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Your motivation: where did it go? You really want to make progress…but some days it’s just hard to keep the bigger picture in mind. So what do we do on those days when we just aren’t feeling it?
How do you push through and keep consistent with your workouts? Let’s take a look.
Why is regular exercise so important?
Regular exercise has a positive impact on our physical health, our mental wellbeing, and it helps us live longer. Along with a healthy diet, exercising regularly is one of the key ways to reduce your risk of a whole range of illnesses like cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, dementia, and even some cancers.
That doesn't mean you have to include an intense HIIT workout in your daily routine. Instead, focus on regular movement throughout the day alongside at least three focused training sessions each week.
If you can do more than that, great. But in terms of your long term health, the simple act of walking every day is one of the best things you can do to look after your body and your mind. Just get moving and the results will come.
When you first decide to make a lifestyle change, your motivation is usually pretty good. You’ll feel excited about the prospect of forming healthy new habits and you can visualise a more lean physique. But, after a while, motivation can dwindle.
It can be hard to keep pushing through after those first few weeks. External factors like family commitments, work, and the weather can also make staying motivated a real challenge.
So it's vital you consider how you will maintain your workout routine when you feel tired or when you are struggling to find the time to fit everything in.
Keep it short and simple
Every workout doesn't have to be a 90 minute grueling leg day or a 10km run. Can you commit to a 10 minute ab set? Some planks during the advert breaks while watching your favorite TV show?
Exercise isn’t all or nothing, and doing even a small amount will both support your progress and make you feel better (and that counts for a lot!) Often after you do 10 minutes, that rush of exercise endorphins will boost your mood and your motivation will return and you may find doing another 10 easy peasy.
If you’re recovering from an injury or feeling too sore to do an intense workout, then light exercise such as walking or yoga will do your muscles the world of good.
Read: Our practical guide to the best desk exercises to do when you’re at home for top tops on how to burn extra energy during the day.
Make a bet
Did you know? It’s scientifically proven that financial incentives are a highly effective way to help people lose weight?
This has led to a surge in apps like Sweatcoin and HealthyWage which reward daily steps and weight loss. Often these apps have a fantastic community element too, so you’ll have a team of cheerleaders helping you along.
You don't even have to use the app. If you live with someone, you could make a bet to do all of the cooking or cleaning for a week if you don't get yourself to the gym at least three times.
Create your own incentives
It doesn’t need to be all about money. Create some treats and incentives to reward yourself for doing your workout.
Ban yourself from binging your favorite show till after your workout, buy new workout clothes and only wear them if you go to the gym, have some 'gym only' playlists or albums that you really love.
Schedule in physical activity
You schedule your work meetings, your haircut, your doctors appointments, it’s time to start doing the same with your workouts. People who struggle with exercise motivation often say that ‘they don’t have time’ to workout. The thing is, you do have time, it’s all about prioritizing.
Your health is the most important thing in your life (yes, more important than your job) so schedule your workouts into your diary and stick to them like your boss is watching.
Train in the morning
How great does it feel when you have done exercise first thing in the morning? Then you can relax the rest of the day. We often have much more energy in the morning and a long day of work is one of the biggest motivation killers—so get up and get moving.
If you plan to take part in an early morning fitness class, lay out your workout clothes, shoes and gym bag the night before to make getting ready quick and easy.
The less you have to organize in the morning, the more likely you will be to follow through. And, it means you get an extra 10 minutes in bed.
Mix up aerobic exercise with resistance training
If you’re only doing cardio workouts, start adding resistance training to your workout schedule and vice versa.The sheer variety will help you enjoy your exercise more and help keep you motivated.
Resistance training and cardio both have different benefits, so adding both into your weekly plan will have the greatest impact on your long term health.
While it’s good to plan out your exercise for the week, sometimes it will get to your run day and you just can’t face it. So do what you feel like, and hit the weights rack instead! The main thing is to stay active.
Read: Our rundown of the best home gym essentials to kit yourself out with everything you need to succeed.
Have a coffee or some pre workout
While we don’t recommend overdoing it with the caffeine (it’s important to stay within healthy limits), sometimes a little pick me up can get your raring to go. A moderate amount of caffeine can even improve your workout performance.
But, keep it moderate. Too much or drinking it too late at night can cause jitters, stomach issues and can’t negatively impact your sleep which can of course make it harder to stick to your workouts. It’s all about balance.
If you’re looking for something with extra benefits, try our Intensive Pre-Train Formula which provides more concentrated energy and focus compared with coffee. It contains 23 powerhouse natural ingredients which provide energy, determination, and explosive strength.
Sign up for an exercise class
Going to the gym every week, creating your own workout plan, listening to the same playlist… it can get a little boring.
A new workout class can get you excited about exercise and working out with other people can encourage you to push yourself harder when you’re in the heart of the body-pumping storm.
Track Your Progress
Keep a workout journal or use fitness apps to monitor your progress and help you reach your fitness goals.
Seeing improvements over time is one of the best ways to have more exercise motivation. Sometimes it may be difficult to see changes in our appearance, even when you are becoming fitter and stronger.
So, tracking your time, weights, and distances is a great way to keep yourself motivated on days when you are questioning whether your efforts are really making any difference.
Apps like Google Fit or Strava are great for recording progress and tracking milestones. If you’re specifically focusing on resistance training, check out Fitness Point or Simple Workout Log.
Personal Trainers
This is by far the most expensive suggestion on our list but a personal trainer can help motivate you for a few reasons:
- Once you have paid for a block of sessions, you’re unlikely to skip out on your training session
- Sometimes even having to think of what to do at the gym can reduce our exercise motivation. A good PT does that all for you. Many will create a workout plan for your whole week, not just the days you see them. Some will also give you a nutrition plan
- Accountability is key. Knowing that you have to report back to someone on what you have done each week can get you off the couch and onto the treadmill. Honestly, there's nothing worse that disappointing your trainer
- PTs will help you set goals and give you a workout routine that will help you achieve those specific goals. This includes helping you steer clear of unrealistic goals
- A good personal trainer will have a strong knowledge of how you can look after your overall health. They’ll make sure you have good form during strength training. They can advise you when you need to rest your body and make sure you get the most out of each workout session. They can also serve up science backed tips to help you progress more quickly. All of this will lead to becoming fitter and healthier quicker, which will motivate you to keep going
Get Excited About Your Exercise Routine
Motivation can fluctuate, so it's essential to build a routine that incorporates some of these strategies to help you stay on track even when motivation is low. Over time, as exercise becomes a habit, it will be easier to stay motivated.
To be successful, you need to ensure you have the right nutrition behind you. If you don't get enough protein each day, you will be more likely to feel sluggish during your workout and have sore muscles the next day.
Level up your workouts with Crazy Nutrition
Crazy Nutrition’s TRI-PROTEIN formula will help you build muscles and recover faster, meaning you will achieve your fitness goals quicker.
Seeing your body change and the barbells get heavier are two of the best ways to ensure you maintain your exercise motivation—so let our high quality protein powder help you get there.
