Life
7 Weird Ways To Motivate Yourself To Work Out
Going to the gym is honestly the bane of my life, but since past-me bought a year membership to force future-me to continue with the New Year's resolution, I have made it a point to go anyway. These weird ways to motivate myself to work out have gotten weirder and weirder as time has gone on. But oddly enough, they work, because they're different to the usual reasons to go to the gym and bring the fun back into working out.
Of course, these are essentially your last line of defense. Before considering these silly motivational ideas, reflect on the realistic reasons you should go to the gym and work out — like that you're paying a small fortune for something you hate doing or because being able to run to the end of the street without suffering a collapsed lung would actually be kind of nice. Exercise should only be something you should do if it makes you feel good. Even though I hate going to the gym, I like how I feel afterward, and that's the goal in the end.
If you're like me, or like most people, and the sensible reasons to go to work out like your health or your money management just don't seem worth getting out of bed and leaving your Netflix marathon for, then these motivation ideas are precisely for you. Here are seven weird ways to motivate yourself to work out when you really can't move.
1. Focus On Having Done At Least One Thing With Your Day
You've gone to the gym. That's your one thing done for the day (or week) that you can feel mildly productive and pleased about. Who cares that your apartment is dirty, your love life is a mess, and you haven't showered for four days? At least you've worked out. Now nobody can judge you.
2. Make A Friend Meet You There For A Catch Up
This totally relies on your friend not being more enthusiastic about working out than you are, but a study published in the JAMA Internal Studies journal proved that having a gym buddy makes you better at working out. Plus, you don't have to think how much the exercise bike is hurting your crotch when you're catching up on all the local gossip.
3. Wear Some Makeup
There are way too many memes and nastiness about girls who look nice in the gym, but dressing up for the gym can honestly make it easier. If you look extra good, you feel extra good, right? Kelly Osbourne said it's one way she motivated herself to work out."I know people say, 'Don't wear makeup at the gym,' but I am that girl that wears makeup at the gym. I don't wear mascara, but I put foundation on and blush and a little lip gloss. It really does help. If you don't like your reflection, you don't want to go back. I don't want to look at myself looking gross," Osbourne told New York Magazine.
4. Make An Expertly Crafted Gym Playlist
Making playlists for every occasion is fun, partially because you get to show off your fabulous music taste as well as getting pumped up for the event. The same applies here: Perfect your gym playlist and you'll want to go to the gym just to listen to it.
5. Buy Really Expensive/Cute Gym Gear
OK, you're already basically throwing your money in the trash by having a membership to a gym you don't go to, maybe if you throw more money at it, you'll finally feel prepared to actually use the membership. If your outfit is super cute, you're just going to have to go to show it off!
6. Get A Motivational Mascot
This sounds kind of silly, but Beyoncé has a painting of an Oscar in her gym to motivate her — and whatever Beyonce does, I'll do.
7. Make An Elementary Style Reward Chart
Stickers and all! If it works for little kids, it'll probably still work now. Plus, decorating it will be a really fun way to procrastinate from all the other adult stuff you have to do. It'll work better if someone else has your star stickers to award to you too, that way you won't cheat.
If these occasionally ridiculous ideas for workout motivation don't inspire you, then, well, maybe it's time to cancel that expensive gym membership after all. No shame in that, either. However, if you do really want to work out, give a few of these tips a try next time you're glued to your couch.
