7 Ways to Keep Your Workout Motivation Longer

Literally. Get up an hour earlier three days a week and work out first thing in the morning, before work. If you plan to go after work, it's a lot easier to tell yourself you had an especially exhausting day and throw in the towel.

I write down how I feel after a workout every single time. So, when I am low on motivation to wake up and go for a run or a workout, I pull out the doc and read how great I felt after completing a five-miler. This really works for me because I get out of the bed knowing that at the end of the workout, I feel the same amazing feeling again! —Aishwarya Subramanian, via Facebook

Devotees of positive thinking have long promoted visualizing the benefits of a behavior as a motivational strategy. For example, when I’m deciding whether to get out of bed to go running in the morning, it helps to imagine how the sun will feel on my face as I run around the reservoir. Or how delighted I’ll be when I see my new muscles developing.

By nature, humans need change and variety to stay motivated. We also need to have fun — even while we’re working hard. Do both!