Helpful Tips If You Lack Motivation to Workout
Helpful Tips If You Lack Motivation to Workout
Do you lack motivation to start working out? How about motivation to continue the journey even after you’ve started? According to some recent studies about 90 percent of people quit the gym within the first three months!
People give different reasons for why they quit, but one of the most common answers is loss of motivation.
So lets go over some helpful tips that you can utilize to help you with motivation:
1. Remember Why you Want to Workout
It is important to know why you want to workout. Define your goal…Do you want to lose fat, build muscle, get fit and healthy, get in shape for an upcoming event, or reclaim your former self.
You will never have the motivation if you do not understand your ‘why’. Also, you may lose your motivation once you achieve a goal. For example, if you want to be fit for your holidays, you will lose the motivation to hit the gym once you get back from the holiday.
Hence, it may be a good idea to reinvent your reasons. Make fitness a lifestyle and things will become easier.
2. Find a Partner that has the same goals and hold each other accountable.
If you are someone that needs extra accountability then find a friend to workout with and talk to about your day to day accomplishments and struggles.
Plus, you can align your goals with theirs. At the end of the day, you will both enjoy each other’s company and find it easier to stay motivated. The caveat though is finding someone with a strong “Why” as well. You don’t want to be the babysitter and motivator you should both be able to motivate each other and keep one another on track.
3. Follow a Proper Routine
It’s not uncommon for people to quit working out due to confusion, boredom, over-training or lack of progress. All of these things can happen if you start working out without a plan. I constantly preach…plan, prepare, and execute! You first need a plan that is in alignment with your goals, you then need to prepare for each day and then execute each day to the best of your ability. The fitness world is full of confusion and bad advice so if you follow something that won’t give you results then you will quickly lose motivation and give up on your journey.
4. If you’ve Been Working Out but Have Lost Motivation to Continue on…Take a Day Off
Your body needs to rest and recover so make sure to take a day off from working out. You don’t need to go all ‘beast mode’ and hit the gym seven days a week. It may appear to be beneficial; however, it can quickly lead to burn out and over-training. If you overwork your body’s ability to recover you will over stimulate your central nervous system and become lethargic, weak, and lose interest in working out.
Therefore, take time off and relax so that your body can rejuvenate.
5. Find Motivation From Around the World
As odd as it may sound, sometimes others can give you the motivation that you need. It may be a good idea to share your workout journey with others through social media, such as Facebook groups and other such channels.
Positive comments and feedback from people can be very crucial in keeping you going. However, make sure the groups you are in are full of others that have the same goals. There are several groups full of people like you who are looking for motivation, accountability and encouragement so make sure to stick to those groups.
6. Find a Workout Routine You Enjoy
Some programs become very monotonous and can lead to a loss of motivation and excitement. I build all my programs in phases. Every 4 weeks you start a new phase which is designed to mix things up. It’s easy to get bored with a program if nothing ever changes and you can easily lose interest. Find something you enjoy and can change up to keep you engaged. Different people enjoy different workout styles. Find what you enjoy and do more of it.
7. Measure Goals and Track Progress
One of the best ways to stay motivated is to measure your success. It will keep you motivated and give you something to look forward to. Before you begin your program make sure you take pictures, take measurements, and start a journal where you can write down you thoughts. You will be amazed how this can get you back on track when your motivation is slipping down the road.
It’s easy to lose track of where you started and how bad you felt at the beginning of your journey. It’s nice to lack back after you’ve been doing this awhile and seeing how much progress you’ve made physically and mentally.
8. Stay Positive and Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
One of the absolute worst things you can do is compare yourself to others and their progress. This can lead to discouragement, negativity, and lost motivation.
Keep in mind, not everyone is starting from the same situation as you.
There are so many variables to consider when you are moving along in your fitness journey. Do the best you can do, take it day by day, and do it consistently and you will eventually reach your goal.
We are all unique and what works great for someone; unfortunately, may not work great for you. Some people can eat a ton of carbs and lose weight, others can look at carbs and gain weight, haha. Not all things are equal so it becomes difficult to comprehend when you are looking what someone else is doing and they are getting great results and you aren’t.
Instead, focus on you! Try different things and see what works best. The most important thing is to continue the process and don’t give up. Far too many people get discouraged towards the end and give up right before things are about to start happening. Stay the course and don’t give in to self-doubt.
Believe it or not, we all have self-doubt, insecurities, temptations, and lack confidence. Unfortunately, it’s part of the process and a part of everyone’s journey. The goal is to stay positive, speak positive thoughts, and have a journal that you can go back and look at to remind you of your “Why”!
