Motivating yourself to workout

It's November, and I have been actively working out for quite some time, but as the fall has fully set in and my mornings and evenings have been getting darker and darker, my motivation has been dwindling. I hit snooze about 100 times this morning before finally rolling out of bed. Even though I'm a personal trainer, I'm still human and not immune to everyday life.

My recent struggle with the snooze button motivated me to write this post. I can't count how many times I have heard someone complain about stopping working out because life got in the way. I have quite a few clients whose main request of me as their trainer is to hold them accountable.

Some of us can't always count on a trainer to get us out of bed, especially if you are me and you ARE the trainer! So what do I do? How do I hack my routine to keep myself motivated? Sometimes, it takes a few minor changes to keep on track. Below are some of my suggestions.

Exercise first thing in the morning:

If I don't exercise in the morning, it will never happen. I have no desire to do any physical activity by about 3 or 4 pm, and I always feel off if I try working out at lunchtime. The best time for me to exercise is between 8 am and 9 am, but with school drop off and pick up bookending my days, I've found working out at 5:30 am to be most effective.

The great thing about working out in the morning is that you get it over with early! You have the rest of the day to focus on other things. When I worked in a corporate office, getting my exercise in early helped set me off on the right foot. It gave me more energy and kept me focused throughout my day, and I also didn't have an excuse to bail if I had to work late!

I'm not the type to immediately jump into my workout routine as soon as I wake up. I usually need at least 30 minutes to sit, drink my coffee, and catch up on emails. I try to set my alarm for an hour before I want to work out and slowly roll out of bed. One thing I have found to be super helpful is the Philips Wake-Up Clock. A sunrise simulation light slowly turns on 30 minutes before my alarm is scheduled to go off. The light alone helps wake me up, especially in those winter months when the mornings are so dark.

Get your workout clothes and accessories ready the night before:

The night before I work out, I set my alarm extra early (in case I hit snooze!), set out my workout clothes and daytime clothes, fill my water bottle and put it in the fridge, get the coffee ready, and lay out any extra gear I need. Not only does this approach help speed things up, but I have fewer excuses for not working out.

Do a different workout:

Over the years, I have discovered that sometimes my motivation to workout starts waning when I'm bored with the same old routine. If I notice my motivation dropping, I usually try to switch things up for a week or two. If I'm not training for something specific, like a race, I typically like to give myself a recovery week after three weeks of challenging workouts. That doesn't necessarily mean that I stop working out, but it does mean that I go a little lighter. Rather than doing a challenging 60-minute strength routine, I might replace it with a yoga session, bike ride, or hike. Doing a circuit run can be a fun change of pace too. For example, I might run on the treadmill for 5-10 minutes to warm up, do 1-minute push-ups, run for 5 minutes, do a 1-minute plank, and so on (run through 3-5 simple bodyweight exercises after each run). Switching things up with a recovery week usually keeps the boredom at bay, and I come back feeling stronger and less tired.

Make a playlist or find a new podcast or video:

I run to music most of the time, but if I'm using the treadmill, I sometimes watch a show or movie. I have watched entire seasons of Grey's Anatomy running on the treadmill. Associating a show, music playlist, podcast, or movie with your cardio workout can motivate you to come back and exercise again. I have made music playlists perfectly timed to specific race distances and progressively sped up in intensity. I don't necessarily focus on the beats-per-minute thing (tons of runners do this). I find music that gets me going.

Exercise with a friend:

For the most part, I like to exercise solo, but there are times when it's been helpful to find someone who will join me for a new class or train for a new fitness goal. Having a workout buddy can be just as valuable as having a trainer to keep you accountable. Your friend will depend on you to be there, and you can't disappoint them.

Reward yourself:

My last suggestion is to find ways of rewarding yourself, and I don't just mean with one big prize once you've hit your exercise goal. I reward myself in little ways all the time! Exercising can burn some serious calories. If you are trying to lose weight, this can be a great way to do it, but I suggest not depriving yourself all the time. In the long term, it's not practical, and your metabolism will probably start taking a hit too. Some days, I eat that ice cream (ok, maybe frozen yogurt), pizza, or a huge homemade burger. I know that if I work out in the morning, I can eat that burger in the afternoon.

Also, if you can afford it, reward yourself with some new workout clothes, gear, or accessories once in a while. Every time you do a workout session, put a few dollars in a jar and buy yourself something nice later. Find ways to add some small rewards to keep you craving more. As soon as I buy a new pair of running shoes, I want to put them on and hit the pavement.

What about you? What are your motivation tips? Comment below.