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Earlier this year I found out that my right hip is slowly deteriorating, which means some day in the future I will most likely have to have a hip replacement.  It started hurting at the end of last year and I thought my hip was super sore or I slightly pulled a muscle. Now that I know of my problem, I have  been pulling back a little on my workouts, modifying the movements and not working out as much because of the pain. It has been pretty frustrating and has made it hard for me to get motivated to workout. Last year I was on a huge workout kick where I was exercising  4-6 days a week, sometimes even twice a day, now I only workout 3 times a week. I feel the effects on my body from not being as active. Now I am trying to get back on track with my health– I have been nursing my hip pain for far too long. The break, or cut back, was definitely necessary as I relearn my body and it’s capability of what I can and can not do during a workout, but I have allowed this excuse to skip days when I should be more active. Since it takes a little more effort for me to get motivated these days, I thought I would share tricks and tips on what gets me to the gym.

1)  I feel better! When I am not in the mood to workout, I remind myself of how it makes me feel when I do. When I exercise I feel better about my body and my health as well as having a lot of energy. When I do not workout, I become a little bit of a beyotch. I also love to exercise, so reminding myself that this is something I love to do that makes me feel great, I know I will not regret going.
2) Whenever I am on am exercise kick I tend to live a healthier lifestyle. I will lean more towards veggies and leans meats when I am active. When I am not on this kick, I lean towards comfort foods, making me feel sluggish and even worse about not being active and healthy.
3) I use my stress to hit the gym. When I am the most stressed out, that is when I perform the best at the gym because all I want to do is punch, kick, jump, scream at something. Working out gets all of my aggression and anger out. It is cheaper than therapy. Next time you are stressed out about work or a relationship or everyday life, try going for a run or to a body pump class–I find when I am stressed I want a more aggressive workout.
4) Just go, it is all about mind control. It is easier than you think. When I am on the fence about working out for the day, I don’t think about it, I just get dressed and go. Once you are already in the motion of going to the gym, it will make it much easier to get into a mind frame of working out.  It is all about what you think–change your “I don’ts” to your I do’s”. Repeat in your head, I want to workout, I want to workout…. or “I like to workout, I like to workout”
5) Buying cute workout clothes helps get you motivated. When you look good, you feel good. If I am comfortable and feel that my workout attire flatters me, I want to show it off at the gym. Having cute, workout clothes really does motivate you to go to the gym. I am currently eyeing this top and this top from Lululemon.
6) Still having trouble getting motivated? I use techniques like listening to pumped up music. Music will help get your juices going, wanting to move around and get sweaty. If there is a new song that you are loving, listen to it on full blast. There is also a great app called Fit Radio  that will help you get into the mood.
7) Make yourself accountable for your words,  remember why you are on this track. You started exercising for a reason—loosing weight, getting healthier, a wedding coming up,  a revenge body or because you love it. Whatever the reason is, use it to motivate you to get to the gym. If I am less than enthusiastic about exercising, I remind myself why I love it, why it makes me feel great, how I love myself and my body when I exercise.8) Pick a class that you have to pay for. I find that if I pay for a class and not a gym membership, I am more likely to go because I do not want to waste money. Also most organizations will charge a penalty fee for not showing up or canceling late. Save money, exercise!

9) Use Instagram. Start following fitness gurus on social media platforms, it will always guilt you into going to the gym. While you are stalking perusing Instagram, you will see motivational quotes and pictures of other people at the gym and it will inspire you into going. Whenever I see a friend or a celebrity posting a picture of them running or about to start a fitness class, I think “damn it, now I want to go workout”.

10) Find an exercise that you love. If you are not having fun or loving what you are doing, then of course you are not motivated to workout. Try out different types of workouts until you find the one that works best for you. Exercise is like food, it’s bio-individuality, one workout routine does not work for everyone, so do not go towards a fad, go towards what makes YOU feel good about yourself. I suggest trying out ClassPass. It is a great way to test different exercises to see which one you like best.  It is cheaper than paying for each individual class. Beware! Once you find a routine you love, you will become obsessed and want to do it everyday 🙂

 

 

 

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