17 Women Share Their Best Tips For Getting Motivated To Work Out

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Working out is hard as hell—even before you hit the gym. Sometimes the best intentions, like setting an early alarm or packing sneakers in your work bag, won’t be enough to get you ~*psyched*~ about the grueling training session you’ve got planned. The truth is that every day won’t feel like a fitness fairytale, so don’t be so hard on yourself. Plus, it’s totally fine to skip the occasional workout. In fact taking extra time to recover may help you reach your fitness goal faster (hi foam roller!).

But before you hit snooze or head to happy hour with sweat-free gym gear, think about whether you’re skipping one session or playing fitness hooky on the reg. It’s called working out for a reason—you have to show up and do something in order to see results. If you need a little inspiration before you get your fitness on, try these 17 ways real women motivate themselves to get #UpNOut.

Related: This Is What Happens To Your Body When You Take A Break From Working Out

1. Write down your goals and look at that list often.

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“I’m always fighting the battle of immediate versus long-term gratification, so I try to find ways to immediately remind myself of the long-term plan by writing little messages on my wrist. It can be anything from ‘4-8,’ because I believe it takes four to eight weeks for results of working out regularly to show, to ‘thank you,’ which is a reminder that I’ll thank myself later if I stick with my plan.” —Lindsey, 21

2. Create a buddy system with your BFF (even if you don’t actually work out together).

“I’ve found that motivating myself to work out usually has to come from a positive place instead of a negative place. My best friend and I have a shared private fitness board on Pinterest for when we need extra motivation. My friend is way better at updating it than me, but it’s super motivating, especially because I tend to work out alone. I can check our board and still feel like I have someone keeping me accountable.” —Claire, 23

3. Plan your workout schedule in advance.

“My week fills up quickly with events for work, drinks with friends, and other miscellaneous activities, so every Sunday I set aside 30 minutes to plan my workout schedule—and that includes booking spots in whatever classes I want to take. Then I write (yes, write!) the workouts in my planner. Once something is added to my calendar I consider it a non-negotiable—I have to go!” –Bari, 29

4. Have a killer playlist ready to go.

“To motivate myself to work out, I make playlists I know I will want to run to. My go-to running songs are mostly DJs like Swedish House Mafia, Alesso, and Audien, but I never forget the fitness classics, like ‘Run The World (Girls)’ by Beyoncé and ‘Sexy Back’ by Justin Timberlake.” —Emily, 23

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