Maintaining Motivation for Exercise

      Many people say that finding time is one of the biggest barriers to exercising on a regular basis. Establishing a fitness program requires you to make your self-care needs a priority in your daily life. Incorporating fitness into your schedule enables you to maintain your own personal health and be in a greater position to adequately care for others.

      Exercise does not always have to feel like a chore. It can be a time to unwind from a stressful day or a time to catch up with loved ones and/or friends.  Starting a program can be easy; finding the motivation to maintain it may become the challenge. Here are some simple tips to help you maintain your motivation for exercise and reach your fitness goals.


1. Set small weekly goals for yourself. Start by exercising 2 days a week, and then progress to 3-5. Don’t start out too fast. No one can maintain a program 7 days a week without prior tolerance to exercising. 

2. Plan ahead. Look at your weekly schedule to see when you can realistically fit in exercise.

3. Work out with a friend for accountability. Push each other to
maintain your plans to exercise. If not a friend, use a personal trainer or fitness coach who you can check in with on a regular basis until you feel confident in your ability to maintain your fitness levels.

4. Keep a record of your exercise until it becomes a habit.

5. Reward your achievements along the way.

6. Don’t be too hard on yourself. If you miss a day or two of exercise, remember that you have not failed or become a hopeless cause. You can always pick up where you left off and move forward. It is realistic that things will get in the way; that's life! Punishing yourself for things you cannot control will make it even harder to fulfill your goals.

7. Break up fitness routines into smaller intervals. Multiple 10-minute increments are as useful as longer workouts done all at once.

8. Add variety to your routines to maintain interest. Sign up for
a class at your local fitness club. Paying for a class helps maintain
motivation, since you are less likely to skip a class if you have already paid for it.

9.  Some activity is always better than none. If you do not have time for a "full" workout, do not toss your plans out the window. Just do what you can; every little bit is helpful.

      Accept where you are in the moment. Beating yourself up for not "looking like this" or "fitting into that" only sets you back and inhibits your motivation to continue. Remember that you are where you are now. Work on things little by little, and over time you can get where you want to be.