be a source of pleasure.  And if it’s not, chances are you aren’t going to make long-term progress.  Also just because you loved (or hated) a workout once, it doesn’t mean your preferences won’t change- keep experimenting!

Sublime Skies- Regents Park
Regent’s Park, London

2) Tailor your workout according to your lifestyle: If you’re not a morning person, don’t schedule your workout first thing in the AM.  If you tend to have a busy social life post-work, knock your workout out of the way earlier on in the day.  If you are a mom and have a tight schedule, opt for quick, yet efficient workouts like HIIT or compound exercises i.e. movements that engage multiple muscle groups at one time.  

3) Rely on workout mantras: It might sound cheesy but sometimes the right words & positive self-talk can make all the difference to our state of mind.  My personal favorite is: You’re one workout away from a good mood.  Just the promise of an endorphin high and knowing how good I’ll feel in less than an hour almost always does the trick.  Another mantra which I love is Do something today that your future self will love you for.

4) Embrace athleisure: Given that athleisure has recently blown up, wearing workout clothes during the day has turned into a trend.  It’s also functional in terms of motivation levels i.e. once your clothes are on, chances are you will actually exercise.  Based on an experiment done by researchers at Northwestern University, this apparently relates to a concept called ‘enclothed cognition’ i.e. if you are wearing clothes that you associate with a particular effect, you might be prompted to do something related to that effect (Source).  In other words, once you put on activewear, your brain will probably signal something along the lines of “You’re in workout leggings.  You should probably do something that makes use of them”.

Drop It Like a Squat

 

5) Make a good playlist: Between Taylor Swft and Katy Perry, let’s just say that my workout playlist contains songs I probably wouldn’t listen to outside of the gym. Fill your playlist with upbeat music that you can’t help but want to move to.  And if all fails, there’s always Rihanna & Justin Bieber to rev you up ;)!

6) Get a workout buddy: Once you know somebody else is waiting on you, the guilt of cancelling and leaving your friend hanging will instantly force you to buckle up.  And if working out turns into a social activity, you might even start to look forward to it.

Workout Buddy Wanted

7) Just go for 15 minutes: Most of the time, the hardest step is the one out of the door.   I tell myself that if I’m still not feeling the workout after 15 minutes, I can call it a day & go home.  The latter has probably happened all of 3 times.

8) Change your mindset: Times when I’m sick and injured remind me how privileged I am to be able to work out.  Ultimately  exercise is a choice, not a punishment.   The only one benefitting from a workout is YOU, so don’t rob yourself of the opportunity to improve both physically & mentally. 

What tricks help boost your workout motivation?

10 thoughts on “Workout motivation”

  1. These are some fantastic points, Khushboo! I tend to be addicted to running and a good playlist is a must! Though another trick I picked up when treadmill runnning is to pick a couple (or more) good movies! Another blogger mentioned that she watched movies when she planned on running long on a treadmill, as treadmill runs tend to find me bored – but are easier on my joints, I figured I’d give her suggestion a try – and WOA – I’ve been knocking those miles out no problem!
    Happy Monday to ya!

    1. Thanks so much Shashi! I love the idea of watching movie on the treadmill! When I’m walking on incline, I tend to watch YouTube videos to kill time and it definitely does the job!

  2. I agree about finding the workout you love! I love ZUMBA and I will do it anywhere, any time! This morning I did it in my living room for 45 minutes and worked up quite a sweat.

  3. Great tips! Since I’ve arrived back in London, I’ve fully embraced the athleisure trend. I swear it works as I’ve never missed a workout that way – I’d feel like a right idiot taking my workout clothes off without actually, you know, working out. And you’ve just reminded me that I need to go to Regent’s Park this trip – can you believe that I’ve never been?!

  4. I did a lot of walking with the baby yesterday to the point where my hips are sore. Surely that counts. 🙂

    I actually love to work out on vacation. It’s when I have the most free time and get to do all the things I love, like making time to exercise.

    1. Oh gosh I feel like new moms are constantly working out unintentionally- all that baby carrying and picking him/her up has got to count as strength training??

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