5 Unique Workout Motivation Strategies

This blog is dedicated to sharing 5 new motivational strategies that will fire you up for your workouts! With these plus our "3 Ways to Increase Your Exercise Motivation" post, you should be well equipped with ways to keep yourself motivated to exercise.

Let’s rock and roll!

#1: Recite a Pre-Workout Mantra

What do you say to yourself before a workout? Our inner dialogue has a strong influence over our state of mind and motivation. How many times have you talked yourself out of a workout? Try to flip the switch on any negative inner chatter; sometimes our mind follows our words. Choose a positive mantra to get yourself focused and motivated before your workouts! We’ve included a few examples below. Shape your own mantra or give one of these a try.

Sample Mantras:

“My body was made to move!  I can’t wait to workout”

“I am strong!  I am healthy! I am fit!  I am ready to go!”

“I will own this workout – it will be mine!”

“I’m going to feel so good after I crush this workout”

“Strong mind, strong body! Let’s go!”

“I can’t wait to see all my workout buddies at the gym!”

“Wait until my friends see all of the MEPs I’m about to earn!”

#2: Write your MEPs Goals and Keep Them in a Visible Location

Write weekly and monthly MEPs goals in locations where you will see them regularly. We encourage you to plan your workouts in advance each week, if possible. At minimum, have an idea of how many MEPs you would like to earn per workout, week or month. Set these MEPs goals and place them in locations that you pass by regularly. 

Your fridge is a great location. Maybe seeing your MEPs goals before opening the fridge will encourage you to make healthy nutritional choices. Another great spot is your bathroom mirror – rise and shine, it’s MEPpin’ time! Find a good spot at work to keep your MEPs goals in view during the day. And don't forget to celebrate when you hit your MEPs goals!

#3: Write a Workout Contract for Yourself (and Sign It)

Make a commitment to yourself by drafting up a workout contract for the week or month – write down how many times per week you will workout, at what intensity, and include several specific fitness goals for the duration of the contract.

Create different rewards for achieving each of your contract goals. For example, if you meet your frequency goal (the number of days you commit to working out per week), you earn a $25 gift card to your favorite store. If you meet your goal of taking an inch off of your waist measurement, you earn a new pair of workout pants. If you meet your MEPs goal, enjoy a massage.

After drafting the contract complete with specific rewards, sign it like you would a legally binding document. Hold yourself accountable to the contract, and most certainly offer yourself the rewards along the way!

#4: Create a Fitness Vision

You can create your fitness vision in multiple ways. If you're a writer, you can write your fitness vision in narrative form. If you're an artist, you can draw or sculpt your fitness vision. If you're a musician, you can sing about your fitness vision.

Creating a fitness vision includes describing how you will feel, look and act as a result of achieving your workout goals. Take time to clearly identify your specific fitness or workout goals and really think about how you will feel, look and act as a result of achieving your goals. It’s like creating the best version of the future you! 

Enjoy the process and re-visit your fitness vision often for inspiration.

#5: Start Chatter with your Social Connections

Use the MYZONE App to start encouraging conversation with your social connections. Check out what your pals are doing for their workouts and offer them some positive feedback about their progress. You can comment on their MYZONE Status, the intensity, or the duration of their workouts.

Don’t hesitate to ask questions or ask for advice. If you see a social connection who is earning the kind of MEPs you want to be earning, reach out and ask them about their workouts or see if they have any advice. MYZONE has created this community so that we can support and motivate one another in achieving our health and fitness goals.

Keep moving forward!

What motivates you? We’d love to hear from you! We recommend that you try out a variety of motivational methods and find the ones that work best for you. You may find that different strategies work for different types of workouts or moods. 

Tune in during our Fitness Friday broadcast on the MYZONE Facebook Page and share your thoughts with us! Keep adding your workout pictures with your moves in your Activities Calendar and remember to use the hashtags #effortrewarded and #myzonemoves when you post your workout pictures online. 

For more tips on how to use the MYZONE® heart rate monitor and App, follow us during Fitness Fridays on Facebook Live (subscribe on MYZONE’s Facebook Page) – 8 am PT, 11 am ET, and check out our MYZONE® Moves Podcast on iTunes or Google Play.