5 Simple Tricks to Keep Motivated When You Work Out Alone

 

Let’s face it: it’s much easier to motivate ourselves to do things when someone else tells us what to do.

That’s why so many people have jobs with bosses, instead of striking out on their own. Or why someone pays tens of thousands of dollars for a grad school degree instead of reading books from the library.

Heck, that’s why people paid upwards of $120 an hour to hire me as a personal trainer when I was working at a gym in NYC. It wasn’t because they couldn’t figure out how to do the exercises I assigned them. It was because they wanted—and craved—the accountability.

Because there’s no doubt about it: doing things on your own can be hard.

And sticking with a fitness habit is no different.

You’re no longer in gym class

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably tried the 12 Minute Athlete workouts (or intend to) at some point or another.

And most likely, you’re not doing the workouts in a group environment. If you’re like me, you’re probably not even doing them at a gym. Without a doubt, most of you are working out at home, in your garage, or maybe (if you’re lucky enough to have nice weather this time of year) outside in a park.

But wherever you do the workouts, most of you have one thing in common: you do them completely alone, without a coach, a trainer, or even a friend to cheer you on.

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Finally: Watch a Full 12 Minute Athlete Workout in Action

All right, I did it.

I finally filmed a full length 12 Minute Athlete video.

I’d been putting it off for some time because… well, as you know… these workouts are hard.

Staying pretty and sweat-free just isn’t an option when doing this kind of ass-kicking HIIT.

But that’s OK. Because I wanted you to see exactly how hard I work… how much I sweat… and how exhausting but incredibly effective these workouts actually are.

My hope? That it’ll motivate you to work even harder. Sweat like you’ve never sweated before. Push till your muscles burn like fire. Jump till your legs won’t even lift off the ground.

Work hard. I do.

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Choose to Be Fit, or Choose to Be Unfit: It's Your Choice

It amazes me how many people I talk to tell me they can’t lose weight, can’t get fit, can’t get healthy.

Oh, they’re very good at coming up with excuses.

They don’t have time, can’t find the motivation, they travel too much, the workouts are too hard.

Or maybe they blame their weight issues on genetics, an undiagnosed thyroid condition, big bones.

Excuse after excuse.

The whining never stops. But it’s their loss.

Because no one can force you to be healthy.

It’s completely up to you. You have to choose it.

What are your priorities?

Some people really don’t care if they are in good shape or not. They’ve made a conscious decision that food X is more important to them than a strong, healthy, sexy body and a long life.

And that’s OK.

But if you do choose to eat that fifth slice of pizza, or that second bowl of ice cream, don’t tell me that you can’t lose weight.

Because if I ate five pieces of pizza in one sitting, day after day, and skipped out on my veggies, I’d be fat too.

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100 Ways to Get Moving Outdoors This Winter

Snowboarding

Think winter means you have to be indoors all the time?

Think again.

I’ve put together this list of 100 outdoor activities that you can do all winter long to keep getting the benefits of getting outside.

Depending on where you live, some of these will be more feasible than others. But don’t let any inclement weather stop you.

Here are 100 ways you can keep active outside in the winter:

1. Go skiing.
2. Try a polar bear swim.
3. If you live somewhere rainy, jump around in mud puddles.
4. Learn to snowboard.
5. Gather some friends and go ice skating.
6. Cross country ski.
7. Go sledding.
8. Take a walk in the rain or snow.
9. Get a pair of shoe shoes and go exploring.
10. Work out outside.
11. Go stand up paddle boarding (just don’t fall in).

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How to FINALLY Do a Pull Up

pull ups

I know what you’re thinking: you can’t do a pull up. And unless you spontaneously turn into a superhero someday, you never will.

But the truth is, if you’re one of the majority of people who can’t do a pull up, it’s probably more of a mental issue than a strength one.

Most people, especially women, assume they can’t ever do a pull up. As in, they truly believe it’s physically impossible.

In fact, the New York Times even published an article recently on why women can’t do pull ups. While the article pissed a lot of people off (including me), many more were reconfirmed in their belief that they will never be able to do pull ups.

But whether you’re male or female, young or old, athletic or a workout newbie, you shouldn’t accept that you can’t do a pull up just because the New York Times tells you that you can’t.

Because here’s the thing: most people who claim they can’t do a pull up haven’t even tried.

And how can you expect to be able to do something if you never even try?

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The Case for Doing Nothing

just relax

We hear it all the time: every moment is precious.

We know that we only have so much time…

And that no single second should be wasted.

So we pack our days with meaningful activities and take advantage of every opportunity that comes our way.

