We’ve all been there. We start a new fitness regime with the best intentions, but after a few weeks, or even a few days in some cases, our motivation levels fall through the floor and exercise becomes a chore. If this scenario sounds familiar, you have two choices. You can either give up, or you can hang on in there. If you want to keep going, but you’re struggling to muster up the enthusiasm to get sweaty, here are some top tips.

Remember why you started in the first place

Look back to the day you started your new fitness routine. What were the reasons you felt compelled to get fit? Did you want to lose weight? Were you concerned about your health? Were you looking for ways to combat stress, anxiety or depression? Did you want to meet new people or become more confident? Whatever your reasons, it’s highly unlikely that these have changed in a short period of time. Remember why you started out with these goals, and consider how far you’ve already come. If you still want to hit those targets, the only way you can do that is by continuing to work hard.

Learn about the benefits

All too often we obsess about exercise because we know it helps us to lose weight. There’s nothing wrong with focusing on weight loss if you want to lose a few pounds, but it’s so crucial to be aware of all the other advantages of living an active lifestyle. Regular exercise can help to protect your heart by lowering your cholesterol and blood pressure. As heart disease is one of the biggest killers, it’s vital to look after your heart. Many of us are completely oblivious to what’s going on inside our bodies, and this is one of the main benefits of a heart scan and frequent cholesterol and blood pressure checks. There are often no clear symptoms of heart disease until it reaches an advanced stage so checking in with your doctor and taking a look at how your heart is performing is beneficial. Exercise also reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, and it has incredible effects on your mental health too. If you know that every time you go for a run, you do a workout at home, you cycle to work or you take the dog for a brisk walk you’re doing your health a power of good, you may be more likely to tough it out.

Have fun!

Even the most dedicated gym bunny is likely to lose motivation if they do the same exercises over and over again and never venture too far from the same room. Try and make exercise fun. If you struggle with long sessions, opt for short, intensive workouts or take a friend along to make training more enjoyable. Mix up the type of training you do. Use different machines in the gym, combine indoor and outdoor workouts, and try a range of activities. You can do anything from cycling, kayaking and climbing, to spinning, Pilates and street dance. Find classes, team sports or individual activities that you enjoy. This will make it so much easier to achieve your goals.

If your motivation is running low, hopefully, these tips will give you the boost you need to get to where you want to be.

Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post.