Our lives today are busier than they’ve ever been. I mean, when was the last time you really had time for yourself?
With all the deadlines to meet, bills to pay, and kids to care for – it’s hard to find the motivation to work out in the morning, and the time to spend on your health and fitness. On the one hand, you wish things were different, and on the other, you wouldn’t have it any other way. So how to find balance amongst the chaos?
The good news is, you can create the motivation for fitness yourself. You just need a few workout motivation tips up your sleeve…
1. Log-off Social Media
Did you know that the average U.S. citizen spends around 7 hours a month on Facebook alone? That works out to 105 minutes a week, or 15 minutes a day. And that’s not including other social media platforms such as Snapchat, Twitter, Pinterest, and more.
That’s valuable time you’re spending doing essentially nothing. Now, you don’t have to banish FB entirely, but try to limit your use to two short sessions a day, then log out and stay off. Turn off notifications to avoid the temptation.
If you’re a computer based junkie, try using an app called “News Feed Eradicator for Facebook” – a Chrome extension that blocks your newsfeed in Facebook so you can get work done distraction free.
Genius!
2. Plan Your Day in Advance
There are certain times of the day when we’re most productive. Schedule your important tasks for that time – 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. for most people.
As simple as it may seem, this can be a game changer for creating motivation to work out in the morning. With a plan of what needs to be done, you can do a workout knowing that you’ve created the time for it, and you’re confident you can get results as you’re avoiding working on important tasks during a natural low point in your energy (normally around mid-afternoon).
3. Record TV Shows
If you didn’t already know, a typical hour-long TV show contains 40 to 42 minutes of advertisement-free content. By the time you watch two shows, that’s almost 40 minutes wasted watching commercials – which can be avoided if you record them and skip the commercials.
How does this motivate you to work out in the morning? You get to bed earlier when you can skip commercials!
The key to working out in the morning is to first get out of bed energized – difficult ot do when you’ve been up watching late-night commercials. Invest in a digital TV recorder so you can watch what you want, when you want. Almost everyone has a PVR nowadays so they’re becoming ever more affordable.
4. Don’t Procrastinate
Is it really that important that your place is spotless before you leave the house? Can the dishes go into the dishwasher for later? Is there an easy, fast, customized meal plan you can use for breakfast that reduces your time?
Avoid erroneous home tasks which take away your time and opt for solutions that “get the job done” instead. And when it comes to choosing a workout, go for something that gives you maximal results in the shortest time possible – like a HIIT workout, Tabata workout, or good old sprint trining in the park.
5. Prepare Yourself the Day Before
It’s easy to hit the snooze on the alarm, using the “I’m just not ready” excuse. Combat this by setting out your clothes and shoes the night before.
While I’ve talked about planning your day, you need to plan your morning so there are NO OPTIONS but for you to follow through. Lay out your workout clothes the night before (along with your shoes), and follow a healthy meal plan which is prepared and ready to go in the fridge.
Doing significant planning steps like this the day before will help you avoid indecisiveness and move on quickly to your workout, and your day.
6. Get Up Earlier
Many people won’t like to hear it, but it’s vital to get out of bed earlier to create workout time and the motivation to work out in the morning. And getting up earlier isn’t as hard as you may think.
Start by setting your alarm 15 minutes earlier and stick to it, even on your rest day. This is important to build a habit and to adjust your sleep cycle so that, after about a week, you won’t feel so groggy when you wake. Trust me, it does get easier. You just need to practice.
And the beauty of an early rise is that it has numerous flow-on effects. You can use your extra time to get to the office earlier than usual, leaving extra time for yourself later in the day.
Over to you. How do you motivate yourself to work out, and are there any tips and tricks you can share? I’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below.
