{"id":43746,"date":"2015-09-23T07:15:20","date_gmt":"2015-09-23T11:15:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=43746"},"modified":"2016-07-14T16:02:59","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T20:02:59","slug":"no-excuses-workout-motivation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/no-excuses-workout-motivation\/","title":{"rendered":"5 ‘No Excuses’ Tricks to Stick to Your Workouts"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"5
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We\u2019ve all had those days where we forget our sneakers<\/a>, or just don\u2019t get moving\u00a0in time to squeeze in some cardio<\/a>. But if you find yourself regularly skipping workouts for silly reasons (\u201cI just washed my hair<\/a>!\u201d), it\u2019s time to organize your life in a way that makes it easier to embrace exercise.<\/p>\n

Contrary to popular belief, creating a seamless fitness\u00a0habit isn\u2019t just about willpower. \u201cMost of getting to the gym comes down to preparation and habits,\u201d says Mark Crabtree, ATC, founder of Ignite Fitness<\/a> in Naperville, Illinois.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> The 25 Craziest Workout Excuses Trainers Have Ever Heard<\/a><\/p>\n

Streamlining your daily routine will help eliminate excuses that might derail you during moments of weakness. \u201cYou only have a limited supply of willpower<\/a> on any given day,\u201d says Christine Carter<\/a>, Ph.D, sociologist and author of The Sweet Spot<\/a>. <\/em>\u201cWhen something is a habit, you\u2019re running on autopilot, so you don\u2019t have to draw on those limited sources of self-control.\u201d<\/p>\n

These easy tricks will pinpoint what\u2019s keeping you from getting fit \u2014\u00a0and help you learn how to get back<\/a> on track with your routine.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>How to Fall in Love With Fitness in 4 Easy Steps<\/a><\/p>\n

No Excuses: 5\u00a0Ways to Stick to Your Workouts<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. You always forget to pack your gym bag.<\/strong>
\n\u201cIf you\u2019re continuously forgetting something so necessary to your workout, each time it is like a little act of self-sabotage<\/a>,\u201d says Carter. For two weeks, put a Post-it on your sneakers saying, \u201cDo you have all your gear?\u201d Eventually you\u2019ll automatically remember to check, even when your sneakers are sans reminder.<\/p>\n

Another clever option is to get a gym bag<\/a> with separate sections, so you can more easily see if you\u2019re missing something vital. \u201cBags are individual to each person, but it can help to have one with compartments for your sweaty stuff, for your work clothes, for snacks and water, and for things like keys,\u201d says Crabtree.<\/p>\n

2. You\u2019re too ravenous by the end of the day.
\n<\/strong>\u201cSolve this problem by preparing your meals for each week in one go,\u201d says Carter. (Or, start with these 12 brilliant meal prep ideas<\/a> to free up your time.) Horrified by the thought of eating a turkey sandwich prepped three days before? Try to at least plan your menus, so you can stock up at the grocery store<\/a> on Sunday.<\/p>\n

\u201cTreat your workout as if it\u2019s a meeting scheduled with yourself.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Post-work trips to Whole Foods are a surefire way to foil your goal of going to the gym before dinner. One solution could be introducing a pre-workout snack<\/a> into your routine to tide you over. Not only will it fuel you, but \u201cthat food becomes part of your mindset. When you eat it, you know a workout is coming soon,\u201d says Crabtree. If they aren\u2019t perishable, consider putting a week\u2019s worth of snacks in to your gym bag so you don\u2019t have to remember to do it each day.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Got 10 Minutes? 3 Fat-Blasting Bodyweight Workouts<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a03.\u00a0<\/strong>You\u2019re digging through the hamper in the morning.
\n<\/strong>No, we\u2019re not going to tell you to sleep in your gym clothes (just lay them out the night before). Because no matter how comfy those Nike leggings may be, you should designate them strictly for working out. \u201cDon\u2019t wear workout clothes to sleep or lounge around the house in,\u201d says Crabtree. \u201cWhen your brain ties those clothes only to exercise, it will start to get into the right frame of mind when you put them on.\u201d Plus, there\u2019s less of a chance of your gear being dirty when you need it, if you\u2019re not living in it 24\/7.<\/p>\n

4. You stay up too late and skip morning workouts.
\n<\/strong>Ah, the siren song of bypassing bedtime in favor of scrolling through your Instagram feed<\/a>. Give yourself a hard deadline for when you\u2019ll quit your screens<\/a> for the day \u2014 and publicize it, says Carter. \u201cTell colleagues, friends and family that you won\u2019t be texting, talking on the phone, or emailing after a certain time,\u201d says Carter. That may sound extreme, but sleep is a key part<\/a> of making gym time non-negotiable. \u201cMost people would not skip a doctor\u2019s appointment, a meeting with their lawyer, or a work meeting,\u201d says Crabtree. \u201cTreat your workout as if it carries the same importance \u2014 it\u2019s a meeting scheduled with yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The 7 Best Strength Exercises You\u2019re Not Doing<\/a><\/p>\n

5. You get shut out of workout classes because you never register on time.
\n<\/strong>Self-sabotage strikes again! \u201cWhen you\u2019re truly motivated to do something that requires a reservation, you\u2019ll make it,\u201d says Carter. Check out these workout motivation tips<\/a>, then set at least one weekly calendar reminder to prompt your sign-ups (end date: never). It\u2019s best if you can do all your registration at once, says Carter, but feel free to set multiple prompts if you need to. Even better, find a workout solution that gives you access any time of day (hello, DailyBurn 365<\/a>!).<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your favorite trick for sticking with your gym plans? Tell us in the comments section below. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Struggling to squeeze in your workouts? Nix the excuses with these expert-approved organizational tips that will ensure you actually fit in your sweat session.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":43749,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,6],"tags":[104,292,103,341,343],"class_list":["post-43746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exercise","category-fitness","tag-goals","tag-meal-prep","tag-motivation","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2exercise"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43746"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43746\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}