Do you have trouble sticking to a workout schedule? Well, rest assured that you aren’t alone. It could be really hard to stay motivated to exercise every day, but it definitely is not impossible with these motivating workout quotes and the following strategies. Check out our 12 tips below to help you get on track and keep going strong.

12 Ways to Stay Motivated to Exercise

1. Set Your Goals and Write Them Down

Rather than being vague and just telling yourself that you want to exercise more, try to set more specific goals that are realistic too. You might, for example, tell yourself that you want to lose a specific amount of weight. Or you might want to prepare yourself for running in a 5K. Another goal might be to sleep better or gain more muscular strength. But, in addition to setting ultimate goals and the milestones that will help you get there along the way, you could also ensure that you stay motivated to exercise by writing those goals down, setting dates that you want to accomplish your goals by, and going back and revisiting those goals in writing to remind yourself of why you are working so hard.

2. Set a Schedule and Don’t Break It

Merely telling yourself that you will find some time to exercise every day may not be enough to get you to stay motivated to exercise. But having a set time during which you exercise every day and no one disturbs you is a better way to ensure you will stick with your goals. So, try to figure out what hour of the day is best for you, whether that is before you head off to work in the morning or before dinner in the evening. Let your family know that you have set that time aside for exercise and then make sure that you don’t schedule any appointments or activities during that timeframe. Remind yourself that the hour that you’ve set aside is an hour for yourself that is so important to your overall health.

3. Find a Workout Buddy and Don’t Disappoint Them

It could be harder to ditch your workout if you are also ditching your friend at the same time. And many people find that it is easier to stay motivated to exercise when they have a buddy to exercise with. Your workout buddy might be your best friend, a coworker, or your spouse, as a few examples. No matter who it is, you could help each other stay on course by making one another excited about every workout that’s to come. And you can track your progress together, too, which will also help keep you motivated to continue exercising every day as well.

4. Buy Workout Clothes and Gear to Use

Believe it or not, the simple—and fun—act of buying workout clothes and workout gear could be a great way to stay motivated to exercise every day. After all, you spent money on those workout clothes, and you will also want to wear what you have purchased, especially if they look good on you. So, consider shopping for a new pair of sneakers, some cute workout leggings and sports bras, and maybe even some dumbbells and resistance bands that you can use at home. Rather than letting all of your investments sit in your closet, you’ll be excited to take them out and make use of them.

5. Make It a Point to Put in at Least Six Weeks

If you want to stay motivated to exercise every day, make it a point to do it for at least six weeks. By six weeks, you will have developed a solid habit of working out regularly, but beyond that, you will also begin noticing physical changes in the way that you look by that point in time. If you like what you are seeing in the mirror, you will definitely want to keep going rather than risk going back to the way you looked before. Plus, if working out is giving you more energy, improving your sleep, and boosting your mood, you will also likely notice those changes by the sixth week, so putting in this time could be a crucial step in maintaining your workout motivation for the long run.

6. Start Slow and Work Your Way Up

If you have not been active in a long time, one of the mistakes that could make involves throwing yourself into a hard workout routine right away. Instead, ease yourself into a workout routine at the beginning. If you could only do 10 minutes per day, that’s fine. If you could start at 30 minutes per day and work your way up to 60 minutes per day as you get stronger, even better. But if you end up doing a workout that you aren’t prepared for and you end up feeling really sore for days, you could reduce your odds of being able to stay motivated to exercise.

7. Focus on Variety and Workouts You Enjoy

They say that variety is the spice of life, and that goes for your exercise routine as well. If you are the type of person who typically gets bored of the same old thing, whether it’s eating the same foods all the time or doing the same activities every day, you need to take extra steps to find a wide range of exercises that you can participate in. Perhaps you could do yoga a few times a week and then add in some Pilates, some strength training with weights, and maybe even a dance class. Keep things interesting and have fun along the way in order to stay motivated to exercise and keep your excitement up.

8. Follow a Particular Workout Program and Finish It

There are a lot of workout programs out there that will give you the schedule to follow over the course of several weeks in order to achieve the best results. If you have a hard time setting a workout schedule and sticking to it, or if you have trouble finding ways of creating exercise routines that will deliver results, this could be a great strategy that takes all of the guesswork out of the process. You could, for example, buy a DVD set that comes with a series of fun workouts and a calendar that you could follow. Then you can just follow this plan and stay motivated to exercise because you will want to reach the end and feel accomplished. Once you’re done with a program, though, you should find another so that you could keep going.

9. Give Yourself Rewards Along the Way

Yet another way that you could stay motivated to exercise is by setting up a rewards system for yourself. For example, you might tell yourself that you could buy yourself a new accessory that you’ve been eyeing up if you put in two weeks of exercise. Or you might give yourself a night out with friends if you manage to exercise for a month straight. These little rewards could go a long way, and they could be great motivators that will help you accomplish your workout goals. After all, all work and no play is never fun. So, put in the work so that you can have a little fun too.

10. Hire a Personal Trainer and Impress Them

A personal trainer or a fitness coach is a great professional to hire if you need someone who can guide you through the workout routines that will gradually allow you to build up your endurance and your strength. This is yet another way to take the guesswork out of working out, and it is also a fantastic way to stay motivated to exercise because you will have someone holding you accountable and making sure that you stay on track.

11. Don’t Force Yourself Through Workouts You Hate

Thanks to the many different exercises out there that could target every muscle group, there is no reason to force yourself to endure a workout that you hate. Even if your personal trainer recommends a workout that you can’t stand, let him or her know how you feel and that you would prefer doing something else instead. Forcing yourself to do exercises that you aren’t fond of is a surefire way to reduce the odds that you will stay motivated to exercise. Again, you want variety, and you want to do workouts that you enjoy. So, if getting on a stationary bike isn’t your idea of a good time, find other ways to get your heart rate up in a healthy way that is also more enjoyable for you.

12. Go Ahead and Boast on Social Media

Social media and workout apps could be a great way to find workout inspiration and track your progress when you start a new workout routine. And, you have to admit, it is also a great way to boast about your progress and show off your results. With a support system like that, you could find the means to stay motivated to exercise, as you will want to keep showing people that you can do it and that you are transforming your body in amazing ways.