Two Keys to Unlock Workout Motivation

We’ve all needed a little workout motivation to get us started every once in awhile. Often times we look outside of ourselves to find the motivation to get things going. But if you turn your search inward and use two key beliefs, you’ll find that you can unlock the motivation necessary to achieve your fitness goals.

Based on a study done on workout motivation, there are two key principle beliefs that determine intrinsic motivation, which is motivation that comes from within as a result of the enjoyment from work that is being done. The principles are, first, a belief that you can do what you set out to do  and, second, the belief that you have the freedom to pursue your goal on your own terms.

You could phrase the first principle as such, “Whether you believe you can or you can’t, you’re right”. It’s seems to be true in this study as those who thought they could do the workout required were much more likely to accomplish the workout they were asked to do.

With that being said, the opposite is true.  If you don’t believe that you can do something then you probably won’t do it. It would seem the belief you can get in shape, or crush a workout, is the first motivating step to doing so.

The second key to unlocking workout motivation is the freedom to pursue fitness in what ever fashion a you feel fit.

We know that there is no magic pill for getting in shape. Getting it done simply takes action. If you believe a certain workout regimen will get you in shape, we think you should do the workout you feel is best for you. You’re much more likely to follow through on a workout when you get to choose the workout you do.

The truth is there is no “one size fits all” approach to exercise and physical fitness, regardless of the endless opinions about which is best. How you work out and your ideal level of fitness is up to you, the individual. But we do have one suggestion for you.

When you decide which workout goal you want to achieve, learning how the results have been obtained in the past may shorten your time getting there and help you have structure for your workouts. You may find it helpful to use advice from a friend, to follow a guide, or to stick to a prescribed workout plan from a personal trainer to reach the level of fitness that you chose to achieve.

In the end, physical fitness is really about feeling good and the only person who has to feel that way is you. The better you feel the more motivated you will be to keep working out.  So the next time that you need some workout motivation follow these two steps: Believe you can do it, then do it how you want to do it.