How to motivate yourself to go to the gym: 11 practical tips

Several keys to really commit to training and exercise without excuses.

Going to the gym is an activity that many people are willing to fulfill on a regular basis in their lives, but often this remains only in the intention, and does not end up becoming reality due to lack of motivation.

In this article we are going to see how to motivate yourself to go to the gym.In this article, we will review a series of practical tips that can serve as an incentive to achieve and maintain a good motivation oriented to personal training and regular exercise.

Why is motivation important?

Before knowing how to motivate yourself to go to the gym, we must see why it is important to invest attention in this aspect. When we are motivated to perform any activity, it is less difficult to take the first steps to execute it and we do not feel that we are making a sacrifice to stay active, but we do it with pleasure.

That is why motivation is important to get started in the gym, so we do not feel that we do it by obligation, but rather that it is a leisure activity for us, a way for us to enjoy ourselves while staying healthy at the same time..

It is important to make sure that the motivation comes from within, that is, that it is an internal motivation and not inspired by rewards imposed by external objects, such as the fact that people will like us more if we become more muscular or slim.

We must ask ourselves what is the real reason why we want to start this activity, and find an answer that gives us personal reasons to do it; a reason that refers to something meaningful beyond concrete objects and the approval of others.

How to motivate yourself to go to the gym?

In the following lines we will find a list of practical tips that will be useful to start going to the gym with motivation.

1. Think about personal rewards

Thinking about the significant rewards for oneself that we will have after some time attending the gym regularly helps us to do it with greater enthusiasm during the first months. Try to keep these thoughts focused on personal rewards, such as improving health and gaining satisfaction from self-improvement..

2. Find clothes you like

One way to increase your desire to go to the gym is to look for clothes that you like and that are comfortable for your daily exercise routine. This is because when you wear clothes that you like, your self-esteem is your self-esteem is strengthened and there is a motivational increase to perform the activities.

3. A coffee before training

The caffeine has properties that activate the nervous system and help to clear your head in the morning. Getting used to drinking a coffee at least one hour before going to the gym leads us to have a better disposition to perform the routines of the day. However, be careful with the quality and quantity of sugar you add.

4. Establish a fixed schedule

Try to go to the gym at the same time every day. In this way you will be programming your brain to adapt to a new habit, and you will not forget so easily to free up that hour. Once you have been attending for a while (approximately 21 days), you will see how much easier and more natural it becomes for you to do your daily training routines..

5. Go from less to more

Start small, and keep track of your progress. In this way you will become more motivated as you see how you progressively improve your endurance and strength gains.. It is important that you do not try to lift too heavy a weight at the beginning, as this will prevent you from evaluating yourself well and you will more easily fall into frustration.

6. Eat a banana before training

Bananas are an important source of potassium, which will help keep you from getting dizzy. will help prevent you from getting dizzy or lacking strength during exercise.. It is advisable to eat it half an hour before going to the gym.

7. Listen to music before and during training

Music has a great motivational component. In fact, it is known that many high-performance athletes listen to their favorite music a few minutes before starting their workouts. The ideal is to to have a mix with some inspirational and motivational songs that you can listen to that you can listen to while you prepare. Of course, while you exercise, unless it is very repetitive (running, using the exercise bike, etc.), it is better to avoid distractions and concentrate on your movements.

8. Set yourself challenges

Challenges help to keep us motivated.Considering that as we get closer to achieving our goal, satisfaction increases. Personal challenges push us to be better every day, but we must pay attention to follow a reasonable difficulty curve. a reasonable difficulty curve.

9. Train in a group

Having a training group is a good way to get motivation; colleagues support each other when they have a common goal.. But it should be noted that for this advice to be effective, gym buddies must have the same motivation as you, not less.

10. Adopt good sleeping habits

Good sleep habits make it easier for you to be more physically and mentally active during the day.. If you sleep i are the recommended hours (about 8) you will be getting a restful sleep for your body, you will see good results during your training day, and you will not be lazy to attend. This is one of the easiest tricks to motivate yourself to go to the gym.

11. Prepare things ahead of time

In case you carry a backpack with some gym stuff, such as towels, a bottle of water and the like, it is advisable that you prepare and plan everything in advance, para que luego no tengas que aguantar el estrés de estar haciendo todo sobre la marcha, lo cual disminuye la motivación.

Referencias bibliográficas:

• Ashwood, R. D. Pritchard, E. L. (2008). Managing motivation: a manager's guide to diagnosing and improving motivation. New York: Psychology Press.
• Wilson, T. D.; Lassiter, G. D. (1982). Increasing intrinsic interest with superfluous extrinsic constraints. Journal of personality and social psychology 42 (5): 811-819.