Finding Your Motivation to Move
When it comes to revamping your lifestyle, you’re probably already aware of what you should be doing. Maybe you need to eat more nutritious foods or add a bit more strength training to accompany your cardio workouts. Bottom line—you have a plan. But even if you don’t know what you should be doing to improve your health and wellness, it isn’t all that hard to find out. There are plenty of magazines, books, and websites that can educate you about healthy lifestyle behaviors. However, once you know the path forward, you still need to find the motivation to actually do the work, and this is where many of us falter.
Even those of us in the health and wellness field struggle with motivation from time to time. We are certainly not immune. That said, there are several things you can do to keep yourself motivated, no matter what you’re trying to accomplish.
- Set Small Goals. It’s important to know the big picture, but the journey to get there can be daunting, so break it up into smaller, more achievable chunks.
- Schedule Activities. If you treat exercise like an important meeting or like brushing your teeth, it’s more likely to become a habit.
- Find a Partner. Partnering up is also an excellent idea. It would be difficult to find a better motivator than a friend or family member to keep you accountable to your workouts, your diet and your newfound lifestyle. And frankly, sometimes you probably need a kick in the you-know-what.
- Pay the Price. Last, but not least, pay for it! This may sound a bit odd, but if you have some skin in the game, the game dramatically changes. Buy a gym membership, join an online health website, purchase a credible book or throw down some cash for a heart rate monitor. Making an investment in your health will pay dividends in the long run.
What tips do you have to keep motivated to exercise? Share your strategy in the comments below.
Brian Zehetner, MS,RD,CSSD,CSCS, wrote this post for Together Counts™ on behalf of Anytime Fitness. Known as the “science guy,” Brian serves as the Director of Anytime Health for the Anytime Fitness Franchise System. He is a registered dietitian, certified strength and conditioning specialist, and board certified sports dietitian with over 15 years of experience in the nutrition and fitness industries.