Blogger Highlight: The Foodie Runner’s 6 Tips For Fitness Motivation

by proformadmin · Published November 13, 2017 · Updated October 30, 2019

“What keeps you motivated?” This is a question that runners and fitness enthusiasts get all the time. I hear it quite often myself, and my response is always the same, “I love it!” While this answer is simple, it is hard for others to apply to their lives and fitness routines. Today I want to expand on my simple answer, and give you some tips on how to ramp up your fitness motivation level.

6 Tips For Fitness Motivation

1. Find an activity that you love!

For me, that activity is running, but I don’t think that everyone has to be a runner. Some people just don’t like running and it hurts others’ knees. When you love your fitness routine, you are much more likely to be consistent and stick with it. So, whether it’s hiking or Crossfit, cycling, or Zumba, find YOUR activity!

2. Schedule your exercise into your day/week.

Every Sunday I sit down with my calendar and look at the runs/workouts I have to complete in the following week. I pencil in the time each day that I will workout and what run I will be doing. Having my workouts written down in my calendar with all of the other things that I have to get done that week helps me to treat my training as a “must” and not a “maybe”.

Scheduling my exercise ahead of time allows me to find workarounds for any roadblocks I may encounter throughout the week. If my husband has to work on a Saturday and I have an 8 mile run scheduled, it helps to know ahead of time that I’ll be doing that run on the treadmill. Luckily, we have our Pro 2000 treadmill in the guest room always ready for some nap-time miles!

It also helps to figure out what time of day you are most motivated and schedule your workouts for those times. For me, that is in the morning, but my husband loves working out at night. When you know your preference and work with it instead of fighting against it, it will be easier to stick with your routine.

3. Follow a plan/hire a Coach depending on your specific goals.

My weekly workouts from Tip #2 come from my running coach. Having a coach keeps me motivated in so many ways. He plans out my training, which frees up some of my time from thinking about training, and having someone that I’m reporting my workouts to, holding me accountable. There are definitely some days I was feeling particularly unmotivated, but knowing I would have to tell him if I didn’t do the workout gave me the motivation kick I needed to get it done!

Did you know that iFit® has coaches that can create a personalized fitness plan just for you? I thought this was the coolest thing when I heard about it because I know, from personal experience, that not being sure of what workouts to do can be a major hurdle in actually working out. I can’t tell you how many times friends or family have told me that they want to start working out, but they just don’t know where to start or what to do. If that’s you, I highly recommend checking out iFit; having a plan will take the guesswork out of your workouts and keep you motivated!

4. Find something special to watch/listen to while you workout.

Reserving a certain playlist, TV show, audiobook, or podcast only for when you are working out can be VERY motivating! I look forward to my long run every week because I know that I have my favorite running podcast “I’ll Have Another with Lindsey Hein” waiting for me in my Podcast feed! If you are motivated by music, make a playlist of your favorite tunes, and only let yourself listen to it when you are exercising!

5. Set performance goals to work towards.

If you are only exercising to lose weight or “look better”, it can be really easy to lose motivation if you aren’t seeing change or progress as fast as you’d like. I always encourage people to set performance goals for themselves and their fitness. Whether this is running a personal best at a certain distance, lifting a certain amount of weight, or being able to play tag with your kids – set a goal and remind yourself of that goal every time you don’t feel like working out!

6. Switch things up from time to time.

Right now, I’m nearing the end of a marathon training cycle. One thing that’s kept me motivated through this cycle is the big goal I’m working towards for this race. Another factor that enabled me to maintain a high-motivation level for the past 15 weeks is that I’m not constantly in marathon training mode. Before I started this cycle I was training for 5Ks and 10Ks – this involved a lot less mileage, more weight lifting, and much different workouts. After I cross the marathon finish line, I’ll switch it up again and have a month or so where I’m resting/recovering from the marathon and doing physical activities that I love, but don’t have the time or energy during the 4 months of marathon training, like swimming, hiking, and playing tennis with my husband. Switching up your routine from time to time keeps things fresh and interesting and guarantees you won’t get bored with your fitness routine!

Author: The Foodie Runner

Stay tuned, the Foodie Runner shares her 5 tips to stay active during the holidays!

DISCLAIMER: This post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. ProForm assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article. Always follow the safety precautions included in the owner’s manual of your fitness equipment. Children under 13 and pets should not be on, around, or use ICON fitness equipment for safety reasons. See user’s manual.

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Foodie Runner is not an employee or affiliate of ProForm, and has not been compensated for her story. Opinions are solely hers, and may or may not be shared by ProForm.