6 Unorthodox Ways to Motivate Yourself to Workout

I realize that not everyone enjoys working out. And even for those of us who do, there are days you just don’t want to. So, what do you do if you don’t want to work out? Today, I’m going to give you six ways to motivate yourself to workout.

Some people naturally enjoy working out. But for others it takes time.

3 ways to discourage yourself from working out

1. Depend on motivation

Relying on motivation to get you excited about working won’t get you far. You might be motivated to go for a run on a sunny day. But what happens on the other days when it’s cloudy?

Motivation needs to be something you schedule instead of hoping for. Noah talk’s more about how to schedule motivation in a post titled How to Schedule Motivation. You can learn more about it here.

2. Reward yourself with unhealthy incentives

It slays me how many people run through the drive-through on the way home from the gym. Exercise shouldn’t be seen as a balance for unhealthy behavior. 

If you’re working towards a goal, celebrate with a new pair of shoes for the gym or something that will reinforce your commitment to exercise rather than discourage it.

3. Punish yourself

The last thing you want to do, especially when you’re first starting out, is to punish yourself so that you never want to see the inside of a gym again. What I mean is when you’re first starting out don’t hop on the treadmill at an incline and try to run too many miles at too fast of a pace. Ease into it so you can work up to the goal you have in mind.

6 ways to encourage yourself to workout

Now that you know what not to do when trying to encourage yourself to workout, let’s talk about what you can do to encourage yourself.

1. Work on NEAT 

NEAT is an acronym that stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis. This is a great way to promote movement, be more active, and yes, even burn more calories. 

NEAT activities are any form of movement that isn’t labeled “exercise.” This could involve taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking farther away from the store so you have to walk further, and even standing at your desk. Standing is a simple, but powerful way to burn extra calories. In fact, standing burns up to 3x more calories than sitting.

2. Get accountability

Having someone who will hold you accountable is one of the most effective ways to keep you motivated. If you can’t find a time to workout with someone else, then commit to checking in with each other after your workout. You could also join a class or some type of recreational league. 

3. Don’t do the same thing

We’re all creatures of habit, but it can get boring doing the same workout day after day, week after week. Find a way to mix it up: take a class, exercise outdoors, or try something unique like rock climbing. 

4. Have a goal

Setting a goal to work towards is a great way to stay committed. But when you set your goal, make sure it’s specific. Don’t just say, “I want to workout” or “I want to workout more.” Instead say something like, “I’m going to workout X number of times each week at this specific time and at this specific location.” 

You can also set exercise-specific goals. They could include the number of miles you want to run, the time of your run, the number of reps you want to be able to perform for a certain exercise, or the amount of weight you want to be able to lift.

The important thing is that once you set it make sure you track your progress.

5. Take your workout outdoors

Taking your workout outdoors is a great excuse to get outside. After working in an office all day, it can be hard to find the motivation to go hangout inside a gym for another hour or so. 

6. Use the five-minute rule

I have been using the five-minute rule for years. And guess what: it still works! The five-minute rule goes like this: on the days I don’t want to work out I tell myself I only have to workout for five minutes. If after five minutes I want to be done, I can quit. 

But it really never happens. Before the five minutes are up my endorphins have kicked in and I’m committed to the workout. 

Conclusion

Remember, you can’t count on being motivated to workout every time. There will be days when you just don’t feel like doing it. You’ll have days when the alarm goes off and you want to hit snooze instead of going to the gym. Or, depending on when you workout, you’ll leave work and want to head straight for the couch instead of going for a run.

Trust me: you’re not the only one who feels that way. But the important thing is that you don’t do the things that discourage you from working out. Instead, when you’re lacking the motivation to exercise, implement one or more of the six things we talked about to encourage you to workout.