Exercise is a crucial aspect of the battle against the bulge. Without a consistent fitness regimen, staying healthy and losing weight can be an uphill battle. Each person may have their own struggles when it comes to staying motivated to work out; sometimes it’s finding time, waking up early, or simply needing more inspiration to put on your gear and get to work. Read these tips below to learn how you can stay motivated for exercise.

1.       Your exercise gear should always be visible. This includes your workout clothes, sneakers, yoga mats, and dumbbells. Everything that you need to exercise should be placed strategically where you can see them. These act as visual cues to serve as both a wake-up call and a reminder to your brain. Doing so will help you more effectively remember to work out, despite all the competing priorities that you have to deal with in your daily life such as chores, work, and personal relationships.

2.       Change up your routine by adding various forms of exercise. Doing the same kind of workout each time can easily be a bore for most people, and if you are bored, it is more likely that you will lose motivation to continue participating. Adding variety to your exercise regimen will also make it more fun:  try adding dancing, hiking, Pilates, yoga, sports, boxing, or cycling classes to make your week more interesting. Exercises that are fun can easily make you forget that you are working out. If you aren’t sure how to mix up your workout, try different classes out until you find one or a few that you truly enjoy.

3.       Turn your workouts into a social activity by making friends at classes. Spending time with like-minded people who have the same fitness goals as you can motivate you to go to class and even perform better through friendly competition. As a bonus, you’ll also get your social fix while burning calories and staying healthy. If you think that this strategy would work for you,  keep in mind that certain classes have a better ability to foster friendships than others. If classes are fun and lively, and encourage communication amongst students, this is a good sign.

4.       Go to a fitness or weight loss contest with your friends. Get a group of friends together who are looking to lose fat or build more muscle, and set up benchmarks that you can use to measure against each other every few weeks. Different things can be at stake: money, a lavish dinner, or special presents.  Friendly competition this way can be a beneficial pursuit for the entire group. If you aren’t sure what benchmarks to start with, you can try:

a.       Most number of steps walked per day

b.       Most number of hours logged in the gym

c.       30-day straight workout challenges

d.       Most number of pounds lost

5.       Create a workout playlist that motivates you. Music is one of the best motivators out there, plus it’s inexpensive and in many cases even free. Download your favorite tracks and listen to them while you work out. Changing up your playlist regularly also makes it more fun to listen to. There are many free playlists you can also find on the internet. If music doesn’t work for you, there are also lectures and podcasts that you can choose from.

6.       Be accountable by logging your workouts online. You can start by posting your workout routines on social media sites such as DailyMile and Facebook, where you can garner extra support from your friends and family. Chronicling your progress will let people know when you are reaching your goals and when you’ve slacked off.

7.       Commit yourself to a regular workout schedule. Analyze your weekly schedule and see what time of day and what days of the week work best for you. For some individuals, waking up at the crack of dawn to exercise works best, while for others it\'s sneaking into a class at noon, or working out at night. Find what is suitable for you and stay committed throughout the week until the habit already feels natural. Going on a spontaneous routine, or only working out when you feel like it, is a plan for disaster. More likely than not, a last-minute invitation might come along or you might suddenly feel lazy.

8.       Choose a gym, studio, or class that’s convenient for you. The closer it is to your home or office, the better your chances are of sticking with your workout routine especially if it’s just a few minutes away from where you spend most of your time. Oftentimes the most difficult aspect of staying committed to your fitness regimen is starting, but if the location is near you, you’ll have fewer excuses.

9.       Create an environment in your home or office that promotes fitness. Start reading about health, have motivational quotes sent to your inbox, and place daily reminders where you’ll see them the most. Clean your home and work on removing all the junk and unprocessed foods so that you stay on track to work out each day.

10.      Last but not least, reward yourself for progress. Go ahead and treat yourself to your favorite meal or dessert once a week. Do things that make you feel good about yourself because you’ve been working hard to attain your fitness goals, provided that the reward system that you’ve set up is healthy.