As an entrepreneur and a blogger, I started to share a lot of my personal life on social media. And what you come to find out about me through social is that I am slightly obsessed with working out. You might know this if you follow me. I like to share workout videos to help inspire others to get moving as well! Surprisingly, people DM me more questions about my workouts and fitness routine than anything else! So today I am answering one of the number one questions I get on social media, how do you stay motivated? So today, I am sharing my number one tip for how to get motivated to workout.
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So many people struggle to do physical activity, because they lack motivation. I get it. When you’re juggling work, children, and everything else, it can be the last thing you want to cross off your to do list. But since we know we need to do physical activity to be the best versions of ourselves, we have to figure out how to motivate ourselves to get up off the couch and do it. Right?
Fitness and feelings
As a kid, I was never into exercise and wasn’t very good at sports – unless cheerleading and tap dance counts?! My real fitness journey started after I gained the Freshman 15 (20, if we’re being real). I realized I had to make exercise a priority. So I joined a fancy gym in my small college town and began to take group classes like Butts and Guts. It wasn’t long before I fell in love with working out. But it wasn’t so much the act of working out that I loved. It is how it made me feel. And this, my friends, is key.
In Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) – a fancy-smanshy name for understanding the language of our minds – we know that our brain stores memories and information through our senses – sight, taste, touch, sound, and smell. That’s why when you hear a song from your past, you instantly go right back to a memory. Or when you smell chocolate chip cookies, it brings you right back to a time in your childhood. Each of these memories you conjure up have a certain feeling to them, right? For example, with a song, you might feel nostalgic and cookies might make you feel warm and cozy.
Now that you understand how memories are tied to feelings, you might realize why visualization is all the rage. Why? Because when you are able to see, hear, taste, or smell something that is associated with a feeling that you like, all you have to do is visualize the details of that scenario. Then the feeling you’re looking to create will likely occur.
Visualization For Fitness Motivation
Like I said, the act of doing the hard work – the push-ups, the burpees, the squat jumps, aren’t the main motivator for my daily workouts. After all, “I love burpees”, isn’t something you ever hear! Amiright?
So how do I answer the question, ‘how to get motivated to workout?’ Well, I just told you. I love the feeling that I have right after a workout. You know, that sweaty, exhausted, I-can’t-wait-to-take-a-shower feeling? I love it. It means so many things. I’m done! I can relax! I can cross it off my list. Relief! So, I picture myself right at the end of my workout and all the feelings associated with it. And with that, I am instantly motivated to get going.
How To Get Motivated To Workout
So here’s what you can do to illicit the same type of motivating feeling in you.
Get a picture of what it looks like at the very end of your workout. Got it? I want you to close your eyes right now, and float down into your body in that exact moment that you’ve just finished a workout. Look around at all the details around you. What do you see, smell, or taste? And lastly, how does it make you FEEL that you have now finished this workout. Think about this for a second and really develop that picture or movie. And then open your eyes.
Maybe your picture is like mine – you’re walking out of the gym drenched in sweat. Or perhaps you picture the drive home from the gym. If you hike, bike, or take a class, then your picture or movie is going to reflect exactly what that looks like.
From now on, when you’re struggling to get motivated to exercise, just pull up your picture. Close eyes and visualize that exact moment we just created. Even if you feel sluggish, bloated, sad, or tired, this new picture will give you “all the feels” for what working out can do for you.
AND Here’s the even better news! Once you’ve done this exercise for several weeks, you won’t even need it anymore! Why? Because you will have created a habit – which needs no motivation at all! (Doesn’t that sound freaking amazing?)
Let’s Connect
Lastly, thank you so much for taking the time to read about How To Get Motivated To Workout! I hope this gives you some ideas about how to easily implement a more consistent fitness routine in your life! I love to help you celebrate life through party decorations and positivity! But above all, I’d love to connect with you. Reach out to me on Instagram and let’s chat. Get started celebrating your life! Grab your FREE gratitude journal printable or by subscribing to my podcast, The Celebration Effect Podcast! I can’t wait to connect with you more.
xoxo
Lindsay
