The Best Gym Motivation Tips to Help You Stay on Track

Working out regularly is an important part of staying fit and healthy, but it can be hard to get motivated to go to the gym when you don’t have a clear plan for working out each day or you feel tired when you wake up in the morning. Thankfully, there are tons of ways to find more gym motivation that will make your workouts more effective and help you reach your goals faster. These five tips will help you figure out what the best gym motivation tips are so that you can stay on track with your fitness routine and avoid common obstacles like boredom or laziness.

Set Goals

When you are creating a goal for yourself, set a realistic date for achieving it. Once you meet your goal or date, reward yourself with something that makes you happy. The best reward is getting back in shape and feeling great about yourself. By setting goals, you can help keep yourself on track when it comes to staying fit and not giving up because of how hard it is at first. Goals should be things that will benefit your health and well-being; ones like losing weight or fitting into a certain size pair of jeans may help motivate you more than just going to work out every day at 5 pm. If there is something that has been bothering or holding you back from reaching your goal try keeping a log of what holds most of your gym motivation.

Schedule Workouts

The importance of working out early in the day cannot be overstate. Exercising right after waking up is a crucial habit because it helps jumpstart your body's internal workday clock, which can help you perform better at work. It also improves your alertness, energy and motivation. That's why many professional athletes train early in the morning—it gives them an edge over their competitors. If you're not a morning person, find what time works best for you (it might mean working out at lunch or late at night) and keep that schedule as much as possible. The important thing is to have a consistent routine so your body knows when to expect activity—otherwise your fitness goals may fall by the wayside due to lack of gym motivation or bad habits.

Reward Yourself

Set small rewards for yourself as you reach milestones in your fitness goals. By rewarding yourself for success, you’ll feel more motivated to keep reaching them. A simple system of If-Then rewards is particularly effective: If I go to the gym three times a week, then I will get my nails done at week’s end. For example, if I can finish a workout and it feels good then I will reward myself with an apple after each workout. Small rewards work best (and you don't want something that's going to leave you even hungrier than before) -- so choose wisely!

Keep a Training Journal

Getting enough sleep is one of my top three must-dos for a healthy, happy life, says Rachel Berman, Ph.D., fitness and nutrition expert at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. In addition to getting eight hours of shut-eye every night, I exercise regularly and make sure that I get an adequate amount of omega-3 fatty acids in my diet. Sleep helps your brain recover after hard workouts and keeps you alert for your daily tasks—plus it gives you more energy during those workouts. Aim for seven or eight hours a night by creating a bedtime ritual, like soaking in a hot bath with essential oils or counting sheep from 1 to 100 (really!). Read: 12 Ways to Get Better Sleep Every Night

Exercise with Friends

Using Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms to connect with people can help you build a larger network of friends who are also trying to lose weight or get fit. This may not seem like a big deal now, but it could make a huge difference in getting back into working out after an injury or starting up again if you struggle with motivation. A study from 2013 found that teens who were highly engaged in social media and had many online connections were twice as likely to be physically active. You don’t have to give up your privacy, but if you feel uncomfortable sharing personal updates online or opening up about personal problems online, try talking with someone close to you about how your exercise is going first before venturing into social media.

Don’t Skimp on Sleep

While it’s important to keep your training intensity up in order to make progress, don’t skimp on sleep. Make sure you’re getting enough rest so that you feel well-rested and energized when it comes time for a workout. If you find yourself falling short, consider working with a sports psychologist who can help develop new strategies that will improve your performance during workouts, allowing you to stay consistent in your fitness routine. A professional sports psychologist can also help provide information about how different activities and environments may impact your mental health; people often find comfort from changing their regular routines and taking advantage of opportunities for growth that arise as a result of spontaneity.

Use Social Media to Get People Excited About Working Out with You

Social media has become a goldmine for people looking to get fit and stay fit. It can be easy to just stare at your phone or computer all day and scroll through posts from friends, family members, and acquaintances. But it's not just about what others are doing--it's about what you're doing. If you want help staying motivated, try posting a fun video of yourself working out with some upbeat music in the background. This can be great motivation for other people as well! Just make sure that you're sharing only positive content so as not to bring anyone down; social media is suppose to be fun! And do feel free to motivate others, too! It's much easier when everyone is on board than if there's one negative voice in a sea of positive voices.