Is working out the last thing you think about doing? Sometimes motivation is hard to find so how can you stay motivated when you don't feel like working out?
If you need any extra support or guidance around your workouts then don't hesitate to Get In Contact!
TRY SOMETHING NEW
To some people repeating the same workout can lead to boredom. If you have feelings of boredom within your workouts you'll likely have less intrinsic motivation. Although you deserve to be praised for sticking to your routine, if your motivation stops, it is likely that your workouts will at some point too. All your hard work will be for nothing.
It is important to remember the reason why you started to workout. You might have a goal you want to achieve. That's the key motivator and reasoning to why you started this journey in the first place. To achieve your goal do you need to walk down the same street everyday or can you take an alternate route to get to the same place?
We can move our body in many different ways. We can use this to our advantage and achieve what we want with variety. Our bodies don't know what it is we are doing. Our muscles are instructed to contract. Our hearts sense the body's working harder and beats faster to keep up with demand. Why not mix up the workouts and keep things fresh.
Have a look at the weather, can you adapt the workout and do it outside? Can you try a new exercise class which could be more fun? You might find alternative workout styles or exercises to keep you on your toes. All these things can create an engaging and fun workout which increases your desire to want to workout.
TRY SMALL WORKOUT BREAKS
Firstly how do you approach each individual session? For certain individuals a typical hour gym session might be too overwhelming. If this sounds familiar then why can't you break the session into manageable chunks?
For example you're trying to achieve 30 minutes of exercise a day. You might not have time to do it in one go. Can you break down the exercise into 3 more manageable chunks? That's a 10 minute walk three times a day.
What people tend to forget when starting a new fitness regime is that they don't have to attend the gym 5 days a week. They're allowed to rest as well. In most cases people start off strong and well motivated and end up crashing down soon after because they can't sustain their new regime.
As a beginner there is nothing worse than overdoing it and feeling worse as a result. It's common to see people entering their new fitness journey all guns blazing and end up burning out or aching so much they can't get out of bed. Over time this could decrease motivation cause a negative impact on your desired results.
Rest days can come in many different forms. This can include not doing anything fitness orientated and relaxing. Or you can incorporate active recovery into rest days. For most people this can be a gentle walk. This exercise is at a lower intensity than their workouts. However, the body is still moving therefore aids in circulation and therefore recovery. Those more athlete minded individuals still might attend the gym. Instead they just do a lower intensity workout also known as a deload session.
The idea here is to achieve sustainability within your workouts. If you're more motivated to carry on then you're likely to see better results. Incorporating regular rest sessions or breaking down the workouts into manageable segments, means you'll be more encouraged to continue to exercise. You will not feel so overwhelmed by it. This can make you feel more motivated.
GIVE YOURSELF A GOAL
Everyone might have an idea of what they want to accomplish by working out. Yet setting yourself a proper goal can give you something concrete to aim towards. Giving yourself a target to aim for can increase the likelihood you are to succeed.
The goals you set can vary. It's important to get a mixture of goals to ensure you're always achieving. The more successful you are with your workouts the happier you'll be with the outcome.
Different goals include short, medium and long term goals. Although this is down to the nature of the goal and the individual setting them, usually short term goals can be orientated around a single session or a week timeframe. Medium goals then look further ahead around the 1-6 month timeframe. Anything longer than 6 months usually is associated with a longer term goal.
You have to learn to walk before you can run. Take care when planning appropriate goals across the stages of your workout programme. SMART goals are particularly useful because they allow you to tailor the goals to your needs. This increases the likelihood you'll achieve them.
PLAN REWARDS
Achieving your fitness goals can be hard work. For some people the transformation and achieving your desired results can be enough. Others might benefit more from incorporating small rewards to maintain motivation.
What you choose for your rewards might vary. You might give yourself the night off, plan a special activity i.e. the cinema or a meal out. The concept of rewarding yourself comes from recognition. Identifying that you've achieved something important in your exercise journey. This recognition shows you're heading in the right direction. It should help sustain motivation for the future.
This doesn't have to be a negative interaction, for those of you who have a wight loss goal don't panic. Your treat could be your favourite food or take away. As long as you take this reward into account with your normal routine then it doesn't have to undo any hard work.
This tip is very dependant on the individual and what they get their motivation from. Be aware that long term affects of giving rewards may impact your achievements further down the fitness journey. If you don't get a reward will you want to achieve your goals?
CONSIDER A TRAINER
For some individuals it isn't always possible to find that deep desire to achieve by themselves. Especially when it comes to health and fitness. If this is the case then it might be worth considering hiring some help? While this might be a daunting thought you're more likely to achieve the results you're after quicker. By getting tailored workouts, more motivation from the trainer all at the lowest potential risk to yourself.
If you feel having a trainer will make you feel more motivated then book now for a FREE Consultation. We can discuss your fitness journey together.
OVERVIEW
It's only natural to dip in and out of periods of high motivation, it happens to the best of us. When you hit these times of low motivation you can ask yourself how can I feel more motivated to workout? Can you set yourself goals or even reevaluate them? Have you looked at giving yourself more rest so you avoid burning out? or even giving yourself some rewards for your exercise accomplishments.
Attempting to add these simple tips can help maintain motivation when you workout.
If you need any extra support or guidance around your workouts then don't hesitate to Get In Contact!