Finishing any run, or a session in the gym makes you feel great. There is nothing quite like the post-workout glow. However, thinking about this glow isn't always enough. Sometimes you have to dig deep to find even a little workout motivation.
The real secret to long term working out is actually to build a habit. When something is a habit you simply do it, without even thinking why or whether you should be.
Research suggests that it can take approximately 66 days to build a habit that means workout motivation is essential for 66 days.
Finding workout motivation can seem difficult at times, but it doesn’t have to be. Check out these simple steps and start your journey to a new, fitter, stronger, and more motivated version of yourself.
Ways to Inspire Workout Motivation
The secret to successful workout motivation is to commit to making a change.
Maybe you can’t make all the following changes in one day. But, you can progressively add them into your daily routines and discover a whole new level of motivation.
The best part is that this isn't just workout motivation, it can improve all areas of your life!
Create a Schedule
This is often referred to as chaining. In short, you allocate a time to work out and link this time to something else.
For example, schedule your gym visit for 30 minutes straight after you finish work. Finishing work is something you do every day, if the next thing is 30 minutes in the gym you won’t think about why you’re working out or whether you should be.
It’s simply something you do.
Chaining, or creating a schedule is the best way to make working out a habit. Once you’ve got the habit going workout motivation isn't something you need to worry about!
Download an App
Today there is an app for almost everything and if there isn’t an app already there soon will be. This is a good thing! You can use these apps to help you build workout motivation.
Depending on what your goal is, you may find the following apps useful:
This app is designed to guide you through the steps needed as a new runner, allowing you to be ready to run 5k in just 9 weeks!
It doesn’t just give you the routines to follow, it also gives great motivational tips.
This app works like a personal trainer but at a much cheaper rate! You simply decide your fitness goals and choose which routines you prefer.
The app will then select from over 1,300 exercises and provide you with images and step-by-step instructions, ensuring you reach the goal.
This app also has more than 1300 exercises but these are categorized by muscle groups.
There are two options with JetFit, allow the app to create your workout program, or select your own exercises based on the muscle groups you want to work.
Apps are incredibly motivational as they are constantly at your fingertips, reminding you and coaxing you to give them a go.
Join a Weight Loss Program
Let’s face it, most men are looking for workout motivation because they realize they’ve put on a little weight.
Shifting the weight is a priority, toning muscles and building a better body is a side effect. and something that can be worked on more in the future.
But effective weight loss means adjusting your eating habits, sleeping habits, exercising, and getting the right mindset.
To do this effectively you may need a little help, and a weight loss program is the perfect solution.
But don’t just join any program. Join the FF30X and benefit from the program that has helped thousands of men lose weight and build the body of their dreams. We give you the tools needed to dig deep and find the motivation to be able to push through the hard times and conquer your weaknesses.
THE 30-Day Health Program for Men 40+
Fit Father 30X is the world’s first sustainable weight loss plan for fathers.
Participate in an Online Community
As well as getting the support and advice you need by joining the FF30X program, you can share your progress and get tips from other members of the Fit Father family.
But, it is also worth boosting your workout motivation by joining online forms, such as Reddit or Facebook. On these forums, you’ll be able to discuss your progress and motivate others.
By having to post progress updates you’ll be accountable to others. No one wants to post a week of doing and achieving nothing, the thought of having to account for your actions is a great motivator.
Here are a couple of forums to help you get started:
- /r/weightroom
- /r/naturalbodybuilding
- /r/GetMotivated!
- https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Sports-Team/Workout-Motivation-178426355698546/
- https://www.facebook.com/fitfatherproject/
Improve Your Shopping Skills
The next step you need to take is to improve your eating habits. This will ensure you have the nutrients you need for a healthy body. Eating right can help you to lose weight and inspire you to exercise more.
In short, starting to lose weight is a great way to gain workout motivation. Try going shopping for the following items and you’ll see an improvement in your motivation to work out:
Groceries
You need to start eating whole grains, eggs, lean meat, salmon, leafy greens, beans & legumes, tuna, and even Greek yogurt.
The array of options can seem confusing but there are two simple rules you can follow when preparing your shopping list:
- Avoid Processed Foods
Processed foods generally have a high volume of sugar, salt, and other chemicals. None of these are going to help your workout motivation.
Wherever possible skip the processed foods and make your own delicious meals.
- Choose Perfect Plate Options
The perfect plate approach to eating is ½ vegetables, ¼ protein, and ¼ carbohydrates. If you think about this before you shop you’ll be able to choose the right ingredients to make every meal like this.
