Get Moving!

By Siew Ching

Feeling lazy to hit the gym? Here are six ways to motivate yourself to exercise.

Exercise is good for your health. Since we all know this, why is it so hard to start exercising or maintain a regular workout routine? As much as we know that sweating it out is good for us, sometimes we’d rather be on the couch scrolling through TikTok or watching Netflix. That’s why a survey shows that 50% of those who joined a gym in January cancel their membership within the first six months of starting (are you one of them?)!

But the health benefits of regular exercise trumps all so if you need some motivation to get up from that couch and onto the treadmill, here are six for you to consider.

#1 Start slow
You don’t have to full-on train for a marathon! That’s one sure way to give up on the routine even before it even becomes one. Instead, take it easy. Start by running for 15 minutes. Then slowly build this up to 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes and before you know it, you’ll be running an hour twice a week. Your body – and mind! – would have gotten so used to this routine you’ll feel odd not doing it.

#2 Establish what it is that you want to achieve with your workout
If you want to meet more people while exercising, you might want to consider joining a spin class. If you want to achieve more Zen and focus, yoga or lap swimming may just do the trick. Tired of feeling weak? Try Pilates or the gym for body strengthening. When you set what it is that you want to achieve with your workout, you are more likely to keep at it and see through the programme for results.

#3 Plan ahead
Having a clear workout schedule will help you stick to your training. Mark it down in your calendar – swim on Tuesdays, yoga on Thursdays. When you’ve planned it out, you’re more likely to ensure that your schedule fits this workout programme.

#4 Keep it varied
Variety, even in exercise, is the spice of life. Instead of just running or hitting the gym, try a varied workout routine. You can combine activities like jogs around the park, pilates, spinning and aerobics – whatever it is that you enjoy. So long as you’re not approaching your workout thinking “Urgh, so boring to run again.” One way to try out different classes is to sign up for ClassPass, which gives you a variety of workout classes to sign up for without any real commitment so you can really have a mashup in terms of workout activities.

#5 Get a fitness tracker
These things can be so addictive – and motivating! Seeing how many calories you’ve burnt and how many steps a day you take will make you want to do more. You’ll be hooked to working out in no time when you’re tracking your fitness!

#6 Make it a priority
Don’t make exercise something you do only if you have time. Make time for it! Too often, people slip out of their exercise routine simply because it is not a priority for them. If you have a yoga class on Thursday evenings, don’t make plans with friends. Staying dedicated to your workout routine means seeing fitness as a huge part of your life and not a by the way.

Photo by George Pagan III on Unsplash.

Share this article: