If you’re determined to make 2022 the year you finally reach your fitness goals, you’re going to need some strong and lasting motivation. Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain muscle mass, or build healthy behaviors, you’re going to have some challenging days.
On those tough days, you have a choice: either pull yourself together and move on or give up. Unfortunately, most people gravitate towards the latter. After just three weeks of healthy lifestyle changes, many of us lose motivation and start going back to our old habits. Come the summer months, and those January fitness goals are often just a distant memory.
Don’t be another sad statistic! With the right motivational techniques, you can make sure you never get off track. Here are 20 ways to stay motivated in 2022!
Take a progress photo
Many of us are visually motivated. By taking weekly or monthly progress photos and uploading them to our KEEP feed, you’ll be able to see the amazing changes that sticking to a healthy workout and diet plan can make!
By looking for these changes and celebrating them every few weeks, you’ll never lose motivation to keep going. Through photos, you will be able to see how far you have come and how commitment and consistency will continue to help you change.
Find a friend to exercise with
If you always go to the gym alone, now may be the time to find yourself a training partner. Not only will this person help you celebrate when you hit your exercise record, or when you’re struggling with a tough lift, but he’ll also help you with the last few sets of high-intensity cardio for you come on.
Find a coach
If you are a beginner, fitness can be overwhelming and difficult. If you’re not used to exercising, you may be nervous about trying new things and may not know what programs will best help you achieve your goals.
One of the best ways to beat your fitness fears is to hire a personal trainer. A good trainer will walk you through achievable goals, show you how to perform a workout, and tailor a workout plan for you. Some personal trainers can also help you develop a sound nutrition plan to support all the work you do in the gym.
One of the best ways to overcome fitness fears is to hire a personal trainer.
A coach can also be a great motivational tool. They can provide emotional support when you need it and help you see positive change when you’re not feeling well.
Try a new training method
Sometimes all you need is to make small changes in your routine and see new results. If you’ve been doing the same workouts with the same training equipment, training reps, and training equipment for a while, it’s time to mix things up. Change the order of your workouts, the fixed and repetitive schedule, and even the days of the week you work out.
Your body is a highly adaptive machine; if you don’t constantly challenge it in new ways, your progress can easily stall. Changing your exercise program every few weeks can have a positive effect on your workouts, muscle growth, or fat loss.
A new training method is also a great way to break the mental monotony of training and help you stay mentally engaged in your health. You are more likely to give 100% effort when you are mentally invested in every aspect.
Engage in transformation challenges
Another great way to keep you motivated is to take part in a transformation challenge, there are often events in KEEP to take the challenge, challenge it, and win bragging rights and prizes!
Signing up for a challenge will make people around you want to change their bodies positively. Having a strong community can help you increase your excitement about the process.
- Exercise outdoors
Sometimes the gym feels like a dungeon. When those four walls and rubber pads start to shrink, take your workout outside! Run nearby, attend an outdoor camp, or even get to the nearest playground for a fun workout.
A change of scenery and a breath of fresh air can combat boredom and maybe even inspire you to try a half marathon or triathlon!
- Imagine yourself successful
When your movement, and motivation start to lag, it may mean that you have forgotten your ultimate goal. When this happens, look at your “before” photos and imagine what you want to look like, what you want to elevate, or how you want to feel at the end of your goal.
To “see” yourself in this position, find a quiet place to sit or lie down and spend 5-10 minutes imagining that you have reached your end goal. How does it feel? What has changed in your life? Do your best to live the moment.
Taking the time to imagine your success once or twice a week will allow you to focus on the things you spend so much time and energy doing.
- Morning training
As we all know, life always gets in the way. Your hectic schedule, obligations, and mundane routines can pile up and keep you from exercising. If this sounds familiar, finding a smarter training time is your best bet for success.
Shifting your workout time to the early morning may be your best bet. If you can get it done before other things get in your way, you’ll never have an excuse to miss a workout.
If you don’t have time to hit the gym in the morning, consider waking up 30 minutes earlier for a quick circuit indoors, or going outside for a 20-minute HIIT workout.
You feel great when you know you’ve done something positive for your body.
- Take a class
Another great way to change the pace of your workout is to sign up for a group fitness class. Even solo fitness enthusiasts can find new energy, motivation, and fun from the occasional spin, integrated fitness, or yoga class. Do some research – there’s bound to be a style you like and benefit from.
Use these group classes to supplement your usual workout routine when you want something a little different. These classes can also bring a social element to your workout routine, which is inspiring and fun. As with most things, working out with friends is more fun.
- Join a fitness group
It’s still good for you to find like-minded people. Whether it’s an area running group or a gathering of fitness enthusiasts who often get together to talk about fitness, it’s important to bring you into your athletic life.
