Lacking motivation? Check out our top five tips for sticking to…

Most of us are incredibly gung-ho when we decided to embark on a new fitness regimen, aren’t we?

We plan gym sessions, we splash out on snazzy exercise outfits and we smugly inform friends and work colleagues of our master plan.

And then, it begins to take a nosedive.

Running out of steam or losing interest in a fitness plan can be a disheartening experience because let’s face it, we genuinely started out with the best of intentions!

To ensure you stay on top of your goals and maintain your motivation, we have five top tips that are worth checking out for anyone who’s sick of asking where it all went wrong again.

1. Pack up pronto

Telling yourself you plan to go to the gym after work is not enough if you don’t have everything you need to hand at the end of a long day.

Pack your gym bag the night before and consider it as important an accessory as your handbag.

Ignoring a bulging gym bag which you recall packing with the best of intentions isn’t too easy!

2. Freshen up

When you’re lounging around the house and the idea of hitting the gym is as likely as landing on the moon, you need to shake yourself out of that mood pronto!

The easiest way to change your frame of mind in this regard is to brush your teeth and give your face a vigorous wash.

Believe us, the new fresh feeling will do wonders for your motivation levels.

3. Get changed

If you know that you have a habit of dragging your feet as your gym class approaches, then you need to avoid that danger zone at all costs.

If your class is at 7pm, you should get changed into your exercise gear a couple of hours in advance.

Bouncing around in your trainers before you even begin your class will make the transition a lot easier.

4. Remind yourself

As most gym bunnies know, the high you feel at the end of a strenuous exercise session is second to none, but we seem to forget about it once it comes to lacing up our trainers again!

Why don’t you jot down how you feel after an exercise class or what you thought when someone complimented your changing appearance and steal a glance at it the next time you feel like bowing out of your gym session?

A small post-it note can work wonders when you’re struggling to get off the couch.

5. Buddy up!

Sad as it is, most of us have no problem letting ourselves down.

However, we baulk at the idea of disappointing a friend, so why not find an exercise partner who is unlikely to listen to feeble excuses or tedious reasons as to why you can’t slog it out on a certain day?

If you do have a person like this in your life but exercising together isn’t feasible, why not plan to work out at the same time and report back afterwards?

As proof of your hard work and to ensure no cheating, why not send a selfie of your frizzy hair and beautiful rosy cheeks afterwards?!