Tips for Hitting the Gym When You Have No Motivation

If you want to convince yourself to work out but you are having a bit of a hard time with the whole thing then now is the time for you to do something about that. This guide will help you to make a change that suits you, so you can feel confident knowing that you can break your bad habits once and for all and hit the gym a little more often.

Make Working Out a Habit

The first thing you need to do is make working out a habit. It takes, on average, 21 days for you to turn something into a habit, so set yourself the goal of working out every two days or so for three weeks or more. If you can do this then you will soon find that it becomes difficult for you to miss out on a workout, as it is embedded in your routine. If you know that you are an early riser and you don’t have an alarm with a snooze then this is great. Wake up, drink a pint of water and then put your workout gear on. Brush your teeth, and get out the door. If you can do this then you will soon find that it becomes easier for you to motivate yourself to hit the gym a little more often. If you know that you train at the end of the day then drink a lot of water throughout the day and plan out all of your meals beforehand. By doing this, you can make sure you have enough energy for everything. 

Ten-Minute Rule

It’s also a good idea for you to work by the ten-minute rule. If you have a workout planned but you don’t have the self-motivation to get it done then one thing you can do is follow the ten-minute rule. This is where you work and push yourself. You only have to do this for the time period you set, and after that, you can continue if you want. If you don’t want to continue then there is no pressure and you can stop. The hardest bit of a workout is often starting, so if you can overcome this hurdle and any internal resistance you may experience, you will feel better about it. 

Layout your Workout Clothes

If you can, take the time to prepare your workout clothes the night before. Prepare your workout gear beforehand, especially if you like to workout in the morning. Pack your gym bag and make sure that you lay out your trainers, as well as loading yourself up with the things you are going to do. Get a YouTube video queued up ready if you are going to follow that, or get your bike out of the shed. Little things like this can help you to get the motivation you need and you would be surprised at what a monumental difference it could make to your life. This is great as it helps to remove any barriers that will stop you from hitting the gym. It also takes away from the number of decisions you have to make during the day too, so keep that in mind.

Make Coffee your Reward

Save your morning cup of java until you have done your workout. Use it as a bit of motivation so you can get your workout done and then reward yourself with something you love. If you can do this then you will always have something to look forward to and this can be a bit of a game-changer if you are struggling with motivation.

Try a Group Class

If you normally work out alone then this could be what is causing your issues. You may be lacking motivation, but there are ways for you to hold yourself more accountable. If you can, try and look into the group classes that are available and think about going through a training studio as this will give you the chance to take part in a range of resistance classes. At the end of the day, the environment of a class and even group exercise can help to provide you with a community of individuals, and it also helps to keep you accountable. You will stay on track much better, and you can also stay committed to showing up if you have to pre-book it. You can also try a different workout entirely, as a group. Kayaking or paddleboarding is a fantastic support, and being out on the open water may be a refreshing change of scenery.

Lunch Workouts

Mix it up from time to time by trying to do some lunchtime training. This can be a fantastic way for you to get some sunlight and it also boosts your Vitamin D as well. Whether you are doing a quick walk around the block or even going on a run by the river, it is important to know that your body is going to appreciate the fresh air and that you will feel more energized as a result. Don’t let the weather get you down either.

If you notice that it is raining outside then getting a waterproof jacket is always a good idea. It can feel liberating to work out in the rain too, so try and keep this in mind. If you don’t then you may find that you end up being demotivated when the weather doesn’t work to your advantage, but all of this can be avoided.

Discipline

Above all else, the key to being motivated and working out as a whole is being disciplined. Motivation comes and goes, and for this reason, you need to have a workout plan for when you just aren’t feeling it. Plan your workouts during the week and even go as far as to write them down. If you can do this then you will stay accountable for your actions a lot more which is great. Male sure that you take the time to plan your workout for the week and then write them down too. If you can come to the conclusion then you may even find that discipline is more important than motivation.

Try Something New

Trying something new is one of the best ways for you to spice up your workout routine. Do you feel as though you are doing the same thing, over and over again? MAybe you feel as though you are being forced to go to the gym at the same time over and over again and you would love to break the routine, even if it is just for a little bit. Either way, if this sounds like you then it is more than possible for you to make a change. You just need to try something new.

Hit the gym when you just don’t feel like it and also take the time to improve your ability to do something, whether it is running for longer or even lifting bigger weights. If your gym has new equipment then this is also great, make sure you are using it if you can as it may give your motivation a huge boost.

Buy Yourself Something New

Another way for you to spark your motivation in general when you go to the gym would be for you to buy yourself something new. When you buy yourself some new workout clothes, you will soon see that you can refuel any motivation that you once had and this is great. You can buy some new trainers if you like to run and you can buy yourself some new weight-lifting gloves too. If you do something like this then you will find that it is easier for you to get the result you need when it comes to general motivation. If you want to step things up to that next level then one thing you can do is tie your motivation in with your new items. Tell yourself if you go to the gym and smash a workout today that you are going to buy yourself some new weight lifting gloves. You can also avoid the gym altogether by saying that if you run 10k then you are going to buy yourself some running shoes on the way home. You can even run to the shoe shop if you want. Either way, goals like this can be linked to your determination when going to the gym, so keep that in mind if you can.

Going to the gym can be daunting, but at the end of the day, it is very easy for you to make a change if you know what step you need to take to help your motivation. One thing to know when you do go to the gym is that everyone works in different ways. Finding something that works for you is critical, especially when it comes to gym motivation. If you can keep this in mind, then you will soon find that it makes a huge difference to your routine as well as the results you are able to achieve at the gym.