Your 5 am alarm goes off.

You had planned on working out but instead the list of reasons why you can skip your sweat sesh start going through your head.

Or maybe you just got off work, and you decide you’re too tired to workout (you’ll go tomorrow, but it’s the third day in a row you’ve said that).

Sound familiar?

The Physical Activity Councils Overview Report shows that nearly 30% of US citizens are inactive. In my experience, that inactivity and lack of follow-through come from a lack of motivation.

Without motivation, we are not going to do what we told ourselves we would. It’s not enough to just set a plan, we also need the strong desire that propels us towards actually doing the thing.

Motivation is key to making consistent workouts part of our everyday lives.

So, how do we stay motivated?

Below I’m sharing my top five tips to crush your workout goals. These have helped me in significant ways, and I know they can help you too!

FITNESS MOTIVATION: 5 TIPS TO CRUSH YOUR WORKOUT GOALS

CHANGE YOUR MINDSET

So many of us work out because we want to look a certain way.

I struggled with this for most of my adult life. Exercising was all about losing weight or controlling how my body looked. It wasn’t that I wanted to work out; instead, I just wanted the end result of having that ‘perfect’ body.

It wasn’t until I was at my lowest point dealing with debilitating autoimmune symptoms that I could not work out that changed everything. Since I couldn’t work out, I realized how precious it was to be able to move my body, lift weights, hit the cardio, and be in shape. Being debilitated and unable to hit the gym made me realize I wanted to work out because it made me feel great.

On days when I felt good enough to work out, I started expressing gratitude to my body and all the amazing things it could do.

My health struggle shifted my mindset completely.

This is a realization that I’d love for you to have too. When we view exercise as something that will help our bodies to stay strong and healthy vs. using it as a tool to control our bodies, the pressure is lifted, and it becomes something we love to do!

DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND MIX IT UP

You don’t have to join a gym and lift weights, run 5 miles a day, or go to the currently trending workout class. Do what you enjoy and keep things fresh by trying different things. Your workouts can be as unique as you are.

Working out does not have to include a gym or class. It can be running around the park with your kids or taking a walk over your lunch break at work.

Try different things and think about moving your body in ways that you love.

SCHEDULE IT

View your workout like you would any other appointment.

You would not skip a mandatory meeting at work or blow a friend off that you are meeting for coffee. Honor yourself by honoring the commitments you make to yourself. If you tell yourself, you’ll go to the gym, treat it as a sacred agreement.

View your workouts like an appointment on your calendar and show up.

Consider printing a calendar and hanging it on your wall to track each day you work out or download an app that does this for you. I use Peloton, and I love seeing an overview of my months of workouts.

All of your workouts, even the small ones add up to big things!

At the end of each week and month reflect on your success (like you showed up) and celebrate. Give yourself praise for all that you’ve accomplished.

AVOID AN ALL OR NOTHING APPROACH

This is one of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to exercise. The idea that you have to follow an exact plan and if you miss a day then you have failed, and you might as well give up.

When you follow an all or nothing approach, you risk creating an unhealthy cycle of working out like a crazy person and burning yourself out. Then taking time off just to undo all the work you have done, which leaves you feeling like you failed.

Shifting this approach can be difficult, but it is possible.

Know there will be days when you are not feeling it, and that is ok. Listen to your body on those days and take the day off or do something simple like stretching or going for a walk. Do what feels right that day and then get back at it the next.

SET AN INTENTION

Why do you work out?

Ask yourself this question and each day before your workout remind yourself of your intention by speaking it out loud.

My intention for working out is to be healthy, so I can be the best Mom, wife, and human.

Working out keeps my body healthy, which allows me to run around and play with my son. It also sets an example for him. It keeps my body fit, and my mind sharp. It allows me to do all the things I love and truly live my best life.

When we set an intention, it’s a lot harder for us to say no when it comes time to exercise.

IN CONCLUSION

Motivation is a crucial driver for success but at times can be hard to find. If you are currently in a motivation rut, give one or all of these tips a try. Slowly but surely, your motivation will grow.

How do you stay motivated to make exercise a part of your healthy lifestyle? We would love to hear in the comments below.

For more on Katie, head here!