How to Motivate Fitness

Motivation is often the missing ingredient. People may join a gym, buy new training shoes or fabulous leggings, yet struggle to maintain a consistent exercise routine.

Photo by Tom Radetzki on Unsplash

Motivation comes from the Latin word movere, which means to move or energize.

To get going, you need to figure out what gets you going.

Motivation plays a crucial role in exercise. It can be categorized as intrinsic, which comes from within, or extrinsic, which involves others. Understanding these categories can help you identify what works best for you.

Intrinsic motivations are those that come from within. This could be the personal satisfaction of completing a 5K race, the desire to improve your health or the enjoyment of the exercise itself. For instance, you might exercise because it boosts your mood or helps you achieve a personal fitness goal.

Extrinsic motivation involves others. You may do something to win a competition or an award. You may be positively motivated to keep up with your partner. Conversely, you might be negatively motivated by someone nagging you to get fit.

People often recommend setting goals when writing about motivation. While I find knowing why you are pursuing fitness helpful, I find goals too far out in the future to be useful daily.

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon argues that goal setting offers room for a feeling of failure.
​She recommends instead “setting the standards necessary for you to reach your future self who embodies strength, inside and out.”​

Intentions, habits, and discipline are more helpful.

An intention is something present in my mind as I approach the activity. I feel like this meets Dr. Lyon’s recommendation to set the standards. In my current moment, I am working on grip strength, for example. Yes, the underlying goal is to improve grip strength, but I focus on the work at hand, pun intended.

I notice this difference the most strongly with my biggest challenge. I have a crummy right knee. It is arthritic. It is somewhat deformed. I have a limp. Luckily, I don’t have pain. I have a sense of instability but don’t stumble or fall. Yet. I am aware that my right knee’s days are numbered. I will have a consultation with a knee replacement surgeon soon because I want to know when to schedule the change. In the meantime, I use my knee daily. I squat deeply, do bird dogs, reverse Nordics, bridge, plank, and other maneuvers to maintain and expand mobility, strengthen the connecting muscles and fascia, and stay functional. I have the future goal of restoring a more functional knee; I have the daily intention of strength and mobility.

Following Dr. Lyon’s advice, developing consistent habits is more beneficial than fixating on distant goals. Habits make actions automatic, like brushing your teeth twice daily without much thought. The key is establishing fitness habits that seamlessly integrate into your daily routine.

Discipline plays a crucial role in this process. It’s about consistently performing the actions necessary to achieve and maintain fitness.

Incorporating small, manageable actions into your routine can nurture motivation. For example, you might park further away from your destination to get extra steps or practice balance exercises while brushing your teeth.

Motivation can be cultivated.

You can find simple ways to get moving, such as parking away from your destination and walking. You can also work on your balance when brushing your teeth or waiting for the water to boil. It is helpful to put my longer workouts on my calendar. Set a doable schedule. You might like a 30-to-60-minute session or three 10-minute workouts. You can make your workouts social. You could plan a walk with a friend, a tennis game or pickleball. If you need to meet with someone, can you talk and walk?

Incorporating a reward system can reinforce your commitment. After a week of consistent workouts, treat yourself to a movie or schedule a massage after a month of regular exercise.

Finding and maintaining motivation is essential for achieving fitness goals. You can sustain a rewarding exercise routine by focusing on daily intentions, building effective habits, and applying discipline. Stay positive and cool it on the judgment. Keep yourself engaged and motivated by feeding the components necessary for a healthy, active lifestyle.