4 Tips to Get You Motivated to Exercise Again

With warmer weather nearing and the Big Dark far behind us, it’s officially time to spend less time on ... your big couch. There’s no shame in taking exercise breaks — sometimes the body needs some time to rest and recoup, or maybe you prefer to spend the winter months relaxing.  

But if you’re ready to get back into your exercise routine and go from couch potato to the starting line of the UW Medicine Seattle Marathon in November (yes, it’s already time to register and start training), there are a few ways to get started — without pushing yourself to the point of injury in the process.  

4 tips to help with exercise motivation

When you’ve fallen out of an exercise routine for a while, getting back in the gym (or hitting the pavement) can seem daunting. Realistically, your body won’t be in the same place it was when you took an exercise break — and that’s completely OK. Your body deserves that rest time, so remember to be gentle with yourself as you ramp back up into a routine.

Mark Harrast, MD, a sports medicine doctor at UW Medicine and the director of the Sports Medicine Center at Husky Stadium, has four suggestions to help you get excited about exercising again.  

Set goals — but not too lofty, at first

Goals can help keep you motivated, especially if you’re achievement-focused.

“Goals give you a target to strive for,” says Harrast. “They also keep you accountable and focused by reminding you of the purpose of your training.”

Harrast explains that goal setting also helps with perseverance, which is a good trait to hone for anyone starting an exercise routine.

“There will be setbacks, and you can benefit from a growth mindset when those setbacks occur,” says Harrast. “Setting appropriate goals can also help you measure your progress, which in turn keeps you motivated.”

His No. 1 tip: Don’t aim too high.  

Start gradually, and don’t try to take on too much too soon, which can result in an injury or a setback. If you used to run five miles a day or bench 250 pounds, don’t try that on day one after your weeks- or months-long break. Take it slow, and you’ll get back to where you were with time.

Create a schedule

Depending on your baseline fitness and exercise patterns, Harrast suggests starting with just working out a few days per week and scheduling rest days between workouts.

“Creating a schedule will help you start gradually and then keep you on track to achieve your goals,” Harrast says.  

And yes … creating a schedule is the easy part. But how do you actually stick to it when you’ve got a million and one things going on (and a million and two other things you’d rather be doing than exercising)?

“If you find it hard to fit exercise into your schedule, consider being creative and finding ways to insert exercise bouts into your daily routine,” says Harrast.

Are you a bookworm who doesn’t want to sacrifice your reading time to work out? Try reading your book when on a stationary bike. If you want to catch up on your favorite show but need to carve time for a run, try walking or jogging on a treadmill while catching up on episodes. Audiobook or podcast lover? Listen while you’re on a slow jog.

Exercise with friends

Finding the motivation to exercise can be especially difficult if you do it alone. If you have friends on a similar exercise journey, join forces with them to get some external motivation. If not, find a community group working towards similar goals, like an exercise class or running club.  

“Starting an exercise regime with a friend, colleague or group can allow someone else to help keep you motivated to continue, so you’re not pushing yourself entirely through self-motivation,” says Harrast. “While internal motivation will keep you in your routine over the long term, having external motivation can keep you going initially in the short term.”

Plus, exercising with a group or with friends can make the routine more social and fun, which can help keep you motivated to stick to your goals.

Note: If you work out with a friend or group, ensure you’re at similar levels of training or experience so that you’re not competing to try to work out with someone who is faster, stronger or fitter, says Harrast. If you’re a seasoned athlete, this can be helpful to get you to the next level, but when you’re just hopping back in the game, take it a little slower.

Try a training program

If you’re unsure where to start, try a training plan to get you started. These programs typically have goals and pre-built schedules ready to go, so you don’t have to work too hard to figure out what to do and when. These can be especially good if you’ve historically been active but haven’t used a specific regimen.

“These programs, like a Couch-to-5K, can take the guesswork — and just the general work — to create a plan out of the equation, making it a little easier to get started and keep going,” says Harrast.  

However, Harrast says that these programs tend to be one-size-fits-all. If you choose to do one of these training programs, remember to adapt it to fit your needs, goals and overall fitness level. You won’t be excited or motivated to stick to your regimen if it’s far too difficult for what your body can handle.

“Individual coaching sessions can help you adapt these training programs to your needs,” says Harrast. “But they can be expensive. If you choose to do it alone, listen to your body for signs of overuse or impending injury.”

What to remember when restarting an exercise routine

Motivation levels will ebb and flow. Some days, you’ll feel more excited to work out than others, and that’s OK (and completely normal). When your desire to lace up your running shoes dwindles, remember the intentions you set for yourself and why you wanted to create these goals to begin with. Consistency is the most important thing — even if you can only get up and do something small, that’s a win.