How to stay motivated to exercise

At a glance

To stay motivated to exercise:

• Find your deeper reason for wanting to be active
• Focus on what you can realistically do today
• Aim for progress, not perfection, with small and manageable actions

When it comes to reaching any exercise goal, be it running a 10k for the first time, or hitting your 10,000 steps a day, motivation is important, but something we can all struggle with from time to time.

Motivation is essentially the driving force behind us wanting to exercise or reach a goal.

A lack of motivation is not usually that this goal suddenly disappears, but that other elements of our lives start to take priority, or that reasons to not exercise start to build up.

Cold and rainy weather, a busy schedule or the temptation to stay on the sofa can all make exercise feel less appealing.

As these barriers increase, the motivation to get moving can begin to fade.

Think of motivation as a seesaw

I like to think of motivation to exercise as a seesaw.

On one side of the seesaw are your reasons to exercise. These might include feeling fitter, having more energy, improving your physical ability or working towards a personal goal.

On the other side are all the reasons not to exercise, such as a lack of time, poor weather or feeling tired.

You can tip the balance towards taking action by strengthening your reasons to exercise and making the activity itself feel more achievable. The following strategies can help.

1. Find your reason for exercising

Understanding your deeper reason for wanting to exercise can help you stay focused when your motivation dips.

Begin by asking yourself why you want to become more active. Then keep asking "why?" until you reach the reason that genuinely matters to you.

For example:

• I want to lose weight. Why?
• I want to improve my physical ability. Why?
• I want to play with my children without becoming out of breath.

In this example, the person’s deeper reason is not simply to lose weight. It is to have the energy and fitness to enjoy playing with their children care-free.

Everyone’s reason will be different and change over time, but knowing this will help drive you when motivation dips.

Abz Ali, social media influencer (@abzthedad) and proud Dad of four boys, is embarking on the 10-week Vitality 10k running programme says, “For me, staying active isn’t about chasing perfection, it’s about having the energy to keep up with my kids and showing them that moving your body can be fun.

"On the days when motivation is low, remembering that bigger ‘why’ helps me get out the door, even if I only manage something small.”

2. Ask: “What can I do today?”

To build sustainable exercise habits, ask yourself "what can I do today?", rather than, "what do I want to achieve in the future?".

End goals are useful but can sometimes mean we bite off more than we can chew. Asking yourself, "what can I manage now?" will mean you’ll build small, manageable habits, that will help you build momentum moving forwards.

Your answer might be:

• Taking a short walk
• Adding another 1,000 steps to your day
• Completing a brief workout at home
• Going for an easy run
• Doing a smaller version of your planned exercise session

Choosing an achievable action can make it easier to get started. These small actions can gradually build momentum and help exercise become a more sustainable part of your routine.

The aim is not to complete the perfect workout every time. It is to choose an activity that feels manageable enough to repeat

3. Focus on progress, not perfection

Staying active does not have to mean completing a long or intense workout every day. On days when your motivation is low, doing something small can still help you maintain your routine.

A shorter walk, a gentler workout or a few extra minutes of movement can all count as progress. Taking an adaptable approach can make it easier to continue exercising during busy or challenging periods.

Your fitness journey does not need to be perfect to be worthwhile. What matters is finding realistic ways to keep moving forwards. 

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