How To Stay Motivated During Home Workouts

Getting yourself to the gym to workout is hard enough, but motivating yourself to workout in the comfort of your own home with the couch and TV close by can seem almost impossible. So how do so many people find the self discipline to get in a good sweat session at home? With a little dedication and a solid plan!

Here are 5 steps to get you off the couch and into your workout clothes in no time.

1. Create a Daily Routine

We all know the best way to form any sort of habit is by repetition. The more accustomed you are to something, the more likely you are to do it. Just as you might create a bedtime routine to cue your body to get ready for bed, the same goes for creating a workout routine. If you get used to working out at the generally same time on the same days, eventually that will become a natural part of your week. Once you are more established in your workout routine, you will find it easier to be a little bit more flexible with the same results.

2. Find a workout You Enjoy

This may be the most important step. If you don’t enjoy the home workouts you’re doing, you definitely aren’t going to stick with it. Lucky for you, there are so many different types of workouts these days that finding something you love won’t be too hard. More importantly, there are endless amazing online resources from paid fitnessapps, to free youtube channels you can subscribe along with plenty of resources for workoutequipment to get started on your at home fitness journey.

3. Be Prepared

Getting yourself prepared both mentally and physically is going to play a vital role in the success of your home workouts. From having your workout clothes set out and ready for you, to creating a designated workout space in your home, having a plan will get you one step closer to a great at home workout regimen.

Set Out your Clothes. Many people find that setting out their workout clothes ahead of time creates one less step in the morning or evening after work. If you’re working from home, maybe you wear your workout clothes during the day so you’re ready to sweat when the time comes. If you commute to work, try changing into your workout clothes at the office so you’re already prepared right when you walk through the door!

Create a Workout Schedule. Sit down every Sunday evening and schedule out what workouts you will be doing and on which days. When you already have it in your head that on Wednesday you are going to complete a HIIT workout at home, you can more easily plan your schedule around it and make sure you have time to get your home workout in.

Make Space. If you are lucky enough to have ample space for a home gym, you are one step ahead of the game. However, you do not need an entire room to workout from home! All you really need is a small area that you can dedicate as a workout space, even if that makes you have to move the coffee table in your living room or push aside your dining room chairs to make space for youryoga mat. Once you figure out where you want to workout, you’ll feel more comfortable getting started.

4. Reward yourself

For a lot of people, telling yourself that you’ll feel better after working out just isn’t enough to get you off the couch. If that sounds like you, setting up rewards for yourself is a great tool to help keep you motivated and excited to sweat at home. Maybe you’ll get yourself a new workout outfit, or splurge on a new set ofweights if you commit and stick to your workouts for a set amount of time.

5. Take the pressure off

At the end of the day, don’t force yourself to do something you really do not want to do. It may be that your body is tired and you truly do need a rest day, or you’ve had a rough week and really don’t think you can make it through an entire hour long workout. Give yourself some grace by not forcing yourself to complete a full hour long workout, or simply choose shorter workouts when working out from home. You may surprise yourself with how much you actually end up accomplishing in the end when you aren’t forcing it.

Whether you’re doing yoga or lifting weights, you’re going to need some basic equipment when starting your home fitness journey. Check out ourrecommendations for creating your own home gym on a budget.