8 No-Excuses Quotes to Inspire Your Workout

If you need help getting your body in motion, these quotes will give you all the incentive you need to jumpstart your workout.

The secret to working out every day is making it part of your routine. The more often you exercise, the greater your chance of making it a habit rather than a chore.

But what happens if you just can’t get motivated enough to start moving in the first place? That habit isn’t going to create itself, you know!

We could all use a little workout motivation sometimes. When you start slacking or just can’t get moving, make these eight inspiring quotes your personal mantra and crush your fitness goals.

1. For When You Want to Squash Your Weaknesses

“My attitude is that if you push me toward a weakness, I will turn that weakness into a strength.” -Michael Jordan

Basketball legend Michael Jordan seemed to know no boundaries. He continues to hold the world record for most points scored in the playoff period, totaling an impressive 5,987 points.

But you don’t have to put yourself on an all-star level to make Jordan’s words work in your gym motivation. Weaknesses are opportunities. They’re a chance to identify something you’re not good at and improve it.

When you step into the gym, change the way you look at your weaknesses. Decide that you’re going to turn them into strengths and start with the area you most loathe. Whether it’s a particular machine or an entire muscle group, begin your workout with full force and show it who’s boss. The rest of your workout will be surprisingly easier, and you’ll walk away the victor.

2. For When Your Biggest Obstacle Is Yourself

“Make sure your own worst enemy doesn’t live between your two ears.” -Laird Hamilton

We can often be our own worst nemeses when it comes to goal setting. When we lose focus and motivation, fail miserably, or aren’t making noticeable progress, we tend to sabotage our own success. We become naysayers, telling ourselves we don’t have what it takes to get fit when what we should be doing is becoming our own cheerleaders.

Make today the day you stop telling yourself you can’t. Count every step as a small victory, because it’s one step more than you took before.

3. For When You Can’t Stop Procrastinating

“You said tomorrow yesterday.” -Original author unknown

Tomorrow looks good on a lot of things, especially things we fear, stress over, or otherwise want to avoid. For many of us, working out is on that list simply because we lack the workout motivation to overcome inertia. We trick ourselves into thinking that tomorrow is a better day so we aren’t forced into action right away.

But ask yourself: what’s going to be different tomorrow compared to today? You’re still going to be out of shape, under-toned, tired, stressed, unhappy with your current fitness level, or a number of other reasons why you want to go to the gym.

Tomorrow is an illusion, plain and simple. If you’re always banking on tomorrow to start moving forward, your goals will always be out of your reach. The only way to change is to choose TODAY to start working on your future.

4. For When You Need Validation

“If you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” -Henry Ford

Everyone wants someone other than themselves to believe in them. We thrive on hearing cheers from the sidelines as we crush our obstacles and emerge triumphant. That’s because seeing others believe in us gives us validation in our ideas that something is possible.

But what we often fail to do is validate our own abilities. We must believe that our goals are within our reach. We need to trust we have the willpower, drive, and desire to conquer our toughest challenges and take control of our fitness.

5. For When You Lose Sight of the Big Picture

“The difference between winning and losing is most often… not quitting.” -Walt Disney

Getting into the habit of working out doesn’t come naturally to everyone. And once we do start working out, it can be too easy for other priorities to start pulling our focus away from our larger goals.

But think back to why you joined a gym in the first place: was it to lose weight? Build muscle? Train for a specific athletic event? Start living a healthier lifestyle?

Whatever your goals, you’re never going to reach them standing still. It’s important to keep the end goal and results in mind to keep you motivated. Otherwise, if the desire to work out ever leaves you, it becomes easier to forget what you were working for.

Once you quit, you lose. But remember that progress, no matter how slow, is still progress. You’re still better off than when you started, better off than your last workout, and better off than the other version of yourself who chose to skip the gym that day. Showing up is a big first step, so enjoy the fact that every visit to the gym counts as a win.

6. For When You’re Not in the Mood to Work Out

“You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.” -Jerry West

This quote can be applied in a broader sense, but it’s fitting for fitness motivation. Imagine if we worked on anything in our lives only when the mood struck. How much could you get accomplished?

For most of us, inertia is the mortal enemy. If you’re not in the mood to work out, find what inspires you to get moving. Keep the big picture in mind and take control, even if it’s the last thing you feel like doing. Your body will eventually thank you for it.

7. For When You Feel Like Everyone’s Progressing Except You

“Everybody has to start somewhere. You have your whole future ahead of you. Perfection doesn’t happen right away.” – Haruki Murakami

When we go to the gym, the beach, a pool, or anywhere where fit people hang out, it’s hard not to compare ourselves to them. They might share your fitness goals, but your journey isn’t about them. It’s about you!

Everybody (literally!) is different. Some of us take more time than others to start seeing progress. Some of us are going to work harder for less noticeable results. It may take a few months or even a year before you reach your goal weight and measurements.

The good news is, it’s not a race. No matter when you cross your finish line, even if others cross theirs before you do, you’re going to get that great big trophy that already has your name on it.

8. For When You Lose Sight of the Big Picture

“Do something today that your future self will thank you for.” -Sean Patrick Flanery

Fitness is a journey, and it’s important to focus on the path to your destination, not just the destination itself. Every decision you make is a step forward or backward from your goal, and ten years from now, you’ll be kicking yourself for not having made the effort.

Remember, your future self is watching! The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, but the second-best time is today. Start sowing the seeds for a healthier future now and enjoy the results without regret.

Find More Fitness Motivation!

Getting motivated at the gym doesn’t always happen naturally, no matter how ripped you want to look on the beach this summer. Inspirational quotes like the ones above can be all the gym motivation you need to kick it into high gear and start working toward your goals.

For more fitness motivation, head back to our blog or find a Puregym Fitness location near you!