We’ve all been there – there is only one more push up for you to do, but it’s just not going to happen. You get up, decide you’ve done enough for today and that tomorrow it’s going to be better. You’re either too tired or simply in a bad mood, and your workout routine suffers.
It’s hard to stay motivated, but giving up once will lead to you starting to give up more often, and the workouts stop to make sense.
You remember the first week you started and how you used to spend at least an hour every day in the gym, but now you either don’t go, or you find an excuse to leave early. You’re not alone, most of us have a problem with staying motivated week after week.
Music and various motivational fitness quotes on the walls of the gym have a great effect on us. They will tell you to keep going and shame you for quitting. There’s really something for everyone. There’s a good chance you’ll run for ten more minutes when you read something like “Fit is not a destination, fit is a way of life” on the wall.
There are also things you can do keep yourself going.
It’s important to always keep in mind why you started in the first place.
Write down your goals. Think hard about what you want to accomplish, how much time you can devote to training and decide by when you want to see some results. Of course, keep it doable and not too ambitious because if you set your goals too high, you might demotivate yourself if you don’t achieve them.
Also, understand why you want to work out. Is it to lose weight or sleep better? Or maybe you want to feel more energetic? Whatever the reason is, write it down and track your progress.
You can even write some motivational fitness or weight loss quotes next to your goals and place them on your fridge or other visible spots in the house. That will keep you motivated and will push you to stay dedicated.
Tell others about your plan or find a workout buddy. When others know what your plans are, the chances are better that you’ll stick to them. If you have someone to workout with, even better. A friend can keep you motivated and will remind you not to miss your workouts!
Surrounding yourself with hard-working, positive people makes you want to follow their lead.
Think about how you’ll feel after a good workout. Physical activity has a great effect on our mental health. It can reduce stress, boost our mood and it makes us feel better about ourselves.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep reminding yourself of why you started in the first place. You can even try putting wallpapers with fitness quotes on your laptop or your phone.
Award yourself. If something vague like “staying healthy” isn’t working for you, you can try with awarding yourself from time to time with a favorite smoothie or an extra episode of your favorite TV show.