If it were easy to stay motivated to work out, then we’d all have rock-hard abs. Alas, the drive to get out of bed for an early morning sweat session is elusive, except for those infectiously positive and perky fitness trainers and instructors or so you thought. Even they need some encouragement once in a while. We asked four inspiring exercise experts to share what motivates them both in and out of the gym and studio. Their advice could be the extra nudge you need.
Your favorite instructors are great teachers, but they’re still students, too. “Just like my clients, I oftentimes need to be told what to do when it comes to my exercise routine,” says Annie Mulgrew, program director at CityRow in New York City. “I’ll take a class at my studio or another studio with an instructor friend,” she says. “I always feel better afterward!”
Mulgrew says group fitness is more than just a workout, but an opportunity to see what other instructors are doing and get new ideas. “We’re still consumers of group fitness.”
Treat yourself every day
To stay on track with a healthy, balanced diet, Mulgrew says she gives in to temptation one time every day. “If I allow myself a treat, I’m way less likely to overindulge or binge,” she says. “One glass of wine is perfect, but a whole bottle? Derailing.”
This smart eating strategy is the reason many authorities say trendy or restrictive diets simply don’t work. You end up craving the self-banned food even more, increasing your odds of binge eating or falling off the wagon completely.
Pump up the jams
Music can be an incredibly powerful mood booster. In fact, research has shown that listening to happy or sad music can actually directly alter the way you perceive the world—powerful stuff!
Los Angeles-based personal trainer Astrid Swan harnesses the power of music to get her ready to take on the world. “No matter what the situation is—an early wake-up call, sprints on the treadmill, or just having a life moment, music brings me back to me,” says Swan. Need a quick jolt? She says to turn up the dial “on the volume and on your workout.” One song that always works for this fitness pro: “Stronger” by Britney Spears.
