Just looking wistfully at a picture of Miranda Kerr’s bikini body as you reach for breakfast each morning is not going to give you great abs by proxy. When it comes to fitness, it does really take consistent dedication to see results. If your workout gear is languishing in the closet, try some of these ideas to boost your motivation.
Keep it short and sweet
Lengthier exercise sessions can have a lot of benefits, but for the impatient or time-poor, intense, shorter workouts might be a better choice. From HIIT to Crossfit to Slow Burn, maximum intensity/minimum duration moves are taking off. Intensive exercise can be especially effective in a group setting as you can draw on the energy of your fellow group members to help you push through a tough set of intervals. Although it can be tough, putting in your strongest effort means that you’ll see results more quickly, which can be a key source of encouragement.
Stick to a beeline for success
There are tons of free online tools to help keep you accountable in your quest for fitness and health. One of the newest is Bee minder, which provides an incentive to make progress towards a goal every day. Or you can put your money where your mouth is with stick by forming an agreement with your friends. They’ll be keeping you accountable – literally – because if you fail to achieve what you said you would, you’ve got to pay up! You don’t need online apps for these methods either, since a written “contract” in the hands of a reliable friend can be just as good. Just make sure that whatever approach you take, it’s official enough to keep you on your 
joggers-clad toes.
Make it personal
Of course, if you’re going to pay someone to keep you accountable, they might be as well be an expert who can help you with your technique, routine, diet and lifestyle as well. Hiring a personal trainer is a time-honored way to keep on track for a reason: it works. You could even take your passion to the next level by undertaking an instructor certification with a member-based organization such as the Australian Fitness Network. Staying fit and earning money at the same time: now that’s motivation.
Jane Meldon is a health and fitness expert writing for the Australian Fitness Network.
