Exercising is a journey. After you have achieved your goals of getting fit, you have to face the harsh reality that it doesn’t end there. If you want to stay in shape, you have to keep up with your own body, which means regular exercises and set changes. The dirty secret of staying fit is that you cannot stick to the same routine; otherwise, your muscle mass will begin to regress. The main question becomes – how do you stay stimulated under such circumstances? If you are well out of ideas, you’ll need some serious work out motivation tips.

Work Out Motivation Tips to Keep You on Your Toes

1. Get inspired

You can find a fair share of older celebrities that stay in shape. Denis Quaid, Sharon Stone, Mads Mikkelsen, Sandra Bullock, and not to mention Jane Fonda, J. K. Simmons (of recently) and David Duchovny are all well over fifty and they are still in better shape than most people half their age. It is a well-known fact that, after the age of twenty-five to thirty, the metabolism begins to slow down, so taking care of yourself down the line is even more difficult. Just taking a parting glance at a few snapshots of these celebrities can keep you inspired to do more!

2. BFF is for “be fit forever”

Do you have a friend who is also into working out? A fitness buddy is one of the most effective sources of motivation you could possibly find, as it turns any hardship into a positive effort you can share. Empathy is the key feature when it comes to fitness BFFs. When you feel discouraged, they will understand your pain and look for ways to inspire you. Of course, the setup works both ways, which bodes well for your long-term fitness goals.

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3. Create a soundtrack

Music is one of the most enjoyable hacks for any laborious activity. While you are at home, create the type of soundtrack that perfectly suits your sensibilities, but it also has to keep you pumped through the entire daily set. Immersion is the key issue here and these comfortable Focal Utopia headphones can keep the distractions at bay, but don’t forget to keep the sound volume at reasonable levels! Building muscle doesn’t necessitate a damaged hearing.

4. Think beyond a singular goal

Maybe you want to cut some weight or maybe you want to build your back muscles in order to ameliorate chronic pain because your work requires too much sitting. No matter what your goal is, you have to think beyond that. Long-term benefits should trump immediate gratification and in order to get in the right mindset, you should create a long-term plan. Each milestone should naturally lead to the following goal: for example, after strengthening your back muscles, you can start building those abs with rear-end exercises added to the mix.

5. System of rewards

However, achieving a milestone is not a reward in and of itself. You need to create a system of real rewards for every benchmark, a regime that will keep you satisfied and eager to motivate yourself even further. This reward can be something as small as a favorite dessert. If you had to cut down on a particularly enjoyable ingredient, this can be a majorly enticing reward. For achieving three months’ worth fitness goals, you can treat yourself with a day trip or a shopping spree. Anything that gets you excited is a fair game. Think of it as a carrot at the end of the stick that you are holding yourself. Just resist the urge to bring the stick too low as the reward’s value will become significantly diminished and your motivation can suffer in the long run.

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Remember, consistency is key…

Lifestyle changes require consistency. If you want to feel the benefits of healthy habits, you will have to arm yourself with patience and learn how to stay persistent. Far too often people drop the habit as soon as the goal is achieved, but this is only meant to be the beginning of the “struggle” – the first benchmark on a road filled with milestones. However, in order to stay motivated, you need to adopt tools that will keep you inspired.

What are your go-to workout motivation tips? Maybe you have a photo of your favorite fitness idol on your study desk or you have your BFF on speed dial; whatever works for you, milk it to no end!

About the Author – Diana Smith

Diana is a full-time mom of two beautiful girls interested in the latest fashion and beauty hacks. In her free time, she enjoys exercising and preparing healthy meals for her family.