How To Motivate Yourself To Exercise & Develop A Positive Mindset
The hardest thing about finding your motivation to exercise is simply knowing where to start. Recognising the positive benefits of exercise on your mental health, your heart and physical wellbeing is a valuable first step – but sometimes that isn’t enough to convince us to lace up and get moving.
What makes the difference isn’t your level of fitness, but your attitude. It’s easy to fall in the trap of focussing on what you can’t do – but we’re hear to tell you that what you can do has so much more power and meaning.
If you hear the word ‘exercise’ and run the other way (hey, you’re still exercising!), have a fitness goal in mind but struggle to progress on it, or find that your mindset is your biggest hurdle – our 13 practical tips will help you rediscover your motivation, shake off negativity and embrace an active lifestyle now and in the future.
1. Be kind to yourself
If your health and fitness has been on the sidelines for a while, your body may have experienced a process called 'deconditioning' or 'detraining' – when your aerobic fitness, endurance and strength deteriorate with inactivity.
Don’t beat yourself up. Instead, know that you can rediscover your fitness at any stage of your life and adapt your workout routine to suit your ability.
A New Year’s Resolution may be exactly what you need to lift up your spirits and shake off negative emotions – because you can do this – you just need to find what drives you. We'll chat about this further down the track.
“A champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall.”- Serena Williams (professional tennis player)
2. Break out of the all-or-nothing mentality
If you’re starting off from a stationary lifestyle, you don’t have to hit the ground running, or else you risk burning out early. It takes time to build momentum, especially from a standstill.
Any physical effort, whether it’s 1 hour or 5 minutes will elevate your physical fitness and mental wellbeing. What’s equally as important as the duration of your exercise is committing to doing it regularly to create healthy habits that stick – ensuring it isn’t just a one-off.
Start small and gradually build intensity or duration – this will help keep you motivated and prevent you from feeling overwhelmed or disheartened.
If you’re stretched for time, break your fitness routine down into smaller sessions - otherwise called mini workouts or 'exercise snacks'. Squeeze it in when you can - do 15 squats while waiting for the toaster to pop, take the stairs instead of the elevator or go for walks on your lunch break.
The great thing about exercise is the more you do it – the more you want to do it. Trust us on this. You’ll want to chase those feel-good endorphins, so much so that if you’re anything like us, you may find yourself dreaming of walking or running in your sleep!
“Winning has nothing to do with racing. Most days don’t have races anyway. Winning is about struggle and effort and optimism, and never, ever, ever giving up.” - Amby Burfoot (marathon runner and author)
3. Seek inspiration
Following the fitness journey of elite athletes can be inspiring – proving there is no finish line to what’s possible. The journey of marathon runner and Commonwealth games gold medallist Jessica Stenson (above) is evidence that motherhood can build mental and physical resilience – being a motivator rather than an obstacle to enjoying an active lifestyle.
“My perspective on life has naturally grown since becoming a mum and with more life experience. I am more excited rather than daunted by high pressure moments as a result.” – Jessica Stenson
Mental health ambassador and Paratriathlete Liam Twomey has shown us that movement and practicing gratitude can be life-changing.
“Gratitude for me is that idea of trying to focus on the positives in life, because despite every day not being perfect there’s always little wins in every day.” – Liam Twomey
You don’t have to look far for inspiration either. Inspiration could be found in the joy your kids have racing around the playground, the excitement of your dog when you take them for a walk, or the positive benefits of running on your own mental health.
4. Choose problem-solving over procrastination
Acknowledge your feelings – anxiety, stress or disappointment - but don’t let negative thought debilitate you or trap you in a spiral of self-doubt. Observe the negative thought or emotion, allow it to sail in and out of your mind like clouds on a breeze, then take action.
Negative thoughts like I'll never be able to lose weight can snag you into a workout slump and become self-fulfilling. Instead, rise to the challenge of proving them wrong - channelling negativity into positive changes.
Physical activities like running, gym training or yoga are empowering - helping you regain control and providing an emotional release to break out of your fitness funk.