Supplements
In theory, you should get all the nutrients you need from your food.
However, this is not always the case in practice.
It’s a good idea to top up your vitamin intake and boost your energy levels for working out.
Supplements are great for pushing through workouts. You can really feel their effects at times.
Weight loss protein powder, creatine, and even caffeine are all great options for inspiring workout motivation.
Workout Gear
You should also be shopping for things to help you work out. This means having the right gear, simply putting this gear on can help you to feel motivated to exercise.
You can also invest in a set of kettlebells, or jump rope to help you want to exercise. The exact equipment you choose will depend on the exercise you’re hoping to do. If you’re still undecided try this free workout.
Sharpen Your Skills With YouTube
Articles are great at giving advice and words can be really inspiring. Just take a look at Nike’s simple catchphrase, Just Do It. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, which means a video is worth a million words or more!
There are tons of great videos capable of inspiring working motivation. There are workout videos, instructional videos, and inspirational videos.
Check out these motivational clips to see what I mean.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnHW6o8WMas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwjGw3BCryI
You should also take a look at these videos from The Fit Father Project, be prepared to be inspired!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdBS5Yqa4Hk
Start a Project
If you’re still struggling to find workout motivation then you should consider starting a project.
Any activity that raises your heart rate will burn calories and help you to lose weight.
As the weight starts to fall off you’ll have more energy and start to feel the urge or need to exercise more. All you have to do is start.
A project is a great way to elevate your heart rate, achieve something, and improve your health. Consider starting, and completing, one of these projects:
- Build a fence around your garden.
- Landscape the garden, design it first and then start digging.
- Erect a shed, if you don’t need it for tools it can be your workout room.
- Dig a pond, or a swimming pool if you’re feeling really adventurous.
- Re-decorate your house.
Set a Goal
Another great way to get workout motivation is to set yourself a goal. But, it must be an achievable goal, you’ll be less motivated if you work towards a goal and never seem to get closer.
One goal that many people use is to be able to run their first 5K, or even to complete a marathon. Providing you set the date just far enough in the future to complete training, you’ll find it’s a very motivational strategy.
Alternatively, you can set yourself a different kind of goal or challenge, such as hiking the Appalachian Trail. Don’t forget that hiking the entire trail can take between 5 and 7 months, you may want to just select a part of the trail for your first goal.
Reward Yourself
Setting goals is a great way to get motivated, you have to be ready for the event in order to stand a chance at completing it. By telling friends about what you’re doing it makes it hard to back out.
However, a goal such as hiking the Appalachian Trail can take months to prepare for and may seem far enough away that you can afford to miss a few training sessions.
In order to get started and reach your goal, you need to set smaller goals and then give yourself an instant reward. The more instant the reward the better your body will associate it with the activity you’ve undertaken.
Of course, high-sugar and fat foods are not good rewards. But, a piece of dark chocolate or fruit works great.
You’ll be surprised at how motivational this is!
Make it Fun
When starting to exercise for the first time in a while it can be tempting to go all in.
However, this is likely to make you over-do the exercise, potentially injure yourself, and you’ll lose interest as it is so challenging.
Exercise can and should be fun! Choose something that you enjoy doing and you’ll find it much easier to be motivated.
Small Changes Work Best
Don’t forget that you need to make small changes in your lifestyle.
Trying to gain workout motivation by following all the above steps in one go is likely to be difficult.
Instead, try making small changes to your lifestyle and exercise habits, you’ll be surprised at how much easier this is and how much more motivating.
Make a Chain
If you’re struggling with workout motivation then this can be an effective way of getting you started and keeping you going.
Simply workout once and place an ‘X’ on your calendar. Ideally, you should have a big calendar so that it can be seen across the room.
One X looks good, but if you work out several days in a row this X will turn into a chain of X’s, that’s incredibly satisfying and motivating.
You won’t want to break the chain once you’ve got it going!
Goal Reminders
Many people start working out because they've had a health scare, a big event is coming up, or perhaps someone has pointed out that they aren't in as good a shape as they thought they were.
This can really help with your motivation when you start working out but the initial enthusiasm can fade. Relying on emotional queues can have you forgetting to workout, which can derail the entire train.
To avoid this, set reminders on your phone, your laptop, post a notes on your desk, the calendar, anywhere that will help you to remember to workout.
