1)Make it Fun

Fun is a hell of a motivator. When you’re enjoying yourself, you’re more engaged and you want to come back. And you’re more likely to get there on days that are dragging, when you might have an inkling of wanting to skip it.

To keep it fun, start with a program that excites you, and a gym and fitness coach with the right vibes for you. Then keep it fresh – performing new exercises or new variations on old ones resets your engagement and adds an element of excitement.

2)focus on the goals in front of you

Everyone has a vision of the body they’re trying to achieve. Of course you want to see those 10 pounds disappear or those muscles tone up and start to bulge. But the pace of progress is different for everyone. If you’re too focused on the visual results, disappointment can drain your motivation to keep going.

Focus on a process goal instead, such as a target number of exercise sessions a week – it’s something you can control. You’ll be significantly more likely to keep up your workouts that way. Instead of, ‘I want to bench 315, or I want to lose 10 pounds,’ a better goal would be, ‘I’m going to workout 4 times per week at 8 a.m.’

As for the outcomes, instead of the bigger, more elusive goals, use micro-goals. Allow yourself to celebrate small achievements along the way, such as nailing a new exercise for the first time, setting a new PR on a lift, or lasting longer in cardio than you ever have.

3)get in the Habit

Habits are hard to break, and one you form a habit of doing what you need to do to make it to your workout every time, it’ll become easier than backing out.

One helpful way is to form instigation habits, which are psychological cues that it’s time to workout. This can be anything that’s consistent every time, that will signal to your brain the process is starting. Something as simple as setting your gym bag by the door before you go to sleep, so that you can’t walk out without passing it.

4)Give yourself props – and actual rewards

Make the benefits of working out immediate and tangible – treating yourself to your favorite snack or show after a hard workout. A tangible reward is powerful – your brain makes the connection that the action is worth doing. And it’s the crucial final piece of forming a habit.

This is how you create a habit loop, the psychological pattern of cue -> routine – > reward. Your brain latches onto the reward and learns to see the act itself as rewarding.

5)Make it convenient

Don’t give yourself reasonable excuses. You’re far more likely to stick to your workout if it’s at a good time and convenient location. Don’t try to squeeze it in between hectic parts of your day. And that hip boutique gym might look great, but if you have to take the L train across town to get there and you’ve already had a long day, you’ll find it much easier to skip than the gym around the corner.

6)Socialize, socialize, socialize!

Talk to people! Tell friends, coworkers and other associates about your fitness journey. If they also workout, not only can you keep each other accountable (unless you’re fond of lying to your friends), but it can give you a healthy aspect of competition.

Even friends who don’t workout can be a part of this. just telling them about your goals makes them real and concrete, and something you’ll feel a healthy pressure to live up to.

Let yourself feel great about every accomplishment along the way (like the micro goals and process goals from earlier. And talk to people about it, with pride!

7)Intrinsic Motivation.

This is ‘finding your why’. If it feels like a chore or task, all the other motivations will fade at some point. You’ll find it easier to skip days, you’ll make an excuse here or there.

But if getting your workout is intrinsically rewarding – if you enjoy it for its own value – it’ll never get old. Maybe you just enjoy the work after a long day at the desk. Or you love the camaraderie of a group workout. Perhaps being in the gym is the change of pace you need from the rest of your day. Or maybe your boost comes from the idea of progressing in and mastering something. Maybe you just enjoy chasing the feeling of accomplishment that comes with every PR and knowing you’ve pushed yourself to your limits after a grueling workout.

Whatever your intrinsic motivation is, if your reward comes from the act of exercise itself, you’ll never skip a day.

8) get a fitness trainer

A good trainer knows how to strike a perfect balance of checking in on you and making sure you’re prepared to show up, while not being overbearing. There’s also a very practical aspect – studies show that people are as much as 50% more likely to stick to their workouts when they know they’ll lose significant money by skipping them.

Invest in yourself. On top of all the other benefits of having a Stronglab Coach, it will motivate you to get to every workout. Take the Quiz now to get a free personalized training program and nutrition outline, and see which of our programs is best suited for you!