By Jill Armayor for DRS Health

Athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike will tell you that they have days when working out is like pulling teeth, so don’t feel bad if you have these days once in a while. The important question is, how do you see to it that this cloud of dreariness doesn’t negatively affect your day’s workout?

Here are some tips to keep you motivated to stick with your program:

1. Remember that most of the time, the hardest part of getting motivated is actually starting your workout. Once you have started, it is easy to finish. Therefore, make it as easy as possible to get moving. Have your workout clothes ready to put on. If you are going to the gym after work, have your work out bag packed and ready to go. Include your clothes, shoes, water bottle, a good book and some of your favorite music.
    
2. Have an alternate plan. If you need a break from your normal routine, take your workout outside. Play some hoops or kick around a soccer ball. Do something to stay active so that don’t disrupt your progress.
    
3. Bear in mind why you are exercising in the first place. Review your goals that you have set for yourself. Why are you working so hard to achieve your goals? Maybe you have a reunion coming up. Maybe your doctor has told you that you are in danger of having a heart attack. Every day counts! Don’t waste it.
    
4. Find an accountability partner. Do you have a coworker or a friend who is trying to get into shape? Form a pact with this person to hold each other accountable. Talk on a daily basis about your progress and encourage each other to press forward.
    
5. Change your routine when you have reached a plateau. If you find that you are not making the progress you want, switch up your workout by adding in extra cardio, changing the order of your exercises and changing the structure of your workout into a circuit. Keep your body guessing to avoid annoying slumps.
    
6. Be gentle with yourself if you end up missing a workout. Recognize it for what it is- a missed workout. It does not mean that you have completely failed. Write that day off as a loss and continue down the path to accomplishment the following day.
    
7. Keep track of your progress. Take regular measurements and write down things that you notice, like your favorite jeans are fitting better or having more energy and feeling better. Write down the complements you receive from others. Review the progress you have made in the past when you feel unmotivated.
    
8. Reward yourself. When you have perfect exercise attendance for one week or when you reach one of your short-term goals, reward yourself by purchasing a piece of workout attire or by downloading some new songs to your MP3 player.
    

If you still feel unmotivated, push through it. This feeling is only temporary and will pass. The reward that you will receive when you accomplish your goals is worth it!