10 Foolproof Ways To Motivate Yourself To Exercise

One of the hardest parts of exercising is starting. It’s just so easy to skip a workout and then spiral into a habit of inactivity.

 Rather than trying to fight our mind for willpower, here are some little things that you can do to beat procrastination and get your sweat on.

1. Post-it motivational quotes

Scroll through Instagram and you’ll find motivational quotes everywhere. Find five that will kick you into gear and write them on post-it notes around your house. Key areas include your bedside table and mirror. This way you won’t be able to escape the motivation in the morning!

2. Set phone reminders

Post-its are great to stick around the house, however most of our day is usually spent outside, on the road or in the office. Instead of post-its, use your phone. Simply set some alarms to remind you to work out. You’ll need more than one though as they are very easy to ignore.

3. Place your shoes by your bed

If you would prefer to exercise in the morning, this will work wonders for you. All you have to do is place your runners next to your bed before you go to sleep. Psychologically, this tells your mind “I am working out tomorrow," and once you wake up, you’ll be inclined to use your shoes. Try it out. The guilt you'll feel when lying in bed will be unbearable.

4. Sleep in your gym clothes

If the shoes didn’t work, let’s take it a step further. Each of the pieces of clothing in our wardrobe holds a certain meaning. When you wear a cocktail dress, you feel like going out. When you wear a suit, you feel more powerful. The same goes with your go-to gym outfit. Slip yours on and go to bed in it. When you wake up, you’ll be ready to hop out of bed and get active.

5.Play some music

There's a reason why gyms always have music blasting. Flick on one of your favorite workout songs to get motivated. Personally, I like the classic "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor.

6.Register for an event

Whether you’re a runner, cyclist, swimmer or obstacle enthusiast, there’s something out there for you. Events provide great incentives to exercise as no one wants to struggle through a race nor waste their money by quitting. If you think that you’ll never be able to complete a long distance event, you’re in the same boat as every person in history who has ever completed one. What they realised as they started going was that it all came down to a case of continually putting one foot in front of the other.

7.Join a club

Motivating ourselves to exercise is a task in itself. Why not surround yourself with like-minded people who can lift you up to reach your goals? There are many different workout communities in Kuala Lumpur all of whom would love for you to join them.

8.Set some stakes

If you miss a workout, what’s the worst that will happen? Rather than leaving consequences up to nature, think about what penalties you can create yourself. One idea is to give RM100 to a friend. Every time you work out, they give you RM10 back.

9.Reward yourself

Is there something that you’ve been looking to buy for a while? A new handbag or a trip away to some island? Set a goal with a reward attached to it. Knowing that you will reward yourself once you reach a certain goal will push you to get there faster.

10. Ask yourself this one question

“How will I feel about myself after I’ve finished working out?” You already know the answer.