How Lea Michele Stays Motivated During Her Workout

Sometimes the only workout motivation you need is your love for breaking a sweat, while other days you need to fight your inner voice tooth and nail to lace up those sneakers and hit the ground running. (P.S. Gear up for those New Year's resolutions with this smart new Instagram feature that may help you stick to them.)

Even fitness lover Lea Michele sometimes needs a little added accountability. "I work out with friends often and I hate bailing on my friends," she told People. "If I make a plan, I don't like to cancel it, so I always work out with a buddy and it helps me to be accountable," adding, "You just feel so good after you work out." (Read more on why having a fitness buddy is the best thing ever.)

Another motivator? Thinking about her recovery food and telling herself, "at the end, there's this great place that I'm going to get the most delicious salad or sushi!" Sure, working out isn't about earning your food (a symptom of exercise bulimia, BTW), but sometimes it helps to see the end of your workout in sight, especially if the end involves your fave sushi spot.

Though she's all about eating right and exercising often, Michele has a realistic approach to staying healthy. "Working out for me isn't about changing my body or making myself look thin-it's about feeling good," she said.