Juggling between work commitments, social events and family obligations, adding something else to your plate, can feel daunting. The next thing you know is that what started as a busy week lasted more than you imagined. And you end up missing out on something really fun – a workout. Now that you might not have hit the gym in a series of months, you will find yourself fishing for a million excuses to call off your sweat session every day. Blame it on anything, but you’ll find it hard to get yourself out of the workout rut to create a lasting workout routine. So, let us help you with some tips on how to motivate yourself to workout.

Health Shots got in touch with Dr Kamna Chhibber, a clinical psychologist and head of mental health and behavioural sciences at Fortis Healthcare, to find out some move-more tips to get you into action. After all, you can’t neglect the benefits of workout.

Tips to help you motivate yourself for a workout

1. Do a mindset shift

We all workout for a reason, mostly to keep ourselves mentally and physically fit. So, on lazy sunny days, when you find yourself lounging for hours without numbers, don’t just lose sight of the bigger picture of hitting the gym. Working out regularly adds value to your life, and we should always hold on to the value that working out has for you.

2. Don’t forget your personal goals

When we start working out, we all have some goals to achieve in terms of our bodies. For some, it could be building stamina or shedding weight and for others, it could be gaining some muscle. So, when we find ourselves lazying around when it’s time for the gym session, we should remind ourselves of our personal goals. Dr Chhibber says, “Remind yourself of the reasons that are of personal relevance to you.”

3. Always start small to keep yourself motivate for a workout

When you have lost the momentum of a regular workout, sticking to bigger goals might seem like a far cry. Always set smaller, achievable targets and then progress to the bigger ones. The experts suggests you to start by taking baby steps of giving yourself very achievable targets to workout. “This can be either a short duration daily or a few days in a week, and then build it up”, advises Dr Chhibber. Here’s how to make fitness goals achievable.

4. Celebrate your wins

If you go all out and dig for reasons to workout, you will automatically feel motivated to hit the gym. When you have gathered all the courage to restart your regular workout regimen, don’t forget to give yourself that much-needed pat on the back. Appreciating and celebrating yourself for having done your workout the way you had planned gives you the reinforcement to do better next time.

5. Try buddy workout

Going to the gym alone might feel monotonous at the start. With no one to tag along with, you might tend to slip into the feeling of discouragement. In that case, you can ask one of your friends to join you, and you can use the support to motivate you to keep up with the routine.

Now use these workout motivation tips and see the difference!