When it comes to exercise and fitness, one of the main things people talk about is workout motivation. Sometimes it can feel so hard to push yourself to do a workout – and you’re not alone when you feel like this!
I’m not motivated to work out 100% of the time, and I’m a personal trainer. I love fitness, it’s one of the most important things in my life, but there are times when it’s starting to get late and I’m at home, nice and cosy on the sofa and the motivation to go to the gym just isn’t there.
But here’s the thing, there are a few truths about workout motivation that everyone should know… and here they are:
Workout motivation comes and goes
Workout motivation doesn’t always just appear, and even when it does, it doesn’t always stay. Some days, you’ll wake up and jump out of bed and feel totally energised and ready to exercise. The next day you may wake up and snooze the alarm and skip out on your morning workout. If you always wait for that feeling of motivation before you work out, you may be waiting a long time. If you feel motivated, that’s great, but when you don’t, try to do it anyway. Usually you’ll find that motivation will kick in a bit more once you actually get going.
Music helps
I never ever do a workout without my headphones. There’s usually music playing in the gym but there’s also the whir of the rowing machines, the slamming of the weights and the grunts of the hardcore people in the free weights area. Music puts me in my own zone and allows me to properly focus on my workout. Once you start moving to the beat or singing along in your head, suddenly you’re not focusing on the muscle burn or your potential lack of motivation. Also, music seems to make time fly, right? Before you know if, your workout will be done and you’ll feel amazing.
It’s OK to take a break
Lacking workout motivation and needing to rest are two completely different things. If your body feels weak, tired or sore then it’s telling you that you need to take a break. If you ignore these signs, you risk overtraining and potential injury. Even if you have the motivation to do a workout, you have to consider whether it’s in your best interest if you don’t physically feel up to it. However, if you’re in tip top shape and just feel like you can’t be bothered, that’s more of a motivation issue that you can try to push through!
Creating a habit loop works
Creating a habit loop is a great way to aid your workout motivation. It’s simply about building a routine of work and reward to keep you on track. For example, if you say to yourself; “If I go and do my workout now, I’ll reward myself when I get home with a long, relaxing soak in the bath”. Or it can be an episode of your favourite show, or whatever it is that will give you the push you need. If you have something to look forward to during your workout, you’ll feel more motivated to get through it.
You have to push through the struggle
Even if you feel demotivated, just push through it. Strength really does come in the struggle – literally! You won’t always feel like it, there will be other things you would much rather do – but you’ve got this. Focus on your goals, imagine having the body you dream of and realise that if you don’t work hard now, you won’t get the results later. Workout motivation is overrated. Don’t think about feeling motivated, just get your gear on and do it anyway!
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