Exercise inspiration is hard to maintain. Scott Rose finds reassessing fitness motives helps.

In keeping up a regular, healthy exercise habit, staying inspired is not always easy. Becoming bored with a routine or even with exercise itself is common and requires a deeper look at the motives behind fitness practices.

Sports psychologists use terms like extrinsic (external) and intrinsic (internal) to describe motivation. Extrinsic factors such as losing weight are often the reason for starting a workout regime. Research has shown however that being driven by intrinsic factors is the best way to maintain a long-term exercise habit. It's about really appreciating training, enjoying the activity itself, rather than feeling forced to go for the sake of an external ideal.

Psychology aside, consider these 10 simple suggestions (both external and internal) to rekindle the fitness fire:

1. Consult a fitness professional. Have some sessions with a personal trainer, or if you attend a gym that offers free member programs, book in for one.

2. Socialise workouts. Find a friend to exercise with, or a gym with a more social atmosphere. Team sports are also a fun option.

3. Try new activities. Solo, in a class, even just a couple of times, trying a different exercise discipline can refresh enthusiasm. Books, magazines, DVDs and the internet are helpful for finding new training skills.

4. Combine with other interests. Music, scenery, watching TV, whatever your joys, including them in sessions may make workouts more pleasant by association.

5. Remind yourself of the benefits. Consciously acknowledging the many benefits of fitness can restore a sense of appreciation and make turning up easier.

6. Buy new clothing, shoes or equipment. It's amazing how even one new item brings back that sporty feeling.

7. Get serious. Two strong intrinsic motivators are mastery, or recognising performance improvements, and flow, a deep psychological connection resulting from concentrating on a task. There is also the hormone ‘high' from intense physical movement. All of these require focussed, hard training.

8. Don't take it so seriously. On the flipside of number seven, for already serious exercisers, being a little more leisurely brings a sense of recreation rather than pressure to training.

9. Reaffirm goals. Define your reasons - articulate why you are working out and what you hope to get from it. If goals have been achieved, create different ones, and if they haven't, change the approach.

10. Attach personal meaning. Referred to as inner synergy, attaching meaning to exercise beyond just health related benefits is another intrinsic strategy. An example of this is training to do a fun run for charity

These are of course just some of the ways to start enjoying exercise again. Ensure new activities are suitable, and relay concerns to a fitness professional. Approaching motivation lows with a creative and open mind can restore the passion to exercise regularly, enhancing both physical and mental benefits.

ACSM #41