The more fitness friends you have, the more likely you are to follow through. If there is no group in your area, you can try to find some friends to follow in the KEEP community. Use it to fill yourself with positive energy and stay motivated.
- Build your gym
You don’t have to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a home gym. But taking some money for home gym equipment is a great way to stick to your goals. Even with just one schedule, you can still find 20-30 minutes of training in your own home.
You don’t need a lot of space to set up a home gym. All you need is a pair of dumbbells, a yoga mat, and possibly a fitness ball. If you like to train at home and have enough space, now you can start building a more complete gym.
- Create a new music playlist
Find yourself some new music! It’s amazing how songs can motivate and encourage you through hard workouts. If you keep listening to the same tunes, you may start ignoring them instead of feeling motivated by them.
Flip through old songs you may have forgotten over the years, or find some new music you’ve never heard before. Either way, hearing that great melody in your ears while you’re training doesn’t do anything but help you!
- Buy new gym equipment
What’s more motivating than new shoes or a new tracksuit? There’s no point wasting money on equipment you’ll never use. Get yourself a new pair of shoes, a new sports bra, or even the weight loss belt you’ve been eyeing!
If you’re not a big fan of shopping for clothes, buy some new supplements. A delicious protein powder or some creatine might be just what you need to motivate you to work out!
- Try a new gym
Seeing the same person in the same place at the same time can be exhausting. For a change of pace, head to a new gym! Try new equipment, meet new people, and see what else a new gym has to offer you. Buying a VIP card somewhere fresh might help you get the PR you’ve been working on, or bring new life to your stale routine.
- Set daily goals
You already know the importance of setting short- and long-term goals, but if you need extra motivation, try setting small daily goals.
When you wake up every morning, set a goal and write it down. Your goals can be anything you want, as long as you can achieve them that day. You can try adding another 5 pounds to the last set of bench presses, do another squat, or spend another 10 minutes doing cardio. Regardless, set a goal that motivates you!
By setting daily goals, you can give each day a goal. Because you have goals every day, you are more likely to be prepared to achieve them. Every time you reach a daily goal, your motivation and belief will peak!
- Record your data
This is important and needs to be measured! Measure the circumference of your shoulders, chest, arms, waist, hips, and legs, and then track how these body parts grow or shrink to ensure your development. You can also record your body fat percentage.
Watching yourself grow stronger and perform better is incredibly motivating, and it helps you realize how rewarding all that hard work is.
You can also track your progress based on your performance. Record how much weight you can lift for a rep and how many reps you can do a specific weight. Watching yourself grow stronger and perform better is incredibly motivating, and it helps you realize how rewarding all that hard work is.
KEEP makes logging easy and provides a logging platform where all your stats are logged.
- Reward yourself
Setting goals is important, but sometimes goals are not enough. To gain momentum, you may also need to arrange some rewards to go along with them!
The reward can be as simple as a night out with your significant other at your favorite restaurant, or a week-long vacation in a warm place. Choose a reward that is within your means—both financially and practically—and that you feel is justified by the effort you put into achieving your goals.
Then, take responsibility for yourself. Reward yourself when you reach your goal! Don’t reward yourself if you don’t reach your goal. So, don’t plan a vacation until you’ve finished it.
- Take a break
If you’ve tried some of these motivational strategies and still find yourself struggling to get into the gym, you might just need to take a break! Sometimes, the best way to get motivated is to allow your body to rest and recover.
Giving yourself a week or so of recovery time can reduce your fatigue and help your body adjust to the harsh love you give it. Rest, relax, and recover, but don’t let this week become a month-long gap!
- Try a pre-workout supplement
Pre-workout supplements contain ingredients like caffeine and B vitamins to help you feel energized, focused, and ready for a strenuous workout. Including a workout routine in your pre-workout plan is a great way to motivate you to work out!
While pre-workout supplements won’t work for you, it may mean you can work harder during your workouts. If you can increase the intensity of your workouts, you may see greater overall improvement!
There is no better motivation than seeing good results!
- Try new exercises
New workouts can be fun and challenging, so don’t be afraid to change your exercise routine often. For example, if you usually back squat, try front squats. If you always do barbell rows, try one-arm dumbbell rows.
Also, if you always use the same equipment, start looking for alternatives. For example, switch to some kettlebell movements. Alternatively, instead of using a barbell for every workout, try a barbell rope.
If you always use the same equipment, get new equipment now.
Small changes like these can make a big difference in your motivation levels and progress. Remember, your body and brain both need to change or they will both go away. Stimulate your body with something new and you’ll be amazed at the results!
