Losing the Motivation to Exercise? 7 Tips to Get It Back

No matter how disciplined or motivated you may be, there will come a time when getting your glutes off your cozy sofa will seem like the most difficult exercise. Yes, sometimes showing up can be the biggest challenge of it all.

It is natural for the mind and the body to lose that spark, enthusiasm, and will to continue working out with the same vigour. And, when your will is even one bit vulnerable, the mind will start playing tricks on you to distract you.

If you feel you're sailing on the same waters as discussed above and losing motivation to exercise, here are a few tips that would help you get back on track –

It mostly boils down to your mindset and thinking when it comes to losing your motivation to exercise. Unless you're into any labour-intensive work, there's no reason to be physically tired. It is most likely that you're mentally tired. Your mind makes you think that working out is equivalent to boring, tiring work. Moving more is the best cure for such a sluggish mindset.

Change your mindset into thinking that working out is a form of joy than a chore. Redefining what you think about exercising would help you get back to the gym or dive into the pool after a long day at the office.

Make working out more fun and incentive-based to make you long for it. Working on your mindset is important to ensure you don't lose motivation midway.

Embed into your thinking that working out is a part of your lifestyle rather than an activity you're engaging in for a short while, you'll notice a drastic change in your attitude.

Do whatever it takes to pull up your socks and hit the gym or the track. Don't slide into your comfort zone because it is hard to come out of it, wasting your time and the rhythm you've got going for yourself.

Contrary to popular belief, personal trainers are not only for celebrities. Hiring a personal trainer can go a long way in changing your mindset, providing you with personalised training, and making an actionable plan to achieve your workout objectives.

Even studies and various research have proved that supervised physical training can increase aerobic strength and capacity by over 7 per cent.

Personal trainers would keep you accountable, push your limits, ensure you're moving ahead in the right direction, keep you motivated, and monitor your progress.

Visible differences in how you look and feel would help you stay motivated. With personal trainers by your side, you're assured of consistent growth towards your goal.

As simple as it may sound, wearing your gym or workout clothes will immediately activate your workout mode. As soon as you wear your workout wear, it becomes almost impossible to talk yourself out of working out. If this idea doesn't seem that assuring, buy some new gym clothes.

It is going to get you excited to hit the gym. Buying new clothes always makes you feel good, and the positivity it brings along will help you suppress the sluggish and negative thinking, motivating you to get back on track.

It is essential to time your workout sessions during the time of the day when it's easiest for you.

Ideally, it should be the time when you're least stressed, not surrounded by distractions, and away from obstacles and temptations. For most people, morning is the perfect time to work out as you're full of energy after a good night's sleep.

Working out in the morning can positively influence your mental health, boost focus, encourage energy, and prepare you for the long day ahead.

When you feel low on energy and enthusiasm to work out or go to the gym, ask yourself why you started in the first place.

Revisiting your past attempts to build a great body, maintain a healthy lifestyle, lose weight, and what made you quit before would help you understand why you shouldn't get back to square one again.

Revisiting your past would also help you identify any pattern that isn't working for you and which you need to break somehow to move ahead in your fitness journey. Try to find out why you keep on losing motivation midway through the journey. In many cases, it is always due to –



• A very strict or restricted diet.
• Too much of a high-intensity workout. It may leave your body sore and in pain, making you feel fatigued all the time.
• Lack of guidance on which exercises to do and how to do them to achieve your workout goals.
• Being extremely busy or, in other words, unable to manage your time smartly to fit in an hour at the gym into your schedule.

Make a list of things pulling you back and find solutions to work around them. Whether it is a highly restricted diet or a rigorous high-intensity workout schedule, lighten things up to make it easier yet result-oriented. Talk to a personal trainer about how you feel, and if you don't have a personal trainer already, make sure to hire one.

Treat yourself with a reward that excites you and, at the same time, motivates you. Keep the condition that you aren't getting the reward if you aren't doing the scheduled workouts.

A hard week of long and hectic workouts becomes easier when you've got a reward waiting at the end of the week. For example, you can schedule a massage at the end of the month.

A gentle reminder that you'll enjoy a relaxing and soothing massage after a month of vigorous workout should be enough to get you moving to the gym. If massage isn't your thing, you can try other things that work for you.

The idea is to keep you pumped and enthused about working out. It is a simple trick that always works, whether an adult or a kid. Try it if you've been struggling with motivating yourself to hit the gym and see the difference.

More often than not, people get bored of working out alone. They can't track their progress, notice any visible difference immediately, and have no one to keep them accountable. The best way to hold yourself accountable and stay enthusiastic enough to look forward to your next workout session is to have a workout or gym partner.

Whether you're into running, working out at the gym, or playing a sport for an active lifestyle, having a partner makes a huge difference in staying motivated. It holds you accountable, ensures you're moving towards your goal and helps you enjoy the process.

It is natural to feel burned out or bored after working out for days and weeks. However, if you feel your mind is playing tricks on you and you're getting distracted far too easily than when you first started, it is probably because your motivation counter is empty or draining out fast. Taking a break is essential to revive your mind and body and get you back on track.

Following one or a couple of the 7 tricks mentioned above would help give you the push you need to get back to the gym, lose excuses, and stay motivated. Take one day at a time, and most importantly, don't give up on yourself because health is more important than the excuses you tell yourself today.

Hi, I'm Gary Wagner (Coach Gaz).

I help business leaders get out of pain so they can dominate their profession & get all that they want out of life. I guide professionals passionate about achieving new levels of performance. I enable them to forge an effective and resilient physical form that feels unstoppable, enabling and empowering their personal and professional success in Melbourne.