Lack of motivation is one of the top reasons why people fail to develop a healthy fitness routine. Many sign up for a gym membership filled with enthusiasm and good intentions, only to find that they lose all motivation to exercise within a matter of weeks. This is because starting out at the gym can at first feel like a big commitment. A dose of motivation is therefore essential, and you need to maintain a positive mindset even when things get tough.
Otherwise, it’s all too easy to start going to the gym less and less, fall back into unhealthy habits, and eventually give up on exercise altogether. However, once exercise becomes part of your daily life, you’ll do it without thinking. You’ll even start to feel frustrated by rest days, and look forward to the hours you spend moving your body. But, until you get to this happy stage where going to the gym is something that you love and crave, there are some simple things that you can do that will help you stay motivated for the gym, and committed to your weight loss journey.
Consistency is an essential part of any workout journey. Create a workout schedule that fits with your personal weekly routine, and make sure you stick to it no matter what. Learn to think of your gym sessions as important appointments that you simply cannot miss. Once you’ve stuck to it for a few weeks, it will start to feel a lot easier, and you’ll be well into the swing of things by the time a couple of months have rolled around. At this point exercising will be a natural habit, and you’ll barely need to persuade yourself to head over to the gym at all.
One easy way to stay consistent with your workouts is to hire a personal trainer. A trainer will keep you accountable and make sure you show up for every session. They’ll also advise you on how many times a week you should be working out, and what exactly you should be doing in every session. For instance, at Embody fitness, our transformation programmes help clients achieve amazing weight-loss results through just eight weeks of consistent exercise.
Exercise is not a form of punishment, and your time in the gym shouldn’t feel like torture. Everyone is capable of genuinely enjoying exercise, you just need to find a form that works for you. Whether it is weight lifting, group classes, or long-distance bike riding, every kind of workout is good for you and there’s no right or wrong way to workout.
For instance, while lots of people love running and doing 10kms and marathons, running is undoubtedly a high-intensity and high-impact form of cardio that doesn’t appeal to everyone. It’s important to remember that dancing, cycling, swimming, and even walking are all great alternative forms of cardio that are just as beneficial as running. Don’t ever force yourself to spend miserable hours running on the treadmill, or doing any activity that you don’t like. When you enjoy your workouts, you are far more likely to keep showing up, stay consistent, and achieve sensational results.
Before you even go about joining a gym, you need to establish your goals. Research shows that setting realistic and achievable goals increases your motivation to go to the gym. Whether it’s becoming stronger, faster, shedding unwanted fat, or being fit enough to run a marathon, start by deciding on your ultimate and eventual goal, and then break it down into manageable milestones.
For instance, if you want to lose 15kg, start by aiming to lose 2kg, and celebrate all the little wins you achieve along the way.
Building on the above, tracking your progress will show you how far you have come, and how close you are to achieving your goals. Seeing how much heavier you can lift or how your body has shrunk written down in black and white can be immensely motivating, and it can be just the boost you need to keep yourself invested in the gym.
For instance, at Embody Fitness, we track the progress of all our clients carefully. Our expert trainers monitor your journey throughout every step, and they continuously adapt each session to ensure that you don’t ever plateau or stop improving.
If you do anything too many times, it will eventually start to lose its charm and become a bit boring. So, don’t be afraid to explore new fitness classes, try different sports, or join a local club. Variety can make exercise seem exciting again, and it will keep you coming back again and again for more. Another way to mix up your gym sessions is to hire the help of a personal trainer. They will introduce you to new and different ways of exercising, and stop you from becoming stuck in a rut in the gym.
At Embody Fitness, our expert team makes sure that our clients are constantly learning and expanding their skills. No session with them is ever the same, and they are skilled at coming up with moves that challenge every part of the body, and that can be adapted to suit those of all fitness levels.
For lots of people, working out with a friend, loved one, or family member is instantly enough to make your fitness journey more enjoyable. You can share the highs and lows together, celebrate each other’s achievements, and support and encourage one another when you’re struggling and finding things tough. Furthermore, knowing that you have someone else waiting for you in the gym is a great way of staying accountable. You won’t want to let them down and so you’ll keep turning up, even when you want to do nothing more than stay home in front of the TV.
Joining a club or class is equally beneficial. A fantastic way of turning the gym into a social occasion, and making friends with like-minded people, becoming part of a fitness community can be great motivation to become healthier and stronger than ever before.
As important as it is to stay consistent and never skip a session, it’s also vital not to overdo it and push yourself too hard. If you spend too many hours in the gym, you’ll end up burning yourself out and potentially become injured. If you are overly tired, you also won’t be able to perform at your best in the gym, and you’ll find it harder to motivate yourself to go next time. These experiences can all put you off from exercising in the future, and hinder your progress.
Recovery is therefore just as crucial as consistent workouts. Make sure you schedule regular rest days, prepare home cooked nutritious food, get plenty of sleep, and give yourself time to relax and recuperate. Ice baths, saunas, and sports massages can also help relieve aches and pains, and all these things will increase your energy and enthusiasm for the gym. As you can see, staying motivated for the gym involves ongoing effort from your side, and an array of different factors.
Here at Embody Fitness, we have helped over 2,000 clients achieve exceptional results, and we can do the same for you. For more advice and information about how to stay motivated in the gym, we encourage you to come and have a free consultation with one of our experienced personal trainers. Just fill in our enquiry form and we’ll get right back to you as soon as possible.
