How many times has some variation of “get in shape” been on your list of New Year’s Resolutions? If you decided this was your year to exercise more, how is that going so far? For many, motivation to exercise can be difficult to maintain but with these tips, you can stay strong with your commitment to fitness!

Try New Things

Maybe you already have your niche- but if you don’t, don’t be afraid to try new things. With sites like Groupon, you can sample a few classes for a great deal so you don’t feel like you’re wasting your money. If you love this trial period, you can sign up for a longer commitment and feel confident going into it knowing that you’ll enjoy it. If you don’t like it, then you’re only obligated for a few weeks and you easily can move on to trying another type of exercise. Another great resource for trying new exercises is YouTube. From yoga to Zumba to dance classes, you can try various types of exercise from the comfort of your own home- and it’s all free!

Exercise With Friends

The Beatles got by with a little help from their friends and you can too! Everything is more fun when you have a friend with you, and exercise is no exception. Not only do you have someone to talk to during the workout, but you also get to spend more time with your friends and strengthen your relationships with them. Furthermore, exercising with a friend creates accountability. If you’re planning on exercising alone, it’s easy to make excuses- but when you’re planning on meeting a friend to exercise, suddenly those excuses seem less convincing. There’s no shame in saying, ‘Help, I need somebody.’

Switch It Up

Exercise can become boring and monotonous if you’re doing the same thing all of the time, so try changing up your exercise routine! This change could be adding a friend on some days or rotating your exercises so you’re not doing the same thing every day. To make each day more exciting, try creating a Wheel-of-Workout, where you add different workouts to a wheel and spin it to see which workout you’ll do for the day!

Find Your Morning Mantra

If you only have time to exercise in the morning and you’re not a morning person, waking up to an early alarm and choosing to leave your warm bed can be a challenge. Create a morning mantra for yourself and say it aloud each morning when you feel too tired to get out of bed and start your workout. This mantra should be something that inspires you to take control of your life, achieve your goals, and become the best version of yourself.

Listen to Your Favorites

Many people listen to music, audiobooks, or podcasts during exercise to distract themselves from the actual workout. One way to keep yourself motivated is to wait until your workout to listen to your audiobook, new episodes of your favorite podcast, or new music from your favorite artist. Waiting until exercising to listen will make you prioritize the exercise and associate exercise with something positive.

Walk It Out

If a full workout seems a little intimidating and you just can’t seem to motivate yourself to get there, choose to go on a walk around the neighborhood, through a mall, or on the treadmill. Sometimes your body needs a little break from heavy exercise, and walking is a great way to improve your mental, physical, and emotional health.

Make & Track Goals

Resolutions are essentially goals for the year, but making realistic daily, weekly, or monthly goals will help you to stay focused and feel empowered. Investing in a fitness tracker, such as a FitBit or an Apple Watch, will help you keep track of your progress overtime and allow you to set goals to beat your personal best time. When you’re constantly striving to beat your personal best record, it becomes more exciting to get out there and give it your all.

Working out can easily fall by the wayside but by utilizing these tips, you can continue to make it a priority in your life. Make this the year of no excuses!