Learn About Working Out
If you really want to boost your workout motivation then it’s time you started to learn more about working out. Challenge yourself to do this free workout and see if you understand what muscles are being worked.
In this instance knowledge really is power.
When you know that a specific exercise works your arm muscles, and you want bigger arms, it’s much easier to start doing the exercise and even visualize the muscle gains.
FREE 24-min Fat Burning Workout
All you need is 24 minutes + 10 feet floor space + 1 pair dumbbells
Thoughts to Take Home
Workout motivation is essential to build the habits that will last you for a lifetime. The above steps will help you to gain the workout motivation you need but, before you do anything, you need to take a moment to believe in yourself.
Visualize yourself as you want to be and you’ll find it easier to believe that you can achieve your goals.
Just remember, join the FF30X today and share your current status, then keep everyone up to date on your progress. Not only will this help to motivate you and inspire others, but your membership will also give you access to a huge amount of exercises and nutritional advice.
These will help you to keep the variety in your exercise program, allowing you to enjoy it and, ultimately, for workout motivation to be irrelevant.
Your new friend & health coach,
Stuart Carter
Head Training Staff, The Fit Father Project
Brotherhood Nickname: “The Fit Brit”
Bragging Rights: 16 Years in the fitness industry, Author of ‘The Easy Fitness Guide', Father of 4 boys and Husband to a Venezuelan beauty.
I’d recommend you read the program overview letter for our Fit Father 30-Day Program (FF30X).
Inside FF30X, you'll receive:
- The simple & delicious Fit Father Meal Plan
- The metabolism boosting Fit Father 30X Workout (under 90 min/week)
- VIP email coaching where I'll personally walk you through the program
*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on workout motivation.
The good news is that you can discover how to get back into working out.
Perhaps your children have commented that you can’t keep up with them anymore, or maybe your wife has suggested you could drop a few pounds.
It usually takes between 30 and 60 days to create a habit, although this is dependent on the individual.
The idea of working out for 30 minutes is going to seem daunting, especially if it’s been a long time since you worked out. But you don’t need to worry as you won’t be working out for 30 minutes.
That’s why it pays to speak to your friends at the 
But this is essential at the start. Lifting incorrectly is likely to lead to injuries which will stall your weight loss and strength building progress.
But if you buddy up and get a friend to commit to the same workout schedule, you’ll find it’s not so easy to make an excuse.
The reward should not be food based as this will go against your weight loss and strength building goals.
That’s why you need to 
As you start working out it’s likely you’ll feel tired more often, your body needs to adjust. Rest days allow your body to recover and your muscles to repair, growing stronger in the process. You should always allow between 24-48 hours of rest between working the same muscle groups.
You need to look at the options available to you and choose which activities you enjoy. It may be the leg press gives you a thrill or the cross-trainer.
All it takes is the commitment to start, use these tips and you’ll be working out in no time; you really can become half the man you are!
Getting fit after 50 means exercising on a regular basis, but it can be challenging to maintain a workout day after day.
If you’re new to working out or haven’t done it for years then you need to remember that you’re over 50. It doesn't matter how enthusiastic you are. Being over 50 means you are at higher risk of injury when exercising for the first time.
Motivation is key to getting fit after 50 and accountability plays equally as important a role. The best way to take care of both of these elements is to enlist a friend to get active with you.
This is the most common obstacle and a genuine one. Life is hectic, the free time you had as a 20-year-old vanishes Suddenly every minute of your day is spent working, fixing the house, or dealing with children.
These can make it seem impossible for you to start exercising. However, part of the issue can actually stem from a lack of exercise! This is something you can address with a little help from your doctor.
The theory is that you have more disposal income as you age. Unfortunately, this doesn't always work in practice, which leaves you potentially unable to afford the gym membership or that healthy diet.
Are you ready to argue with James Bond? You wouldn't know it to look at him but Daniel Craig is actually 51 years old.
Move to the opposite end of the scale and you’ll see 71-year-old Arnie still promising to be back.
This is another extremely famous person who is a fantastic example of being in great shape after 50. Tom Cruise is 56 years old and yet still does his own stunts. If you've seen any of the Mission Impossible films you’ll appreciate how fit he needs to be.
The secret to getting fit after 50 is not exercise, although this is an important part of the process. In fact, you need to focus on what you are putting into your body.
Instead, as already mentioned, you need to focus on eating whole foods. In other words, unprocessed foods.
Alongside the fantastic meal plans, you’ll benefit from advice and support that will have you completing a workout routine virtually effortlessly!
