For some, exercise comes easy. But for most, it can be a bit of a chore.
Building up the energy to get out of bed, throw on your clothes, get in your car, and drive to the gym can sometimes be a daunting task. But fortunately, there are ways to tackle this task.
Here are 8 tips to help you maintain gym motivation.
1. Create Goals
The primary key to working out on a consistent basis is setting goals that you regularly have to meet. Ideally, you should create small goals which will combine to make one huge goal.
If you don’t have goals set, you’ll be more prone to the mindset of, “I’ll just do it tomorrow instead.” This mindset, more than any other mindset, kills gym motivation.
But make sure that your goals are not too lofty. Setting goals which are unrealistic for you can lead to failure, which leads to frustration, which leads to quitting altogether.
Just aim to get incrementally better each and every time you hit the gym.
2. Maintain a Detailed Schedule
One of the best ways to ensure that you make it to the gym on a regular basis is by making your trip to the gym a part of your daily schedule. It’s a good idea to get this schedule down in writing or in a scheduling app so that it’s concrete and readily available.
Make this schedule as detailed as possible, penciling different activities in at exact times so that you can stick to those times faithfully.
Those who don’t schedule meticulously in this way are prone to wasting time without even realizing they’re doing it. One minute they’re getting ready to go to the gym, and the next minute . . . 2 hours have passed.
If you turn your workout into a necessity in the same way that work or school is a necessity, you’ll rarely miss it.
3. Keep Your Workouts Interesting
One of the reasons that so many people grow weary of working out is that their workouts get stale. What was once a fun and interesting trip to the gym turns into a chore.
To keep your workouts fresh, you need to switch things up every once in a while.
This doesn’t mean that you should entirely abandon every exercise that you’ve been doing. It just means that you should throw in some new ones, shuffle around the order of your existing ones, and create a new routine which stimulates the mind.
Need some help keeping your workouts fresh? Consider employing some of these tips.
4. Get a Workout Buddy
While ideally, you would be able to motivate yourself, this isn’t always possible. Sometimes you need someone to help you stay motivated. For this reason, you should consider getting a workout buddy.
When you have a workout buddy, you feel more of an obligation to get up and go to the gym. You don’t want to let down your workout partner, so you go the extra mile that you wouldn’t normally go.
Not to mention, working out on your lonesome can get a little boring. A workout buddy will help to counteract this problem.
5. Log Your Progress
In order to have a love for working out, you need to foster a connection with your workouts. The exercises that you perform day in and day out have to actually mean something. This is why you need to log your progress.
Logging your exercise progress allows you to see just how far you’ve come in your exercise journey. It turns your series of workouts into something like a story which you can analyze and enjoy on a deeper level.
When you log your workouts, you create an atmosphere motivation which you can use to keep pushing yourself.
6. Embrace the Power of Music
While working out certainly necessitates physical willpower and strength, it also necessitates psychological willpower and strength. Sometimes, your psyche is just not as fired up as it needs to be. This is where music comes in.
Motivational and upbeat music can stimulate your brain so that you’re prepared to hit the gym and do your best work.
When times get tough, throw in those earbuds, grab your smartphone, and let music give you the gym motivation that you’re sorely lacking.
7. Consider Morning Workouts
One of the best ways to ensure that you get your workout in is by scheduling it for the first thing in the morning. When you schedule a workout for the early morning hours, you void yourself of the distractions which would typically hold you back.
The longer you wait throughout the day to get your workout in, the less energy you’re going to have to actually follow through with it.
Having a regular morning workout is a sort of ceremonial way to kick off your day. Once you’ve done it long enough, you won’t be able to live without it.
8. Take a Few Days Off (If Absolutely Necessary)
The truth of the matter is that, sometimes, the gym motivation is just not there. If this is the case, you shouldn’t try to force it. Forcing yourself to go to the gym when you’re dead-set against will only cause you to resent the gym.
So, when you just can’t find the motivation, take the day off. A day or two off can be a great way to recharge the physical and psychological batteries.
Once you’re all rested up, you should have the motivation to hit the gym as hard as ever.
But make sure that you’re only taking days off when you’ve got absolutely no motivation. You don’t want to make a habit of taking days off.
Maintain Your Gym Motivation with Triathlon.net
If you’re having trouble building up the gumption to hit the gym on a regular basis, we here at Triathlon.net can help you.
Our site is filled with useful information on everything from fitness to training to workout gear and more. It is our goal to foster a spirit of good health and well-being in every person that comes to our site.
Have any questions about maintaining your gym motivation? Don’t be afraid to contact us!