Have you ever stood in front of the mirror and held your belly in your hands?
And when you let go of your belly, do you watch yourself in disgust as it wobbles a few times before coming to a standstill?
Do you like what you see?
Of course, you don’t.
All of us want to look good and feel good.
We want washboard abs and toned legs that seem to stretch forever in perfect definition.
But hardly any of us ever do something to achieve those dreams.
Think of it, how many of us will ever have the opportunity to boast of having perfect six pack abs at some point in our entire lives?
How to get motivated to exercise
Take a good look at yourself. Are you happy with the person you see in the mirror?
Getting the motivation to exercise is all in your own head.
If you make up your mind to stick with your exercise regime and a healthy lifestyle, you’d definitely feel better, look sexier, and live a lot longer.
If you want to know how to get motivated to exercise, you need to understand the power of acceptance. A cigarette smoker will never quit unless he realizes how badly his lungs are damaged. And similarly, an overweight or obese person will never get motivated to exercise unless they realize that they have a serious problem dealing with their weight.
Learn to accept your flaws. Acceptance is the first step that leads to motivation.
And once you accept that you’re not happy with the way you look in the mirror, it’s time to get motivated! [Read: Tips to love yourself more]
25 tips to get motivated to work out
Yes, working out is hard. In fact, it can feel like a gargantuan task to begin with. But what you have to understand is that all you need is just a few months of exercise to battle all those years of bad diets and high calories you’ve consumed mindlessly.
Wouldn’t you love your physique if you could work out for under an hour a day, eat healthy and look like a million bucks in about six months?
Isn’t it worth it? Isn’t all that confidence, sex appeal and defined cheekbones worth the effort? [Read: How gaining weight affects your relationship with others]
If you’re looking for ways to get motivated to exercise, here are 25 tips that can help you get motivated and stick to your workout all the way.
#1 Answer this big question truthfully. Don’t you want to look good? Why are you holding back from achieving your full potential when all you need is a few sacrifices that may eventually start to become a positive addiction that’ll favor you in every possible manner?
#2 Pick up an old pair of jeans. It’s always easy to see how time and bad eating habits have affected us by just picking up an old pair of now-tight-jeans. Try fitting into your favorite pair of jeans and make up your mind to fit comfortably back into it.
#3 Look at your old snaps. Almost all the time, you’d have a better defined face, higher cheekbones and a sexier body in your old photographs.
#4 Don’t change your life overnight. Don’t ever overdo your exercise regime. Start slow and spend a few weeks warming up to this new lifestyle change. If you try too hard too fast, chances are, you’ll burn out and hate working out in no time.
#5 Compare yourself. Do any of your friends have a body to die for? If you have a friend or an acquaintance that has an incredible physique, secretly tell yourself everyday that you’d want to have a better physique than that friend. [Read: 10 golden rules of the gym]
#6 Hold your fat areas in your hands. It’s an insulting thing to do to yourself. But it’s the easiest way to see just how fatty you actually are. Do you still want to look the same way for several more years before you start working out?
#7 Watch a few before and after videos on youtube. There are thousands of proud fitness freaks who didn’t all start out looking like Greek gods and goddesses who’ve uploaded their videos and stories online. Watch it and inspire yourself.
#8 Learn from experiences. Speak to a friend who had to deal with being overweight once upon a time. Or read experiences of people online who have transformed their lives after just a few months of working out.
#9 Don’t expect magical results. This is a big mistake that most people come to face when they begin a new workout. They work out for 30 days and expect miracles. Seriously, you piled all that weight over several years. Do you really expect all of that to vanish in four weeks? And another thing you need to remember here, there’s no such thing as spot reduction. [Read: How to look sexy without trying to look sexy]
#10 Pick up a calorie counter. Even a sugar coated donut can pack in several hundred calories. While you don’t really have to avoid all foods you like, it would feel good to watch your calories burn away as you work out. Strapping on a heart rate monitor and calorie counter watch on your wrist while exercising will always motivate you to burn more calories, one calorie at a time.
#11 Buy a dress that’s two to four sizes smaller. Start exercising and once every week, on your rest day, try putting your dress on and see if it fits better. A few months down the lane, you’d see that your once-tight dress would feel just perfect to wear and walk down the street.
#12 Get a workout buddy. A workout buddy can do wonders for your motivation to exercise. Not only will both of you push each other, but there’ll also be a lot of competition in the air to look fitter than the other person.
#13 Show off your results to people that matter. If you find yourself getting slimmer or more buffed, stand in front of the mirror and share your thoughts with a loved one. Sometimes, all you need is someone else to notice your improvement to feel better and get more motivated to exercise. [Read: 16 do’s and don’ts to make your boyfriend want you more]
#14 Take before and after pictures. Start off by taking a before picture of yourself. And once you start exercising, take a new set of after pictures every month. Give it a few months for the changes to kick in and compare your photos. Chances are, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see the new you.
#15 Eat healthy. Eat more. Stock up your refrigerator with fresh fruits and vegetables. You’ll feel light and great after every single meal. And your skin will be glowing and radiant in just a couple of weeks. Isn’t that worth the effort?
#16 Don’t starve yourself. You need a lot of energy to work out and exercise. By starving yourself, you’ll end up feeling fatigued and tired all the time, which will only discourage you further.
#17 Don’t go on crash diets. Most women love a crash diet when they see one. But all a crash diet does is starves your body of calories and nutrients. Instead of losing your fat, you’ll end up breaking down your muscles and shrinking them. Your body will go into starvation mode and save all the fat instead of burning it down when you exercise. [Read: Tips to increase your stamina]
#18 Watch and work out. Cardio workout videos are the best kind of burn your fat without beefing you up. If your intention is to lose weight and look toned and ripped, watch a few workout videos and follow the steps. Watching the good looking fitness experts will motivate you to look lean and fit, just like they do.
#19 Plan for big events. Commit to preparing yourself for a big event that may come up in a few months like a wedding or a reunion. But give yourself at least four to six months to see a better transformation.
#20 Choose a great playlist. For some people, good music can help motivate and energize them during a workout. Pick an adrenalin inducing workout playlist, push play and work your butt off.
#21 Mark your calendar. Motivate yourself by marking the number of days you work out by crossing out the days when you completed a perfect full workout. It’ll definitely push you further to exercise harder and more regularly.
#22 Switch workouts. Too much of the same thing can be boring. Buy a few workout DVDs and switch between them every few weeks. It’ll help your body get an all-round workout and avoid any chances of you getting bored of the repetitive exercises. And you’ll also be excited to try new exercises all the time.
#23 Buy attractive workout attire. Working out is all in the head, but when you look good while working out, you’ll work harder to get rid of those ugly areas.
#24 Join an online community. Online communities can be a great help when it comes to motivating you to exercise. After all, there are several other people in the community who experience the same problems as you. Share your issues, get inspired, motivate each other and grow as individuals. [Read: Laptops and its shocking impact on your health]
#25 Measure yourself. Don’t always weigh yourself. Weighing yourself may seem like the right thing to do to see success, but more often than not, using a measuring tape can reveal better results. One pound of muscle takes less space than one pound of fluffy fat. On regular weight checks, you may weigh the same because your fat is being burned and replaced by muscle, which may discourage you. Instead, measure your body at different positions and you’ll see how much you would have shrunk in less than a few months.
If you’re looking for ways to get inspired and motivated, just use these 25 tips on how to get motivated to exercise and you’ll end up feeling better on the inside and looking a lot better on the outside.
