No matter how long or hard you have been working out and living a healthy lifestyle, it can sometimes become difficult to stay focused and motivated. It can become even more difficult during the winter months when it’s extremely cold outside and you are stuck indoors half the time. So, how do you stay focused? How do you stay on track and continue pressing forward, climbing higher on that mountain? Here’s 6 tips to help you stay motivated and keep from getting burned out in your healthy routine!

Set small attainable goals. Setting goals and achieving them is one of best ways to motivate yourself. Setting goals gives you something to shoot for and when you start to make progress towards that goal, you start to see light at the end of the tunnel.

This will keep you motivated and should give you that extra kick in the gym you’ve been looking for. It doesn’t matter if you are looking to lose weight, become stronger, gain size or just develop some washboard abs–ALWAYS set a goal and go for it with 100% effort. Once you hit that goal, not only will it boost your self esteem, but you’ll be even more motivated to continue pushing further. There is nothing more gratifying in the gym then seeing your success when you look in the mirror.

Get a partner or friend to workout with.–Having someone else to talk to and exercise with is beneficial in many ways. Not only are you letting yourself down if you don’t go the gym, but you are also letting your partner down so you’ll be less likely to skip out of your workout. Another great thing about having a partner is you can push yourself to the max. Lets face it when lifting weights during certain exercises if you don’t have a partner spotting you, you simply can’t take it to the max because if you do and you can’t quite get over the hump then you’re in danger for serious injury!

Change up your routine.–Every couple months or few times per year or as often as you want change within that routine. Doing the same thing time after time can get boring and dull, but when you are starting a new plan or routine it’s a nice refresher. Changing your workout routine can easily turn your motivation dial back up because it’s exciting. When you start a new plan, diet, or routine you’re always curious and anxious to see the results. Diets and workout plans are always easy to stick to in the beginning but become dull so change it up and challenge yourself again.

Take a week off.–Believe it or not, but time off from working out can be very motivating. Not only is it good for the body to take some time off every couple months for resting and rebuilding, but it also helps to get you re-focused and motivated! Every time I come back from a week long vacation I can’t wait to get back in the gym and give it everything I’ve got. We need breaks from many things in life; work, school, friends, loved ones. Working out is no different! Take a step back every couple months to refocus and energize.

Listen to music.–Listening to music while you workout is a great way to get your mind off of the fact that you’re actually working out. It is easy to just put the headphones on and drift off into your own little world. You don’t hear the noise from anyone else talking–all you hear is music! Myself, I never workout with out my I-pod! It’s tuned to my favorite playlist always during exercise, ’cause let’s face it…there’s nothing like hearing one of your favorite songs to get pumped during a lift or jog!

Do it to better yourself.–Working out and eating right is great for your body. You will live longer and feel better everyday. The chances of developing disease will decrease, you’ll look better, and your self esteem will rise. Bottom line–its not rocket science staying in shape 24/7…remember, you deserve it, so do it for yourself!

Next time you think you’ve had enough, pull out some of these tips from your magic hat to keep your body in pursuit of constant greatness.