"Our running shoes have magic in them. The power to transform a bad day into a good day; frustration into speed; self-doubt into confidence; chocolate cake into muscle." - Mina Samuels (Author of Run Like A Girl)
5. Think positive
Easier said than done, we know!
Although negative motivation (e.g. avoiding an undesirable outcome) may kick-start your progress, positive motivation (e.g. achieving a desirable outcome) is more beneficial to your happiness, wellbeing and creating sustainable motivation in the long-term.
To bust yourself out of your workout blues, tell yourself, I am motivated or I can do this every morning – then act on it. When the going gets tough, let that inner mantra inspire you to unlock your mental strength.
Your attitude is everything. Be your own best fan. In the same way limits are often self-inflicted, motivation can be self-inspired.
6. Shift your perspective & your scenery
Shifting your perspective can trigger a shift in your life.
Exercise is too commonly compared with brushing your teeth – a habit you need to do for your health, but not for enjoyment. What many people forget is that exercise doesn’t have to be confined to the four walls of a gym or take the form of a sweaty bootcamp. Exercise really is what you make of it.
If the word ‘exercise’ doesn’t work for you, retire that term and focus on what you enjoy. You could be swimming in the waves on a sunny day, trail running in an awe-inspiring national park, walking to the local café or enjoying rejuvenating yoga exercises. Whatever you love to do, the main thing is that your body is moving.
If you have little athletes, adventurous activities – whether it’s surfing, kayaking, indoor rock climbing, dancing or horse riding – can help motivate your kids to exercise and integrate your fitness and family life. Working out with the kids as a form of adventure or play busts the common 'no time for exercise' excuse while building healthy foundations for them to enjoy an active life.
“Surfing has played a major role in my journey, as the ocean is my one escape, the one place where I forget about everything and wash away my worries. It really is a therapy that is so refreshing for the mind, body, and soul." - Britanni Nicholl (Australian surfer and Crohn’s & Colitis ambassador)
7. Make a date with yourself
Exercise can be your sanctuary – giving you an opportunity to practice mindfulness, tune out from work and social stresses and tune into your own self-care.
If possible, surround yourself with a positive support network – friends and family that encourage you to take care of your mind and body – whether it’s through supportive words or giving you a hand taking care of the kids so you have time for… well you. If it’s tricky to lace up or find motivation on a whim, schedule in your workout with yourself and family, and add it as a reminder on your phone.
For many of us, taking a moment to prioritise ourselves and enjoy exercise as ‘me’ time comes hand in hand with guilt – but that shouldn’t be the case and it’s OK to let it go. You’re at your best taking caring of others when you’ve taken care of yourself. If exercise makes you feel happier and healthier, that positivity will naturally transfer into your everyday life and uplift everyone you encounter.
For extra motivation, gear yourself up with running headphones to tune into inspirational podcasts or music while exercising. Listening to music on the run can improve your performance and allows your mind to create a positive association with exercise, doubling up on its mood-boosting benefits.
8. Discover what drives you
It’s easy to say you want to lose weight or run regularly. What's difficult is finding the why behind it. There are so many valid reasons - whether it’s to live the active lifestyle you want to teach your kids or simply to feel fitter, healthier and more energised in your own skin to support your physical and mental health.
Although measurable goals like I want to lose 10kg or I want to run a marathon have their own merit to motivate, looking deeper and finding the emotional connection with your goals can be the nudge you need to get moving.
The Sessions could be the opportunity you've been waiting for to challenge yourself, refresh your perspective and develop the mental toolkit you need to discover your passion and achieve your fitness and life goals. It's a self-development experience designed to motivate you through the power of running and reflection, with insightful workshops to help you make the most of the next day, month and year.
The most important thing is to not wait for the perfect moment to start on your goal, as this will keep you trapped in a procrastination spiral. Motivation won’t find you. You must grab it for yourself.
9. When motivation isn’t there, fake it till you feel it
Kick-starting your fitness routine can be a case of fake it till you feel it – get your body moving, put one step in front of the other and the mental motivation will follow.
