How to motivate your mind and body to exercise

Finding the motivation to work out is something many of us find difficult, especially during the cold winter months. That’s why we are here to help you find out how to motivate yourself to exercise and most importantly, enjoy your workouts.

There are plenty of ways to get your mind and body pumped up and ready for exercise, helping you to get moving and falling in love with working out. From supplements to small self-motivation techniques, we’ll make it easier than ever to get off the sofa and into the gym!  

Set Achievable Goals And Objectives

One of the biggest reasons we give up on a consistent workout routine is that we fail to see progress. This may be because we are focusing on the wrong aspects of exercise. For example, you may stop working out because you don’t see any physical changes, even though you have boosted your energy levels and have run your fastest 5K ever.

Set goals that are not based on physical appearance - instead, choose to set goals that rely on your skill, stamina or emotional state. People with physical hobbies, such as martial arts or dancing, can boost their fitness levels without even thinking, because they are focusing on getting more skilled in their field, as opposed to their physical appearance.

Here are some non-image based goals you can set for your workouts:

• Lift your heaviest set in the gym
• Complete a 5k, 10k or half-marathon
• Perform a dance routine seamlessly in front of an audience
• Improve mood and energy levels
• Get a black belt in a martial art

Pre-Plan The Night Before

How many times have you gone to bed with the intention of going for a run the following morning, only to wake up with all sorts of excuses to skip it?

Simply laying out your workout gear, or sorting out your gym bag the night before, can help motivate you to jump out of bed and get a workout in.

Doing this also sets out your intentions for the day, subconsciously helping you to get into the right mind frame to get our bodies moving. Our motivation is purely mental, so ensuring you are starting with a clear head is ideal for finding the mindset to work out.

Meditate Post-Exercise

Meditation can help us to reduce stress and anxiety, but it can also help us to notice things about our body and mind that we may have missed.

By taking some time out to meditate post-exercise, you are giving yourself the chance to assess how your workout has affected you. Think about some of the following during your post-workout meditation, to appreciate the effect exercise has had on you:

• Do you feel less stressed?
• Is your mood elevated?
• Do you have more energy?
• Has your anxiety eased?
• Do you feel more motivated to improve your fitness or reach a new goal?

Perform Exercise You Love!

The most common reason for people giving up on their workout routine is that they don’t enjoy the exercise they are doing.

When you find something you are passionate about and want to progress in, it becomes very easy to motivate yourself to get moving. This is why bodybuilders are obsessed with getting bigger and stronger, why runners are constantly trying to get their best time and footballers train for hours a day in order to become a better team.

If you find that you are struggling to find the motivation to exercise, why not try a new hobby? Get out of the gym and try an outdoor sport or a team sport instead.

You can also think about how your daily diet plays a part, as poor nutrition can leave you feeling sluggish. Make sure to eat a well balanced, healthy diet and why not try including some of our supplements into the mix? Take a look at our Feroglobin iron supplement range which can help to combat tiredness and fatigue.