Because we only have one life to live, right? And a meaningful life equals a full life.

No more down time

We listen to self help audio books while we’re doing the dishes.

We do push ups while we’re watching TV with our family.

And we catch up on emails while we’re watching our kid play softball.

Heck, I’m even doing it right now—writing this post while I walk my dog.

We multitask. And we’re good at it. Constantly trying to suck every morsel out of life.

But is this really how we were meant to live?

Are we meant to be human productivity machines—essentially robots?

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15 Awesome Reasons to Add Jumping to Your Regular Workout Routine

jump like you mean it

If you haven’t already noticed, we jump a lot during the 12 minute workouts. Like, a lot.

Burpees, squat jumps and tuck jumps show up in almost every workout we do here on the site.

And yes, these exercises are tough. They’ll make you breathe heavy and pour sweat, and might make you hate me just a little bit (or maybe a lot) after each workout.

But I don’t include so much jumping in the workouts because I want to torture you.

We jump so much because jumping isreally, really good for you.

In fact, it’s one of the best things you can do to get in awesome shape and keep yourself healthy for life.

And the best thing about it? Anyone can do it.

Yes, that means you.

Why you should love to jump

It doesn’t matter if you’re young, or old, overweight or in awesome shape, a seasoned athlete or a complete newbie exerciser—jumping is one of the best exercises out there.

Here’s why you should embrace jumping as part of your regular workout routine:

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7 Surprising Ways Exercise Can Make You Happier

 

Like any good mother, my mom knows me well.

Any time we talk and she can sense I’m feeling less than my normal happy self, she’ll ask the same exact thing: “Have you exercised today, Krista?”

The question used to annoy me.

“I don’t feel like exercising today, Mom,” I’d whine.

But sooner or later, I started realizing that no matter how bad of mood I was in, if I fit in some exercise, whether it was a tough workout or even just a walk outside—I felt loads better.

Every single time.

Of course: mothers always know best.

Exercise and happiness: it’s not just a myth

When you work out and stay active on a regular basis, you may have noticed that you feel less stressed out, less anxious, and generally happier.

And that’s not just a coincidence.

Because studies suggest that there is a direct link between exercise and happiness—for a number of reasons.

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Free eBook: HIIT on the Go Travel Workouts You Can Do Anywhere

HIIT on the go

I don’t know about you…

But I used to find it nearly impossible to stay in shape when I traveled.

I’d bring my workout gear with good intentions of actually using it, but it would inevitably never actually make it out of the bottom of my suitcase.

And while the 12 Minute Athlete workouts are perfect for traveling, sometimes you just don’t have access to any workout equipment—or even an internet connection to check out the newest workout on the site.

That’s why I created HIIT on the Go: 10 Quick and Insanely Effective Workouts You Can Do Anywhere.

Because traveling doesn’t have to mean getting out of shape.

Work out anywhere, anytime

HIIT on the Go is a resource filled with incredibly effective, insanely awesome workouts that you can do while traveling—whether all you have is a crappy cramped gym, a nearby park, or even just a tiny hotel room.

Get HIIT on the Go (40 pages), and you’ll get:

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How a 10-Year-Old Boy Who Can't Walk Can Inspire You to Work Out

braxton

“Your sister is in the hospital,” the principal told me, a look of concern on her face.

I remember the day clearly, even now. I was sixteen years old and a sophomore in high school when I got pulled out of class because of my older sister, who was then 27 weeks pregnant with twin boys.

“The babies have to come out. And the doctor isn’t sure if they’ll live.”

Rushing to the hospital, the rest is a blur. Just a few minutes before, my mind had been on Spanish class and the latest teenage boy I had a crush on.

Suddenly, everything had changed: all I cared about was whether my sister, and her not-yet-born baby boys, would survive.

I remember the looks on my sister and brother-in-law’s faces over those next few days. Pure white with more than a hint of ghost. It was not an easy time for our family.

Seven weeks too early, the boys were born, weighing just over two pounds each. But that didn’t relieve anyone’s fears. They were hooked up to a ventilator for what seemed like weeks because their tiny, premie lungs didn’t have the capacity to breathe like normal babies did.

Still, the doctors didn’t know if they were going to make it.

That next year was tough for all of us. I was too scared to hold the boys (soon named Wyatt and Braxton) for fear I’d break them. And since they could have stopped breathing at any moment, they couldn’t be left alone in a room by themselves—even for a moment, for fear they wouldn’t be alive when you returned.

But they kept on fighting for their lives. And eventually, the boys convinced everyone that they were here in this world to stay.

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