7 Ways to Boost Your Exercise Motivation
Finding the motivation to break a sweat isn’t always easy. Make embracing physical freedom part of your daily routine with these tips to boost your exercise motivation. Learn 7 ways to boost your exercise motivation today!
Define your Why
The important first step to starting an exercise program is establishing “Why” you want to exercise. Do you want to improve your heart health? Lose weight? Be able to walk around your neighborhood or be able to complete a marathon? A helpful way to establish your “Why”, is to make a SMART goal. SMART goals are:
Specific: be detailed in what you hope to accomplish
Measurable: add metrics (i.e. distance, time, or weight) to your goal to help you better track your progress
Attainable: be realistic in what you hope to accomplish
Relevant: keep your goals in line with what you hope to accomplish
Time-bound: Give yourself a deadline
An example of a SMART goal is: “I will walk for 30 minutes, 5 times per week to be able to complete a community fundraiser 1-mile walk event with my family in 2 months.”
Follow the 3 x 10 rule
Are you not sure how to start a basic exercise program? One simple way to start an exercise program is to follow the “3 x 10 Rule”. The “3 x 10 Rule” starts with you walking for 10 minutes, 3 times a day. Then, you may start to swap out one of the 10- minute walks with other activities such as squats, arm raises, crunches, or jumping jacks. Soon, you will have a total-body workout plan that you can change daily to add variety to your workout.
Use social media
Social media platforms (including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat) are great outlets to find new exercise ideas. There are a variety of accounts to follow that post countless pages of exercise content for all types of exercise. However, be wary of gimmicks, exercise fads, and accounts that set unrealistic expectations for your exercise journey. A great place to start is to follow our Freedom Physical Therapy pages on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter to find many exercise ideas. Additionally, if you are interested, you may post your exercise goals and exercises on your account to help you track your progress.
Put it on your calendar
To better hold yourself accountable and keep track of your progress, make an exercise calendar. Then, as you complete exercises each day, cross them off to show what you have accomplished!
Find an exercise partner
Another accountability strategy is to find a friend or family member who is interested in exercising with you. This is a great way to hold yourself and your exercise partner accountable to complete exercises. If you are someone who prefers to exercise alone, you may find benefit from simply sharing your exercise plan with a loved one who can help you stay on track and who will celebrate your accomplishments with you.
Do what you love
A common question asked to PTs is “what type of exercise should I do?” Often, the best exercise for you is an exercise that you enjoy doing! Finding a type of exercise that is fun for you gives you a higher chance of staying consistent with your exercise program for the long term.
Meet with a personal trainer / PT
If you are seeking guidance on your exercise program, it may be useful to set up a consultation with a personal trainer or a physical therapist to help you further your success towards your goals.
No matter what your exercise motivation is, finding what works best for you will ensure better success. If you are looking for a PT or personal trainer to help get you started on your exercise journey, reach out to Freedom Physical Therapy where we have Physical Therapists and Personal Trainers ready to help you.