How to Stay Motivated to Work Out: Tips From the Alo Moves Community
For some, sticking to a workout routine comes naturally. Exercise feels like a fun activity and workout time can’t come soon enough, or they’re naturally list-makers and checking off the fitness box is part of their productive routine. For others, it takes a bit more motivation to hit the mat, and that’s totally fine. It’s all about finding out what works for you.
We’ve already outlined our best tips on how to stick to a workout routine, but now we’re turning to our Alo Moves Facebook Group community for their answers: How do you stay motivated to work out?
1. Make it a high-vibe ritual.
“I light some candles, dim the lights, spray auric spray, and enjoy the practice as self-care.” Ash S.
2. Do it first thing in the morning.
“I think for me it's helped doing it first thing, no excuses and making it fit in before work gets in the way and I lose all motivation. The consistency of trying every morning and feeling the benefits all day really helped!” - Charlene M.
“I work from home and spend hours on calls each day. By 2 p.m., I know my motivation is gone. I know if I don’t get my workout in before my first meeting, it isn’t going to happen.” - Kira R.
“I am way more likely to practice if I make it a morning priority. It helps me set the tone for my day and I feel like I make better choices. The later it gets, the more excuses I make and I'm more likely to skip it.” - Theresa B.
3. Find an accountability buddy.
“I plan to do a class with a friend who also has Alo Moves and we start at the same time then text after, sometimes during, haha. We also will pick a 7-day series and motivate each other to finish them.” - Lisa L.
4. Use a habit tracker app.
“I use a habit tracker app to keep myself accountable to what I want to get done in my personal life. Weird times sometimes call for us to get creative about how to start something new and do things our brain feels funny about.” - Kelsey L.
5. Find a teacher you resonate with and stick with them.
Ask yourself: “What kind of teacher do you like to listen to? Do you prefer male or female? Hyped or calm? And which classes have you tried already that you don’t love? I’ve done a bunch from a wide variety of teachers.” - Serena G.
6. Start with meditation and see where that leads.
“I started with mindfulness — Brain Food to be exact. Then I naturally grew into more physical meditations. including asana.” - Shalamar B.
7. Practice only as much as you can.
“You don't have to do every part of a class. One benefit of working out at home is that no one will judge you for taking a break or doing another thing. When I'm feeling like I ought to do a class but not very energetic, I find a very calm class like yin or restorative.” - Lennart N.
8. Start with the basics.
“I am also a beginner and trying to build a habit, but I like Dylan Werner’s classes. Beginner True Strength and Beginner Flexibility. I find I am improving even though I am not sticking to a routine.” - Maura E.
“For strength, I really enjoyed Beginner True Strength by Dylan Werner. Under 30 minutes and you get great teaching of proper practice basics. Challenging, but if you stick to the whole four weeks, you’ll definitely see progress.” - David G.
9. Stick with short classes.
“Start with shorter classes (plus points for intense classes — I’m looking at you, Vinyasa Burn) and build up from there.” - Kristine C.
“Grab a 15-minute brain break and go from there. It’s the best remedy.” - Brad S.
“Just put your clothes on and show up, even if it’s five minutes or one Sun Salutation. It helps keep you in the habit of getting on your mat. Don’t feel guilty for doing a 5-10 minute workout, just be proud that you showed up. I feel like that makes it so much less daunting than knowing I have to do a 45-minute class.” - Helen S.
10. Make it a calendar appointment that works for your schedule.
“Try setting up an appointment with yourself for self-care Alo Moves time. You are just as important or even more important than any of your work appointments. Exercise is self-care, and very necessary to your overall health. I think it took me time to adjust to making my own work-from-home schedule and realizing part of my challenge was that I was stuck in a rut of my old schedule. For instance, I now have time in the a.m. for a 15-minute yoga class that would not have worked when I had to be in the office. Be graceful with yourself and give yourself permission to change up your routine.” - Pamela V.
11. Focus on play.
“How about finding something playful in your practice that will trick your mind into going on the mat? I love to play with Sirsasana A or with arm balances, but it could be Handstand, Wheel, Wild Thing Pose, or Eagle Pose and finding a drishti — anything. By the time my body is warm, either I want more and do a flow, or I consider myself done for the day. And I leave the mat feeling like at least I gave it a little practice.” - Marie D.
12. Plan in advance.
“My current mindset is to just show up. I pick a class the night before and so I have it in my head what I’m expecting of myself and then I get up the following day and do it, even when I don’t feel like it. I struggle the most when I don’t pick ahead of time because then I’ll just scroll around and do nothing.” - Jessie G.
13. Try a program-style series.
“I feel like picking a 30-day series can help because you get excited to make progress and don’t have to think about what class you’re gonna do.” - Helen S.
“I found focusing on shorter classes within a series is a good way to get into a routine. Then you know you only have to get through 15-20 minutes, and you can see the progress through the series (Day 1, Day 2, etc). If you're working from home right now, it's also nice to use the classes to start your day and end your day. That's working really well for me to wake up and to close down after work.” - Kat L.
14. Remember why you practice.
“Do things that feel good! Ask yourself what you need to do to support you right now.” Brisa J.
“Once I make that first move on the mat, I'm happier and proud of myself that I managed to overcome that internal barrier. So whenever I'm not motivated, I try to bring back in my mind that positive feeling on the mat and just start getting ready for my practice. It does not always work, but then I try again the next day.” - Gosia K.
Editor’s note: some responses have been edited for length and clarity.
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