Finding motivation to do most things requires the ability to see the big picture, yet when it comes to working out finding motivation can be as difficult as finding water in the dessert. If you don’t like physical activity, convincing yourself to workout when you don’t want to is a difficult enough task. So how do you find the motivation to workout when you don’t want to?

{A few days of exercise could mean fewer trips to see your Doctor!}

For many of us this means a little tough love, and maybe even a bit of name calling. The point however isn’t to use what someone else uses as motivation, but to find what motivates you and use that to get over that workout hurdle.

Scroll down to find out how to motivate yourself to work out!

Big Picture

I find that one of the best ways to motivate yourself to get up and workout is that it will help you reach your weight loss goals much faster than not working out. Unless you’re a fitness fanatic, which I am not, then you usually have to remind yourself why it is that you need to workout. Some days I find the thought of pulling on yoga pants downright deplorable then I remember how much I hated those extra pounds.

For most of us a workout is a necessary evil that we endure for the results. But guess what? Those results are why we all eventually love working out, well the result and the endorphins!

The point is that your weight loss goals will be easier to attain with exercise. Sure you can simply try to cut 3,500 calories from your diet each week but how possible is that given your current diet? Cut a few calories and burn a few and you just might get to enjoy some of the foods you still love like cake and pop!

Your Health

It’s no secret that if you need to lose a few pounds you should also be concerned about your health. Being overweight or obese can cause more health problems than most of us like to talk about; hypertension, diabetes, stroke and heart attack just to name a few.

Regular exercise, whether playing a sport or simple weights & cardio, can reduce your risk of these as well as other weight related illnesses. The next time you look for excuses not to workout remind yourself that your health and life just may depend upon it!

New Wardrobe

This may not be such a motivating factor for the fellas, but for us ladies nothing motivates us more than a shopping trip! As shallow as some people may find it—you know who you are—the idea of buying new clothes to start a new chapter of our lives is a great reason to hop on the treadmill or do a few laps in the pool.

{New clothes makes your weight loss seem real, and you can wear what you never could before!}

It’s no secret that the bigger you are, the harder it is to find fashionable and age appropriate clothes. Regular exercise will help you burn fat and tone your muscles so you can wear the clothes you want to wear instead of the clothes you have to wear for lack of choice. Next time you hit the snooze button on your workout, simply look in the closet for all the clothes you hate to wear or open a magazine for all the clothes you long to wear!

Confidence

The next time you look in the mirror displeased or depressed about your current physical state, bottle up that feeling and remember it when you decide to slack on your workout. Even 30 minutes of cardio or strength training will make you feel more confident about yourself regardless of the outcome. Being proactive in your weight loss gives you greater confidence than sitting on the sofa with a ‘woe is me’ attitude.

The more you workout the more confident you’ll feel about your ability to lose weight and keep it off. As your confidence grows so too will your motivation to keep working out.

Naughty, Naughty!

Ah sex, it’s the reason most of us do most of the things we do. We want a good job so we can have money to take out the best looking mate, guys want sports cars to get the hottest girls and we ladies want to be thin so we can snag the studliest of the studs!

{Giving your bed more of a workout should make you want to workout more!}

If that’s not motivation enough for you, consider that the more you weigh the less satisfied you probably are with your sex life. Most of us could use better, more exciting, longer lasting sex and getting physically fit puts you closer to getting what you want. Working out can help you get in the condition for great sex, but you’ll have to find the creativity on your own!

Kate Manigold is an extensionist and animal activist in the Toronto area. In addition to her extensive experience with coconut water for weight loss, Kate has recently launched a company that specializes in cruelty free feather hair extensions called Picasso© Hair Feathers. Go to Picasso Hair Feathers to learn how you can get in on the latest fashion trend without sacrificing animals for their feathers!