How do I stay motivated to exercise every day?
This is a question that I have grappled with over the years.
I have maintained an exercise routine for most of my adult life, however, there have been lulls at some point each year.
Before embarking on this journey I read Atomic Habits by James Clear to help me figure out how to stay on track.
I have always wanted to exercise every day, and that has been a goal since the beginning of the year. However, it wasn’t until I truly took stock of my exercise past and applied the techniques from Atomic Habits that I became successful.
How do I Stay Motivated?
First, I had to stop trying to do types of exercise I do not enjoy.
In the past, the lure of quick changes to my body has had me trying to stay consistent through HIIT, jumping rope, dance fitness, and a plethora of other activities I do not enjoy.
Now, I let all of that go in favor of the types of exercise I do enjoy: yoga, running, and weight lifting are much more attractive to me than any other type of fitness.
I will willingly participate in those types of exercises every day.
Second, I bought equipment and a cheap gym membership.
I bought a new pair of running shoes, renewed my AloMoves subscription, and joined a gym close to my home.
I will never take living in an apartment with a gym for granted again.
Third, I am a goal-oriented person.
When I have something to work toward, I find completing the workouts to get there quite satisfying.
I set three short term goals related to my favorite types of fitness:
* I signed up for a 10k, a half marathon, and a marathon at intervals to keep me training for a full year.
*I purchased a few weight training programs to complete and track my progress via fitness logs and photos.
*I am working toward being able to do the full Ashtanga primary series at least once a week.
Fourth, Accountability works every time.
Much of my running in the past six years has involved Black Girls Run!
They were built in accountability partners.
I know one of the best ways to keep me honest is to create an external system for accountability. Hence, my new Instagram page focused on tracking my daily workouts.
Thus far, having to post on that page forces me to decide to execute some type of fitness daily.
Cute clothes don’t hurt either
Shortly before I began this challenge, I purchased enough fitness clothing to last seven days without washing.
To be clear, I never go for seven days without washing my exercise clothing, but I took away that excuse. Also, I set out a fresh set of clothes for the next day each night.
Since I took stock of my habits and put into practice the theories in Atomic Habits, I have been consistent.
Exercising every day seems like such a monumental task, but I have found that when you take away the barriers and find how to make a part a routine, it becomes just another part of the day.
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