May 3, 2025, 12:36 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
For many who are not fans of fitness, finding motivation to exercise is challenging enough. Sticking with it is even harder. It’s usually not a lack of willpower that causes them to quit. “Very few people stop exercising because they’re lazy,” says Luise Walther, a personal trainer from Berlin.
The problem is more that there’s a fundamental issue: Many people don’t ask themselves the right questions from the start, says Walther. Why do I exercise? “Only those who know their motivation for exercising can recall it when they hit a slump — or avoid the dry spell altogether.”
Motivation for Exercise: Personal Health as a Driving Force
There are external and internal motivational factors for exercise. A typical internal drive is personal health. However, it’s particularly important to get into the details, says Walther. “The goal of being healthier is usually too vague to motivate someone long-term.” It’s better to be aware of what exactly about exercise is healthy, such as muscle building that prevents back pain.
Even those who enjoy competing with others or engage in competitive sports should set specific goals. Fitness blogger, mental coach, and author Klara Fuchs shares: “At the start of my training in fall 2017, I picked a specific half-Ironman in Slovenia that I wanted to run in summer 2018.”
Before that, she hadn’t done any sports for three months, so she started very slowly. “You shouldn’t overwhelm yourself, especially at the beginning,” explains the 25-year-old. “When I crossed the finish line back then, I was incredibly proud of myself,” she recalls.
Motivation for Exercise: Staying Fit for the Grandchildren
Such emotional reasons should not be underestimated. Often, they are much stronger than purely rational ones, says trainer Walther. “Knowing that exercise is good for me doesn’t get me far. It works much better if I imagine playing in the garden with my grandchildren as a retiree.”
Professor Jens Kleinert sees it similarly. “It’s crucial that I engage in my sport with enjoyment and pleasure,” says the sports psychologist who teaches at the German Sport University Cologne. Those who always have to force themselves and don’t associate positive feelings with the activity will eventually stop.
“The more reasons I have to exercise, the better,” says Fuchs. These reasons can also change during training: “It’s possible that someone starts wanting to lose weight but stays long-term because they develop team spirit and want to see their friends on the soccer field every week,” says Walther. The commitment to be at a certain place at a certain time every week also plays a role.
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Incorporating Small Motivations
“Routine is very important. Eventually, exercise becomes like brushing your teeth,” says Fuchs. Then you need the taste of peppermint to fall asleep without constantly worrying about your dental health.
However, it can take several weeks and months to get to that point. Fuchs advises incorporating small rewards into the training plan, especially at the beginning. “Training can be particularly tough at first: You realize how little exercise you’ve done in the past, which is demotivating. And then there’s the muscle soreness.” She recommends delicious food, a good series, or new sports clothes to motivate yourself for the next session.