If you’ve shaken off the procrastination monkey to roll out of bed, lace up and get moving – give yourself a high five and know that your brain will remember the process. With time, this healthy ritual will become second nature.
Some days it’ll feel easy - in fact, it'll feel weird not to move! Other days, exercise will be a struggle – but that’s OK, we all have ups and downs. You can help yourself by freeing yourself of any pressure that can discourage you, while holding yourself accountable simply by doing.
At first, move at a pace you’re comfortable with to allow your body to gradually adapt, and eventually you may be keen – or motivated – to challenge yourself to walk, jog, run... faster, further or more regularly. You'll look back proud that you put in the effort and you'll be rewarded with feel-good endorphins to set a positive tone for the rest of the day.
“Stop waiting for things to happen, go out and make them happen.” - Usain Bolt (sprinter)
10. Visualise immediate action and future success
Visualising the immediate process step by step – from lacing up, warming up to hitting the pavement can help prep your mind and in turn, get your body moving and motivated.
You may prefer to focus on your larger goal – a stronger, healthier you, or perhaps the moment you fly across the finish line of your half marathon. Stepping into that ‘picture’ and allowing the positive emotions to flow through you provides a mood-boosting hit to get your first foot out the door.
A dream begins with imagining possibilities. Seeing it in your mind's eye and having belief in your potential, makes your goal that much more achievable.
11. Create fitness cues
You can give your future-self a hand by preparing for your workout in advance. If you plan to exercise first thing, pack your gym bag or leave your running shoes by your bed the night before to give you that extra nudge to fly out the door.
Instead of giving in to the snooze button, the moment you see your walking shoes, training shoes or running shoes you’ll switch into fitness mode – but you need to stay consistent to help the cues stick.
For coffee lovers, make your morning cuppa a part of your workout ritual rather than using it to procrastinate. Your empty mug can act as a cue to lace up and hit the road or gym.
12. Build a goal staircase
Ticking off each ‘step’ or milestone in your goal staircase is super satisfying and lets you track every accomplishment – because we all need a healthy ego boost now and then. Break up your end goal into specific, measurable and realistic steps, pairing each with a deadline date you’ll aim to complete it by.
Compare your progress to your past self and nobody else. Choose a goal large enough to inspire you while keeping your expectations in perspective to avoid becoming overwhelmed or disheartened if you reach too far too soon.
With persistence, positivity and self-belief, your larger goal will become achievable. Remember it isn’t about perfection but trying, falling and getting up again.
Your half marathon goal staircase might look like this:
- I will run 3 times a week for the next 3 weeks (continuous goal)
- I will run my first 5km
- I will beat my personal best for running 5km
- I will run my first 10km
- I will beat my personal best for running 10km
- I will run my first half marathon
"Set daily, monthly, and long-term goals and dreams. Don't ever be afraid to dream too big. Nothing is impossible. If you believe in yourself, you can achieve it." - Nastia Liukin (artistic gymnast)
13. Be self-inspired!
Celebrate yourself for completing each workout, discover the power in your body and mind you never knew you had and wear your sweat with pride.
Be inspired from within and let every obstacle you overcome exhilarate you – even if that obstacle is breaking free from a negative mindset that’s been holding you back. It is tough to shake off negativity, and it can take conscious effort to retrain your brain to embrace optimism, but it's so rewarding when you're on the other side.
The great thing about exercise is it helps you build a positive mindset - which motivates you to exercise - which helps build a positive mindset. With every step you're not only improving your physical health, but your self-esteem, confidence and gratitude for yourself, your body and the world around you.
It only takes one step to start a journey and a whole lot of twists and tumbles to finish it, but in the process of falling and fighting on, you'll find the best of yourself.
“I’m so proud of myself. Not because it was a perfect race or a personal best, because it was neither… I fought all the way to that finish line and that feels damn good.” - Turia Pitt (ultra marathon runner, motivational speaker and author).