These needs are often defined by culture and herein lies a major part of the motivation problem. You need a deep inner motivation to get fit for the rest of your life. The demands of society are not enough.
You need to have an emotional reason behind your motivation to get fit. The most common triggers are a health scare, the realization that you may not be there for your kids as they grow up, or even wanting to look your best for a specific event. You’re already considering this by acknowledging that you are overweight and need to gain the motivation to get fit.
You can’t lose 20 pounds overnight or even safely in a week. But, you can start right now. Try putting on your workout clothes; this is so easy that you won’t be able to say no to it. In short, you create a starting point that is impossible to say no to.
Your alarm beeps to tell you its fitness time.
You need a goal. Of course, if your goal is to lose X amount of pounds and get to your target weight but this is too general to help you stay motivated.
Another great way of maintaining your motivation is to get a friend to commit to the same thing as you. It doesn't matter if they don’t want to lose as much weight as you. Both of you need to set yourself targets and have a penalty if you don’t reach them.
It is important not to underestimate the power of water. In fact, it is essential to the healthy operation if all the cells in your body, which ensures you’re able to work out to the best of your ability.
A great way to keep yourself on track is to set yourself a challenge. This can simply be beating your own time or weight lifting capabilities, but it can also be a good idea to sign up to a race.
The holistic approach to health accepts that traditional medicine offers practical options, but also looks for the root cause of the condition by examining your entire life.
Scientists are only just starting to realize what the holistic approach to health has known for years; sleep is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.
However, you shouldn’t be looking at these diets as weight loss tools.
But regular exercise does so much more. It improves circulation, keeps your body mobile, and maximizes the delivery of oxygen to all of your organs and cells.
Mental wellness is perhaps the most important part of the holistic approach to health.
You’re probably leading a hectic life. Work commitments and the challenges of raising a child mean that you’ve struggled to maintain the healthy lifestyle that you wanted. You’re certainly not alone in this respect.
It’s time to prioritize. For example, if you have two big long-term goals; to lose weight and write a book then which is more important and which should you do first?
You’re already a member of the Fit Father project. To drive yourself towards the long-term goal of a healthier lifestyle it’s time to commit and get the support you need.
For example, if you want to write a book; then work backward. You know your long-term goal is to complete the story but how many words do you want to write? The average novel is 80,000 words.
For instance, if you commit to exercising for 1 hour every day between 5 pm and 6 pm, you know that at some point your partner will get home early; even before you start your session.
Unfortunately, 
The simple fact is that adopting the right approach to body management today, will help to set you up for the future, reducing the risk of common age-related diseases and improving your quality of life as you age.
Of course, us fathers have to keep active otherwise we will not only gain enough weight to look like the former WWF wrestler Yokozuna, but our health will suffer.
Finding the will and motivation to keep moving forward is the key to success.
Maintaining a healthy diet is the number one most important part of any fitness plan.
If you are stalling out, mix up your workouts. If you’re bored with the gym, take your routine outdoors. Personally, I think everyone should run up a hiking trail at least once a month.
There is a reason 
Where are you at right now? 
The most obvious reason to lose weight is being overweight in the first place. For most humans, simply being overweight is not reason enough to make the effort to lose it. It’s unfortunate but true.
People that place a high value on attractiveness are more likely to maintain weight loss over time. Being more attractive is a fantastic motivator for a variety of reasons. For anyone with a high 
When you’re doctor tells you to lose weight, it’s time to stop procrastinating. Unfortunately, this weight loss motivator does not always work as well it should. Even if the doctor’s advice is accurate, patients typically have some reason for being overweight in the first place. Overcoming whatever obstacle that is, does not dramatically change because the doctor told them to. Obviously, it’s important for everyone to use the weight loss motivator that works for them, but it may be more beneficial to focus on the positive aspects to losing weight. I’m not telling you to ignore your doctor, quite the opposite. I’m telling you to agree with your doctor and accept accountability for your situation.
As mentioned earlier, losing weight for someone other than yourself is not always the best route to take. After all, we are the ones who care the most about our own lives. We are the ones responsible and ultimately the ones who have to suffer the consequences of failure.
Sometimes it’s just time to start the process. Many of us have gained weight gradually, closely monitoring the decline. We have paid attention and made note of what is to come.
Develop a meal plan, fitness schedule, and set reasonable weight loss goals. By writing it down, you’ll not only remember more easily, but you’ll more likely to create a legitimate plan that works.
