One of the most common questions I get asked is “how do you find the motivation to workout?” And the answer is, I don’t. I do not search for and rely on motivation to get myself to the gym. If my workout regiment was based solely off of finding motivation, then it would look much more like my eating habits…some good days, some not-so-good days and some more not-so-good days. This is because healthy eating to me is something I still work on consistently, haven’t found my groove in just yet (even after over 7 years of trying) and because healthy eating to me is not a habit. But working out is.
They used to say it takes 21 days to form a habit…now they say 66…either way that’s not what happened with me. I didn’t sign up for some 21 week challenge to get myself to workout every day until I didn’t have to think about it anymore. It wasn’t really until a year into my workout regiment that I realized I don’t even have to think about it. Going to the gym had just become a part of my life.
Now I’m not saying I’ve consistently gone 5 days a week every single week with no breaks for years and years. But what I do mean is that I don’t have to overthink it, convince myself to go or make a big deal of it in my mind. Even after a 2 week vacation where I technically “fell off the bandwagon” and didn’t exercise at all. Or after three months of my first trimester where exercising just wasn’t an option. I still was able to come back to it with no muss or fuss. And that is because working out for me is a habit. A lifestyle. It’s a part of who I am. It’s just something that I do, no matter what.
So how did I get here?
Well, I didn’t initially begin doing all these things at once, but after taking stock of my routine and actions over the last 7 years, I do believe these are the key factors that turned fitness into a habit for me.
- Find Something You Love
This may sound lame, but I truly, deeply believe there is some sort of fitness activity out there for everyone. And I experimented a lot before I found my groove. What have I tested out? Step classes, aquafit, aerial yoga, hot yoga, alllll the yoga, tennis (that was so cringe, I sucked), group co-ed volleyball (omg they basically asked me not to play), heavy weight lifting, the running room, boxing, cross-fit, those kangaroo shoe jumping things, zumba, working out on a surfboard inside (who thought that was a good idea?) and some good old fashion personal training. You get the point. I’ve tried it all.
It wasn’t until, not one, not two, but probably five spin classes later, that I fell in love with indoor cycling. Prior to that, cardio was my enemy and I struggled with it at all costs. But something clicked that one day after spin and I completely fell in love with it. You can read more about my spin journey here, but the point is, I kissed a lot of toads before I found my fitness prince charming.
I know a lot of people are afraid to try out different group classes, especially if they are beginners in working out, but take my advice: As a group fitness instructor who teaches every day, I can promise you, NO. ONE. IS. LOOKING. AT. YOU (well except for us, the teachers, of course…but don’t worry, we’ve seen it all). Everyone is either too focused on their form or more likely checking themselves out in the mirror to even pay attention to the new person that came to class that day.
The best way to find something you love, is to actually do your research. Sign up for classes you never thought you would take in a million years. I NEVER thought I would love spin because I HATED it for so long. Luckily smaller fitness boutiques are popping up like mushrooms in every city and I’m certain that you will eventually find something you actually enjoy doing.
I truly believe that working out doesn’t need to feel like a chore and can actually be fun. I am the least athletic person naturally, so if I can find love in fitness (and turn it into a freaking career), I promise you will find something you like doing.
Once you find that love, passion, or even just a litttttle bit of affection for a workout, it becomes significantly easier to consistently do it, make it a part of your routine, and subsequently turn it into a lifelong habit. You will also be more likely to get into other forms of exercise after a while, as you get stronger, build more endurance and eventually want more of a challenge.
2. Work Out with Someone Else
Accountability is huge when it comes to setting goals and sticking to them. This is something we already know. So the same strategy can not only be applied, but works extremely well, in fitness. And there are so many ways to use other people to hold yourself accountable to sticking to a consistent workout schedule.
Now I understand this is not in everyone’s budget, but personal training is number one when it comes to accountability. Knowing you have not only spent the money but there is one person solely relying on you to workout gets your butt to the gym. There are also ways to make personal training affordable. A lot of gyms have newer trainers looking to get build their client base and if they work for a larger big box gym, it may not be that expensive. You could also look into small group “personal” training where you and one or two other friends see a trainer and split the costs.
Booking a workout with a friend is another amazing way to hold yourself accountable. Whether it’s signing up for a group class together or just making a gym date, you will be less likely to bail on someone else knowing they will show up. But that is the trick here – make sure it’s a plan with someone who will actually show up. We all have those friends that we know will bail on our gym date. You are not allowed to make that person your workout buddy – there is zero value in that. A solution? Find your fit friend who will go without you regardless. Tell them you want to join and knowing they will be there no matter what will certainly help get you out the door.
