5 Ways You Can Motivate Yourself To Run Today

With all the stress in our daily lives, it can sometimes be hard to find the time for a daily run.

That task becomes even harder if you are juggling children or family commitments, because you then have only a very limited time window to get your workout done. But we all know consistency is key, and we will likely condemn ourselves later if we don’t do it!

So, we’ve put together a quick list of five sure-fire ways to motivate yourself to get your run in, no matter your time-window, ability level, or mood.

#1: Find Music That Motivates You, And Put It On NOW!

There’s no better way to get into the mood for a run than listening to a playlist that gets you amped up. This is THE BEST way to change your mood almost INSTANTLY. Everyone can find that one song to get them over the hump and make them want to go and get out there. Crank up your beats, put on your performance shades, and hit the road.

#2: Shake Up Your Training Regimen

If you’re going to the track every day, head out for a run in your neighborhood instead. If you’re running inside due to weather, try running outside. If you’re running on a hard cement surface, try going off-road or running on softer terrain. The important point is: you have to vary your training regimen to keep it interesting.

Even the most competitive athletes get into a rut. A quick look on Instagram at athletes all around the world, and you’ll see them running in all sorts of different conditions. Of course, it helps if you live near an ocean and can go for a run at twilight, but running anywhere new – even if it’s just a new neighborhood – can help motivate you to run further and longer.

#3: Find A Running Companion

There’s no reason why running has to be a solo endeavor – even elite athletes find time to run with each other. We’re a firm believer that running can be social time as well. It’s about building an athletic community where we can all achieve our running goals together.

And if you can’t find another adult running companion, there’s a reason why jogger strollers were invented! Just be careful to observe good form when pushing around your little tykes if you have them!

#4 Use Fitness Trackers To Push Yourself Harder

Keeping track of daily mileage is a research-proven approach to push runners to achieve more. Now, with so many daily fitness trackers out there, you have even more access to data and information, down to the number of steps you’ve taken each day, and how fast your heart is beating. Everyone enjoys trying to improve their scores and it is little motivators like this that can make the difference between working out, or not!

#5 Keep Your Kit In Your Car!

Have a set of running clothes or workout gear in the car at ALL times. You never know when the right opportunity is going to present itself. Perhaps you often pass a nice trail; today you have time to check it out. You might find you have an hour to kill before an appointment, or something in your day got cancelled. When the opportunity or the mood strikes, a quick car change and you are ready to go on a new run, wherever you may be!

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Remember – getting inspired to run on a regular basis is as mental as it is physical. One of our favorite inspirational stories is the one of Sir Roger Bannister, who broke the 4-minute mile mark back in 1954. Until he did it, everyone thought it was humanly impossible. Yet, within 46 days, that 4-minute mark was once again broken. And, over the next few years, the record was broken again and again…

Once you stop believing that something is impossible, it becomes possible. So, start achieving your running goals and don’t ever let anyone tell you that your goals are impossible!

[You can find the original article at www.AthletesInsight.com]