If you want to psych up for exercise, there’s more involved than just downing a highly caffeinated energy drink. Mental preparation, setting goals, and creating an enjoyable routine can make all the difference when it comes to getting motivated, staying enthusiastic, and achieving your fitness goals. Here are some of our top tips to help you psych up for your workouts and stoke that motivational fire.

1. Find Your Whys

One powerful way to psych up for exercise is discovering your “whys”! When you have strong reasons or purpose for working out and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, it can help you stay consistent and keep your drive strong. 

For example, do you want to get fit so you can enjoy that hiking trip with the kids? Do you want to lift weights so you can be self-sufficient later in life, carrying your own groceries into the house and managing the yard yourself? Whatever it is that propels you, focus on that. In fact, you might want to keep a list handy so you can review your whys whenever you need a boost in motivation.

2. Visualize

Visualization goes hand in hand with your “whys.” Imagining yourself succeeding can create the mental momentum needed to push through challenging workouts.

• Pictures—Look at images you find inspiring, whether it’s your dream physique, a past success, or an athlete you admire who has the physique you’re striving for or has accomplished a goal you also want to achieve.
• Written Goals—Writing down your goals and keeping a journal or notes in your phone can help keep the fire alive. Go into detail about your fitness aspirations, and make it feel real. Paint a picture using all five senses. Also, note how you will feel once you achieve that goal and let yourself imagine it fully. 
• Affirmations—Use positive self-talk to psyche up for exercise. Tell yourself, “I am strong,” or “I am making progress every day.” Avoid putting yourself down, and if you find yourself feeling negative, go to the next step.

Now, use all the tools above to picture yourself going through a great workout, enjoying yourself, and finishing strong. Visualize yourself achieving the health and fitness goals you want while having a positive experience along the way.

3. Break Down Barriers to Working Out

Even if it’s easy to psych up for exercise, obstacles can still get in the way. Identifying and eliminating them will make consistency easier.

• Get Started—Taking the first step is, quite literally, the hardest part. When you’re starting a new fitness program or embarking on a healthy new weight loss diet, getting up the momentum you need to get started might be your biggest obstacle. 
• Keep Your Gear Ready—Have your gym bag and workout clothes put together and ready to go. Keep all your gear in one spot. For example, your water bottle, sneakers, and headphones.
• Have Contingency Plans—Sure, life is bound to get in the way, but if you have some pre-thought-out strategies in place, you’ll be better able to navigate these obstacles. For example, decide how you will handle vacations: how and where will you exercise? What will you need to bring with you? Will you be able to train at a gym nearby?

4. Psych Up for Exercise by Making It Fun

Above all else, the best way to psych up for exercise is to make it fun! Try some of these tips:

• Use Music—The right music makes everything better. Create a motivating playlist of songs you love. Listen to some upbeat tunes to put some pep in your step.
• Get New Outfits—If you feel great in what you’re wearing, you’ll automatically be in a better mood and will likely have a better workout.
• Stroll and Scroll—Walking on the treadmill or riding a stationary bicycle is the perfect time to get caught up on all your scrolling. You can watch movies, YouTube videos, Instagram reels, or TikTok feeds to your heart’s content without guilt.

5. Get Competitive with Goals

Set goals for yourself and you can even compete with others to complete your goals.

• Set Goals for Each Workout—You can use an app or just a plain old-fashioned notebook and pen, but write down your exercises, sets, and reps each time you work out and set a goal to improve in some way every time you work those body parts.
• Train for an Event—You’ll find that if you choose an event and start training with that end in mind, you’ll feel a lot more motivated to push through your workouts and prep for that goal. It might be a half marathon, a charity bike ride, a fitness competition, or a high school reunion. Whatever the event, it will give you that extra umph you need to demand the best of yourself.

6. Enlist Others

• Get a Trainer—Hiring a personal trainer can make a massive difference. Not only will they show you the ropes, but they’ll also be there to uplift you and encourage you.
• Work Out with a Friend—A training partner can not only help you psych up for exercise, but they can keep you accountable and make sure you show up for your workouts. In addition, partners can spot each other during exercises to ensure you’re using proper form and can even help you get out those last few reps.
• Join a Supportive Online Fitness Community—This will not only help you stay motivated, but you’ll also be able to pay it forward. Plus, it’s another opportunity for accountability and camaraderie.

7. Get Creative 

• Swear—this one might be a little more controversial, and you’ll want to be aware of who’s around you. But, there’s new research that suggests swearing (or using taboo language that could offend) during workouts can help you get psyched up to push harder, leading to improved performance. According to the study, that includes increased strength, power, speed, and muscular endurance. 

You don’t have to do it all today. Just be consistent, and your progress and all the perks of a healthier body will keep motivating you on a continuous basis!