You may have set yourself certain exercise goals, but it can sometimes be hard to stick to your plan. Sporadic laziness is not a problem as long as you do not consistently engage in prolonged sedentary behavior. However, if you are trying to lose weight or if you are training for a specific event, then it is important to find ways of stopping laziness from getting in the way of your workout plan.
Distract yourself.
Pick a television show or a song that you really love and only allow yourself to enjoy these forms of entertainment during or after a workout. By doing this, you might end up associating your workout routine with a pleasant experience or with an immediate reward, which can cause you to get more excited about physical activity. Additionally, if you distract yourself during your workout with TV or music, you might not notice the pain as much, which can help you to better appreciate your workout.
Dedicate your workout to something bigger than yourself.
Some trainers recommend dedicating your exercise routine to a family member or to an important cause. Sometimes, if someone you know is facing challenges, it helps to tell yourself that you are pushing yourself on their behalf. Take a sticker and write down a single word or name that summarizes the cause to which you chose to dedicate your workout. Wear that sticker while you engage in physical activity and it might be able to inspire you to push a little bit harder.
Think of everyone who doubted you.
Some people find it helpful to remember how far they have come. Think about all the people who told you that you would never make it as far as you did. Then try to prove them all wrong by pushing yourself as hard as you can. Obviously, if thinking about these people only makes you insecure and less likely to work hard, then maybe this method is not the best option for you. However, if you think that reminding yourself of everyone who ever doubted you might be a helpful technique, then you should definitely try using it to motivate yourself to stop being lazy when it comes to physical activity.
Find exercises that you actually enjoy.
If you really hate working out, then you might want to consider trying out different exercises. There are so many different forms of physical activity, so there is bound to be a workout routine that you might actually find pleasurable. Some people fall in love with jumping rope. Some people like to bike. Some people like lifting weights. Even sexual intercourse can be considered good exercise as long as you have enough sexual stamina. You can talk to a personal trainer about coming up with creative workout routines that you enjoy and that still remain consistent with whatever your workout goals might be.
Start big and get smaller.
If you have certain exercises that particularly drain you, then you might want to start by doing a lot of this form of exercise and do less of it as the day goes on. For example, you can do twenty pushups in the morning, fifteen in the afternoon, ten in the evening, and five before bed, giving you a total of fifty pushups in one day. By doing this process, you start with the hardest part when you are feeling the most energized, while doing the easier parts when your energy levels start to decrease.
Use the buddy system.
Scheduling exercise sessions with a friend or even a personal trainer has a number of potential benefits for your workout. Some people thrive on a little bit of competition, so working out with a friend can help you to push yourself a little bit harder. Other people feel as though they are more likely to work out if they have friend judging them for canceling workout sessions. Sometimes, physical activity is simply more fun if you are doing it with someone whose company you enjoy.
Keep track of your progress.
Keeping track of how far you have come can actually help you to engage yourself in your workout routine. Some people love charts and logs, but any goal oriented person is going to enjoy seeing progress over time. You can create an exercise log or you can take a picture of yourself after every exercise session. When you start to see real results, it can motivate you to continue working hard to maintain or increase those results.
Tell everyone you know that you are going to the gym.
If everyone thinks that you regularly exercise, you are less likely to allow laziness to get in your way. Otherwise, everyone is going to figure out that you are less dedicated than you said you were. If you really want to take this method seriously, then you can get out of uninteresting plans by saying that you have to go to the gym. It will make people believe that exercise is an extremely important part of your life, but you have to prove this to be true by actually turning up at the gym and pushing yourself hard enough so that everyone can see the results of your dedication.
Bribe yourself with something healthy and a little addictive.
If you are a coffee addict, then you can use this addiction to your advantage when it comes to exercise. You can tell yourself that you only get to drink coffee if you engage in physical activity. Make sure you do not try this method with any unhealthy addictions. Since caffeine is relatively harmless, bribing yourself with coffee could be a good habit. Additionally, some research has shown that caffeine can actually speed up your metabolism as long as you do not add too much milk and sugar, so if you are not a coffee drinker, you might want to consider becoming one.
As much as you know that physical activity can have a wide range of benefits, laziness can sometimes get in your way. Sometimes, you have trouble bringing yourself to hit the gym. Sometimes, it might be hard to push yourself hard enough to see results. While you should never be too hard on yourself, these tricks might help to inspire you to stop being lazy about improving your exercise routine.
