It’s perfectly normal to lose your motivation every now and again. Most of us go through phases where we sometimes love working out, other times it’s the last thing we want to do.
The problem is, we all know that consistency is key when it comes to fitness. So how do we lift up our motivation levels when they’re low, so that we can stay on track with our goals?
Below are some of the reasons you may be losing motivation, and I’ve also provided tips for what you can do about it!
1. You’re doing the same type of workout
It’s definitely understandable why you’d start to feel like you’re in a rut when you’re doing the same workout over and over again! It really pays to mix up your strength training so that you don’t get bored. There are plenty of strength training techniques to keep your workouts fresh and interesting; try supersets, dropsets, tri-sets and pyramid workouts!
2. Your progress has stalled
If you’re not making those gains, it makes sense that you would eventually start to lose motivation! Keep an eye on your nutrition and make sure you’re not undereating; your body will hold onto fat if you’re letting yourself go hungry all the time. Instead, try to reduce (not eliminate) fats, reduce sugar, and add more wholefoods to your diet such as fruit, veggies, fish and meat. The less processed, the better.
Another way you can shift yourself out of a plateau is through shocking the muscle by changing your training techniques. The Mix Up Your Strength Training post I mentioned earlier is a good one to go back to, not only to reduce boredom, but to really get results!
3. You’re not recovering properly
Recovery is just as important as your exercise program itself! If you’re not recovering properly, it’s no wonder why you’d be lacking motivation. Consider if you’re providing yourself with enough rest days; you should be having at least one rest day per week. Listen to your body and make sure you’re drinking enough water, as poor hydration will also impact your recovery.
4. You’re not having fun
It’s really important to find workouts and activities that you actually enjoy doing. Some people love sweating it out with HIIT workouts, while others love to challenge themselves with pyramid workouts or supersets. Keep searching for what you really enjoy doing and remember that any movement is better than no movement.
While you’re on your way back from a period of having low motivation, be kind to yourself and please keep in mind the following 👇🏿👇🏿:
❌Don’t beat yourself up
Depending on your personality type, you may feel so disheartened after a period of low activity that you want to give up. Or, you may be the type of person who wants to punish yourself to make up for the low-energy period. Remember that how you’re feeling is normal, and the best way to move through this phase is with kindness, not inactivity or punishment.
✔️Find your personal incentive
Different people are motivated by different factors. Not everyone is motivated by aesthetics, some people are motivated by feeling strong and fit, others exercise because they love what it does for their mental health and energy levels. Remember: what motivates you may not be the same thing that motivates those around you, and that’s perfectly OK. Once you find your personal incentive, write it down. Make sure it’s written in a way that makes you feel good, then put the note somewhere you will see it!
✔️Work on your mindset blocks
If you’re finding yourself wanting to give up halfway through a workout, you may need some mindset tips to keep you going. It may not always seem like it, but pushing yourself to get through a tough workout is often more mental than physical. Keep your eyes off the clock, repeat to yourself an inspiring mantra or phrase, and make yourself a killer playlist! For more tips, see my blog sharing 5 mental tips to get you through a tough workout.
❌ Don’t obsess about the gym
There are many ways to exercise that don’t include gyms. In addition to my at-home follow along workouts, don’t forget there are loads of activities you can do to keep things interesting. Go for a hike or a bike ride to give those muscles a nice suprise! If you’ve been unwell and you’re only just getting back into fitness, even a 15-minute walk every day will contribute to health. You don’t need to start big, you just need to start!
✔️ Measure your progress
Incremental gains can be highly motivating for many people. Keep a record of the weights you used and the reps you performed during each workout. As you increase your reps or increase your weights, it will feel really good to be able to note down those changes!
✔️ Use resources and tools that motivate you
There are some resources, programs and gadgets that can really add the motivation factor to your workout. I really dig my Fitbit as it shows me some tangible results from each workout, but there are various other gadgets and aps you can try. Other people find that signing up for events such as local half marathons or weekend fun runs can be really motivating as it provides that sense of community.
✔️ Be consistent and kind to yourself
It’s better to do a shorter session than no session at all, if it means keeping your consistency. Don’t be too hard on yourself by thinking that every workout needs to be a gruelling 45 minute to 60 minute sweat session! It absolutely doesn’t. Be proud of yourself, every time you get started you’ve made a choice you didn’t have to make, so you’re doing great!
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I hope you enjoyed these tips, please let me know which ones you found the most useful! If you’d like to workout with me, keep an eye on my YouTube channel so you can check out the new workouts I upload each week. You can also sign up to my newsletter to receive my free monthly workout calendars.