If a personal trainer, group classes, or a gym buddy just isn’t an option for you, now there are so many different online streaming services or at-home programs. Online streaming is where you can join a class on the internet from the comfort of your home. The only problem with this option is it is much harder to get motivated to get up and workout in your home when there are so many other distractions around. One solution is to find some sort of online community or fitness challenge to take part in. Maybe find an online program that hosts challenges with amazing prizes. Or look for an online streaming service that you have to pay for in advance. Which brings me to my next tip…
3. Make it a Financial Commitment
I cannot tell you the number of times my alarm went off at 5:20 am to make it to a spin class and I rolled over and hit snooze…until I realized this sleep in is going to cost me $25.00. Who has the luxury to sleep in for $25.00? That is the cost of my Starbucks unsweetened almond milk latte every single day this week!
It is just not in our human DNA to waste money (well for most of us anyways). So if you pay for your workout in advance, chances are you are going to have a much harder time bailing on it. Here are a few ways to pay for it in advance: sign up for a group class with a cancellation fee, pay for a package of personal training sessions, sign up in advance for an online streaming service, pay in advance for a time-specific challenge (like a special 30 days boxing challenge or something).
I do recognize that, for a lot of us, we can’t make fitness a financial commitment, and can only workout from home using what we have. Try and come up with some sort of reward system if this is the case for you. Maybe on the days you workout, you get to buy yourself a coffee, or if you stick to the schedule you set out in advance, you can reward yourself with a new sports bra or pair of running tights.
Find a way to have some skin in the game so that you aren’t relying on self-motivation alone.
4. Treat Your Workout Like an Appointment
I know, I know, you’ve heard this one a million times. But I can’t stress enough how effective this is. BUT, this isn’t just about the physical action of putting your workout in your calendar, because anyone can do that. This is a shift in mindset.
I’m all for the colour-coded calendar and live by my google cal. Every single Sunday, I spend some time planning my workouts for the week, putting them in my agenda, and obviously colour-coding them flamingo pink. But this is not what keeps me committed.
It is the mindset that my workouts are just as important as anything else in my calendar including doctors appointments, business meetings and dates with friends. So that means I book everything and anything around my workouts. After all, I didn’t just spend all that time going through my schedule and plugging it into the calendar just to move things at the drop of a hat.
I have to stress that this takes practice. It takes practice saying no. No I cannot come to that girls dinner on Wednesday night because I have pilates. No I cannot hop on that noon conference call because I signed up for kickboxing. No one even needs to know why you can’t attend these things.
Obviously, our schedules need to get moved around from time to time, but whenever you are about to move that workout, I want you to think of it the same way you would have to move a doctor’s appointment. That you will need to pick up the phone, call the receptionist, sit on hold, etc. etc. This should be your mindset around your workouts.
So get realistic. Can you spend an hour in the gym every single day, seven days a week? Maybe, maybe not. But you have to think about it: This includes travel time there and back. Showering and getting ready after. These are the factors you need to consider. Once you understand what your workout is, whether it’s going for a run down the street or a spin class 20 minutes away, account for all the factors and book it in so it makes sense in your schedule. Then respect that appointment like you would anything else.
5. Find Your Why
This is the least tangible but the most important tip I have. We are going to have to dig a little deep here.
The fact is, you need to have a purpose. What is all this planning and committing for? What is the point of these early wake ups? These sore muscles? This time?
You need to find your why.
This ‘why’ will likely change and shift over time. At the beginning, my why was simply to drop a little weight and look better. But overtime, I started to notice amazing changes like fewer headaches and a stronger immune system. You can read more about my journey in my first ever blog post here. Then my why was to get better at cardio. That eventually shifted from improving so I can teach and make a career out of it. And once again, my why has shifted to having a healthy pregnancy and being a good role model one day for my daughter.
I encourage you to take out a pen and paper right now, and jot down five reasons why you want to make working out a part of your lifestyle. You can either stick it somewhere you can see daily or put it away somewhere safe and pull it out in three months from now.
From time to time, check in on these five points. Maybe you’ve progressed so much and your why has shifted. Or maybe you weren’t able to commit this time around, and re-reading your purpose will inspire you to try again. The point is, you can schedule and plan as much as you want, but if you don’t fully understand why you want to make working out a habit, it might never become one.
I have to stress again that these five things didn’t just come to me over night or all at once. It took me a lot of time, trial and error. A lot of different workouts, planning, committing, bailing, losing money, letting people down, letting myself down, the list goes on. So I don’t want you to be hard on yourself if you decide you are going to make working out a habit and it doesn’t stick right away. After all, it took me over a year for fitness to become a part of me.
But as I said before, I truly believe fitness can be enjoyable and can be a habit you stick to forever. You just need to put in the work to get there and not give up on yourself.