20 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Work Out

"I think the vast majority of people set the wrong goals—ones that are too ambitious or that can't be quantified" says Holland. Instead, it's important to work toward smaller benchmarks, agrees Woll—losing six pounds in six weeks, for example, or to run a 5K in two months and a half marathon in a year, she says. "Your end goals will change as you reach them, but they always need to be set." To keep yourself on track, keep your goal front and center: Sign up for a race and circle the date on your calendar, or hang up an old pair of pants that you'd like to fit back into three months from now.