Here are a few tips and tricks that I have used over the years to stay motivated and help me stick to my workout routine. I know it’s not easy to stay focused. We have all been there, lying in bed staring at the dormant dumbbells across the room before ultimately deciding to roll over and watch a movie instead. But, hopefully this list may help you to stay on track. For, there is no better time than today; and you will feel so much better after all the effort, and the accomplishment from reaching your goals. And not forgetting Karen Lamb’s words of wisdom, “A year from now you will wish you had started today.”

1. Keep your workout playlist updated with your favourite tunes (be it on your phone, ipod, computer). That one song that gets you excited to go out? Put it on! That song that you just can’t listen to enough? Pop it on! You’ll be more excited to work out if you know you’ll be listening to your favourite tracks. When I first started, I would only allow myself to listen to my favourite CD when I was working out or exercising. 
2. Turn your workout schedule into a habit. Research by nerds shows it can take three weeks before a forced action becomes a habit. Stick it out, and it will become second nature in no time at all.
3. Plan rewards for your hard work. Grab a jar, put a slit in the top and after every work out, pop a $1 bill in it. Once you have reached sufficient funds, use it to treat yourself on a new outfit, movie date, meal out, whatever you fancy. Working towards something will only heighten your drive to achieve your goals.

1. Arrange to work out with a friend. Having someone else with you can stop you giving up too soon, and give you a little bit of healthy competition. You will also be less likely to cancel if it’s pre-arranged (Caution: If your friend is a flake, then this can backfire. If they no show, you still go).
2. Encourage motivation. Stick up a picture by your bed of your favourite fitness model, or a quote that makes you feel motivated, so it’s the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning. Or, if you have a picture from the past of when you felt particularly fit, put that up as motivation.
3. Work out in the morning (before you have the time to procrastinate and it put it off). It will make you alert and ready to face the day, in addition to that feeling of achievement that you will have done more before 8am than most people do in an entire day. If you plan on setting up a fitness routine before work, make sure you start out slow and not on a leg day or you will regret it.
4. Do what you enjoy. For example, if you hate running, don’t do it. There are plenty of other ways to get your heart rate up without hitting the treadmill.
5. Start an evening class at the gym. Classes are becoming very popular these days, and there is a lot to choice, from Zumba to Spinning. Sign up with a friend and go have fun! Most likely, you will forget that you are exercising!
6. Buy some new swanky fitness gear. No one feels good in an old baggy t-shirt that you used to sleep in when you were a teenager. Invest in something that makes you feel good and comfortable in. I’m not saying go buy a new wardrobe, but to perhaps snap up a couple of things, like a new Nike sports bra or some jogging shorts that you’ve had your eye on since they graced the pages of ‘Women’s Health’ last month.
7. Set achievable goals. This is very important – the sense of achievement you get from completing each goal is addictive and you will feel more inclined to push yourself further. But remember, don’t make your goals impossible, or something that will take months to attain, this will only bring you down when you think you are not improving. Instead, start with something like, “Hold a plank for 30 seconds”, “Do 10 pull ups” or “Run consistently for 1 mile.” After completion of each mini-goal, keep raising the bar on your potential, step by step. And don’t forget to document your progress, be it with selfies or taking weekly measurements. Sometimes it’s hard to see progress when you are living with your body day in, day out, but if you take photos you have something to refer to, and the changes that you are making will be more apparent.