Fitness Motivation – How to Keep Going When You Feel Like Giving Up

No matter how strong your desire is to get fit or stay in shape, finding the motivation day after day to visit the gym and do a workout is not always easy. Fitness motivation is something many people struggle with, so if you’ve been feeling less motivated lately, you’re not alone. This article offers some tips on how to keep the motors of motivation going, so you’re back in the gym and feeling good about working out again.

1. Don’t rely on motivation

The problem with motivation is it’s inconsistent. Some days you’ll feel fired up and ready to take on any fitness challenge, while other days you’ll have to drag yourself to the gym against your will. It’s far better to rely on habits, routines and processes to keep you training on a regular basis.

Sometimes you just need to get started and motivation shows up to help drive you through the workout. Think about those days when you didn’t feel like working out because you lacked drive and motivation. But you forced yourself to go to the gym and once you got there and started getting into it, you felt fine.

2. Keep your exercise routines interesting

Boredom is the killer of motivation when it comes to your workout routines. That’s why you should keep them interesting by mixing things up a little from time to time. Go for a scenic bicycle ride once a week or take a hike along a mountain trail in the hinterland.

When you are at the gym, change up your routine. Throw in a new exercise or two or change the order of how you work out. For example, instead of doing bicep curls first up every time, switch it to being the last exercise.

We have some fun group fitness classes here at Live Fit Gym. Try joining one of these for a bit of variety.

3. Force yourself to get moving

Procrastination can be the killer of dreams and in this case, the killer of your exercise goals and the results they bring. When motivation is lacking, it can be so easy to make excuses not to get up and get moving.

Don’t rely on your current emotions and feelings. They’ll go up and down every single day. Instead, it’s better to just rely on discipline and ignore the excuses and distractions that procrastination can cause.

4. Don’t overthink the outcome

Focusing too much or too intently on the results you seek can become mentally daunting, and this can also kill motivation.

When an outcome seems difficult to achieve or seems too far away, there is the risk of giving up on your fitness goals. Have goals, but just take things a day at a time, one workout at a time and focus on that for the most part.

5. Be well prepared

The more preparation you do for the fitness week ahead, the more motivated you’ll be to stick to your routine. Good preparation also sets you up for success.

You could start by listing your exercise and fitness goals for the week, as writing things down will often commit you to accomplishing those tasks. Have all your gym clothes washed and ready to go, perhaps even allocating a certain outfit for a particular day. Keep all your gear in plain sight as a reminder of what you wish to accomplish over the coming week.   Organise some drinks and protein bars or other healthy gym snacks to take along to each workout, or purchase them from reception – we have a nice range of goodies to choose from.

6. Reward yourself

Getting fit or staying in shape is not a prison sentence. It’s not all about hard labour, sweating, grunting and groaning as you endlessly churn out reps in an effort to reach the desired fitness destination. You need to celebrate small steps and accomplishments along the journey.

Reward yourself with some new fitness gear. Buy a new pair of running shoes. Treat yourself to an indulgent meal once in a while. Exercise and achieving fitness goals should be enjoyable. Reward yourself, celebrate the small wins and motivation will soon show up.

7. Use the 10 minute rule

What’s the 10 minute rule all about?

It means telling yourself that you’ll just do 10 minutes of your workout, or a short 10 minute run or anything else you wish to apply it to.

10 minutes sounds so quick and easy that you’ll feel motivated to get into exercising. Stick to just doing the 10 minutes for a while. Gradually, you’ll find yourself wanting to stay in the gym longer or go for longer walks and runs. If you’re always thinking you’ve got to exercise for an hour, your mind might start to work against you.  But funnily enough - 10 minutes it can deal with. It’s always better to do less of something than nothing at all.

We promise you, after a while you’ll be wanting to add another 10 minutes on because you feel so good.  Before you know it, it could be 30 minutes!

8. Caffeinate

Consuming coffee or other beverages containing caffeine can perk up your training sessions. Research has demonstrated that caffeine can improve your exercise performance when you consume it in moderate doses (3-6 mg/kg body mass). Caffeine can also reduce muscle pain and make the exertion of exercise easier on both the body and the mind. More sustained activity is the result.

The best way to consume caffeine?  Get a fresh hit from reception.  Our coffees are just beautiful!

9. Find a workout buddy

Having someone to meet up with at the gym and workout with can help your motivation levels. For a start, if you know they are there waiting for you, you won’t want to let them down by not showing up. A workout buddy can also keep you accountable and you them. Besides anything else, it’s a lot more fun going to the gym with a friend.

10. Focus on health and happiness

Don’t always be thinking about simply building those muscles or hoping to lose weight so you can fit into that new dress. Focusing on external results can often lead to demotivation. While external results are important, what’s most important is that you’re doing something good for your physical and mental health. Exercising makes you feel good and releases endorphins that will intrinsically make you feel more motivated.