Focus on the Mental and Emotional Benefits of Exercise to Help Stick to Your Workouts

Anyone who's tried to stick to a workout routine knows what it's like to have those days when you just don't feel like it—when you feel like you haven't gotten any results from your exercise, and you wonder why you even bother. That can be depression (or laziness, depending) talking, and a surefire way to push through that fog and get your running shoes on is to focus on how you'll feel when you're finished.

Even though it seems counter-intuitive, you'll feel energized after even a short walk or workout, and the emotional benefits will make themselves known to you long before the physical ones will. Most people try to focus on inches slimmed or pounds lost—since they'll come later, consider honing in on the emotional benefits instead to hit that need for instant gratification you may have. In addition to preparing for those depressed days by remembering how good you'll feel, the folks at BodyHack suggest making a running schedule you'll want to stick to as a kind of carrot to stay motivated.

The idea itself isn't new—we've mentioned rewarding yourself immediately as a way to keep exercise interesting, and the idea is definitely sound—if the feeling of accomplishment and the endorphins aren't enough to get you up and onto the treadmill or exercise bike, maybe treating yourself to something nice when you're finished will do the trick. How do you stay motivated to work out on those down days? Share your tips in the comments below.