Staying Motivated to Workout During COVID-19

We often have great intentions when it comes to exercise. We book the workout or schedule a time to hit the gym but on the day of, we feel flat and decide to skip it. Life in general and especially life during a pandemic can feel overwhelming at times; childcare, work, healthy eating and family time all take a spot on our priority list. Because of this fast-paced way of life, we can feel drained, depleted and decide to skip our daily workout. But research shows that the opposite is actually most beneficial to all the other priorities on our list.

Exercises can help take you out of that funk and living your best life at work and home. When it comes to reaping the benefits of exercise you don’t need to be running a marathon every day. Moderate exercise of around 30 min daily will have you experiencing the benefits listed below:

• Increased mood
• Decreased depression 
• Decreased anxiety
• Increased energy
• Increased immune function 
• Increase circulation
• Increased ability to deal with stress
• Physical benefits such as weight loss and mobility 

Knowing these benefits is one thing but committing to doing the workout is another. We have compiled a list of tips and tricks to get you motivated and living your best, most abundant healthy life. 

Start Small 

It’s better to exercise a bit than not at all. If you don’t feel like doing a big workout, commit to spending 20min on one machine at the gym. See what happens after that and follow your body’s natural cues. 

Be Comfortable

It’s always a good idea to layer up! In the cold months, getting out of the house can be half of the battle. Dress warm, cozy and comfortable, and once you start working up a sweat you can layer down.  

Make it Fun

Find exercises that you enjoy. For some, that might be the elliptical, and for others, it’s swimming laps. When you are feeling unmotivated to workout it’s a great time to play; find something that you haven’t tried before and challenge yourself. The best rewards both mentally and physically come from doing something new. 

Challenge Yourself Virtually

In today’s world, things can feel a bit lonely. Thankfully, we have a plethora of technology at our fingertips. There are lots of apps that allow you to join forces with your friends and add some friendly competition to your workouts. These apps help you motivate one another and join team challenges.

Set Goals 

Goals help keep us motivated. They allow us to visualize what could be and help keep us going in the right direction. Writing down your goals and posting them somewhere you often see, like a mirror or vision board, is a great way to remind yourself of what you are working towards. 

Track Changes / Progress

Seeing is believing! Daily journaling of your mental and physical progress or tracking how many days in a row you’ve worked out can be very motivating. If you are working towards five days a week, you will not often want to miss the checkmark that you get at the end of a session on your tracking calendar. Or, as you start to see consistent patterns of improved mood, you are likely to want to keep going.

Remember exercise is a privilege, not a chore.