In today’s post, I’m sharing my best home workout motivation tips with you so you can experience what it feels like to be PROUD of yourself for consistently showing up for your workout routine, right from the comfort of your home!
If you’d love to workout at home more consistently this year, but perhaps in the past have felt extremely unmotivated to do so (i.e you feel like you need a gym or a workout class to keep you motivated), I get it!
Prior to 2020, I thought I’d NEVER EVER be the type of gal who could workout at home. It didn’t feel effective enough, but more than that – I honestly just didn’t feel like I was motivated enough by working out at home. I thought I needed the atmosphere of a gym.
Fast forward to 2024 and I now love and actually PREFER working out at home over going into the gym. It’s helped me be even more consistent with my workouts and fight against the dreaded all or nothing thinking that holds so many of us back.
So before I dive into the tips and tricks I have to improve your home workout motivation, can we chat about the benefits of home workouts, first? Then I also want to touch on one little phrase that I hear all too often:
“I’m just not motivated enough to workout at home”
Juicy stuff. Let’s dig in.
Benefits of Home Workouts
I want to break down some of the biggest benefits of working out at home – benefits I’ve personally experienced, and benefits that I’ve had members rave about after doing the workouts that are provided in the Redemptive Health Membership from their homes.
You save time.
When you workout at home, you don’t have to spend the time to get dressed, pack up anything you may need, drive to the gym, walk in/sign in, etc…this could save you up to 30-45 minutes!
You save money.
I admit you may need to invest some money up front for equipment (like dumbbells or bands), but the great thing is that you OWN these after just one purchase. A $50 set of dumbbells could serve you until you’re 75…seriously.
You can exercise whenever you want.
Have a weird 20 minute gap between events, meetings, or chores? Awesome, you can squeeze in a 10 minute mini workout! 8:17 PM and just getting to your daily workout but the gym that’s 15 minutes away closes at 8:30? No problem, you’ve got your living room and dumbbells 😉
You can be MORE consistent.
Building off the previous benefit, being able to squeeze in your workout in “random” pockets of your day can help you become more consistent with them over time (especially when you start to think “something is better than nothing”)
You can wear and listen to whatever you want.
Workout in your jammies and slippers? Jam out to your favorite song on repeat for 30 minutes at full volume? Dance break between sets??? Uhh, yes please! These factors can infuse such an element of fun and joy into your workout!
You have more privacy.
Whether you want privacy because you don’t quite feel super confident lifting weights yet, or because you want to be able to dance between sets in peace (same), working out at home offers you that privacy that you just can’t get at a gym
You can set a positive example for kids and family members.
So maybe you don’t have privacy from your kids during your workout at home, but you DO have the beautiful opportunity to set a positive example for them…even if they’re crawling all over you and asking you “why” 48 times. Kids are sponges and absorb everything we do and say. Having your kid watch you prioritize 20 minutes of movement in the afternoon before cooking a healthy meal can have an impression on them 20 years down the road.
You can bypass waiting for equipment.
Is there anything worse than having to wait for someone to be done using a piece of equipment you need? Working out at home you have free reign. Feels good.
You can bypass the icky, sweaty, body odor smells.
…honestly, enough said, right?
The Big Motivation Misconception
Now, one of the biggest hesitations and concerns I hear when it comes to working out at home (or just working out at all, consistently) is the phrase “I’m just not motivated enough”.
I totally get this – for whatever reason, it feels natural to lean on motivation to take action on something.
But the reality is….that’s just not reliable. Right? I think we can all agree with that as we look back on instances where we waited until we were motivated to do something.
When it comes to being motivated, that motivation comes AFTER taking action FIRST. Motivation is a byproduct of taking action, not the other way around. Taking action on something leads you to feeling more motivated, typically because you start to see the results of that action, and the results are the motivating part!!
So if you don’t feel motivated enough to workout at home, chances are that you probably tried it before and were relying on motivation to keep going. Maybe you got in 2 or 3 workouts when initial motivation was high, but then that motivation fizzled (that’s normal!). You chalked it up to the thought that you just don’t have the motivation to be the type of person who works out at home.
But that’s just a thought you’re thinking. It’s not necessarily TRUTH. So when you think “I’m just not motivated enough to workout at home”, you start to actually believe it. And then when you believe it…you start to act in a way that makes that feel true. And the result? You don’t workout at home….or at all.
If you want a different result (like working out at home consistently to save money, to get in better shape so you can have enough energy to play with your kids, AND to enjoy getting dressed again), then you need to make 2 small swaps:
- Change your thought: switch from “I’m just not motivated enough” to “I am open to the idea that I can actually be motivated to workout at home”. This takes practice, but start to notice your thoughts.
- Take action: because motivation comes from taking action. Keep showing up to workout at home…even when you don’t feel motivated.
Now, onto my best home workout motivation tips to help you with both of those 😉
Home Workout Motivation Tips
Create a gym “space” where all of your equipment is stashed.
How can you make this environment feel exciting, fun, and inspiring? Can you hang up a paper where you’ve written down your “why” for working out, write a bible verse on your mirror, invest in a fun yoga mat, or tack up photos of your family?
Queue up a workout playlist of your favorite songs or a podcast to listen to while you workout.
Set a time.
Just like you would show up at a certain time for a workout class, decide to show up at a set time for your workouts. Schedule it in your day just like you would a dentist appointment, or picking up your kid from school, and look at it as non-negotiable.
Remind yourself that working out is literally a gift, not a chore or a “should”.
Do it “with God”.
We may think of working out as another thing to do, which can make it feel mundane. But when you think of doing it “with God”, that can infuse new meaning and purpose behind it! He is literally WITH you, alongside you!
Look at the positives.
You can workout in whatever you want, blast your music, dance (or fold some clothes!!) between sets, set a positive example in front of your kiddo, squeeze in a quick workout when otherwise you would’ve had to skip it, more privacy, more flexibility to fit it into your day…remember and remind yourself of all those benefits!!
Reframe your thought.
Instead of “I’m just not motivated to workout at home”, shift it to “I just think I’m not motivated to workout at home” or “I’m open to the idea that I CAN be motivated to workout at home!”. Our thoughts really do drive a LOT of our behavior. What thoughts are you telling yourself? I’m repeating this one because it’s been one of the most helpful tips for me personally!
Remember the ultimate, deep reason WHY working out is important to you.
You want to set a good example for your kid so that they have a healthier relationship with their body than you did growing up? My guess is your why, if meaningful enough, far outweighs your perceived lack of motivation. Tap into it.
There you have it, some of my best tips for maintaining that motivation to workout at home. The best way to get the most out of this post? Take action on one aspect of it. It’s so easy to read an article or listen to a podcast and not implement anything – I don’t want that for you!! What is ONE thing you will implement from what you read? What obstacles could you anticipate that may get in the way of you doing so, and how could you overcome them?
Learn More
Want to take the guesswork out of your home workouts? Join us inside the Redemptive Health Membership where you get access to a brand new monthly workout program that can be done at home each month!
Curious the benefits of strength training? Learn more here!
