How to Get Motivated to Work Out When You are not Feeling Motivated

As wonderful as the holidays are, they can make it difficult to be motivated to workout. As it turns out, motivation is only temporary. In the beginning, it is always going to be easier to stay on top of your workout schedule and new eating plan. It is exciting to start working towards new fitness goals, but as quickly as we want to reach those goals it takes a lot time and patients. Eventually motivation runs out and you may no longer feel as enthusiastic as you once did. Not following through, however, only hurts yourself. If you want to see progress you need to be consistent. Consistency includes diet, exercise, sleep, and other factors, but for today’s post we are going to focus on exercise. So, here are some tips on how to stay motivated when you are no longer feeling motivated to work out.

The Issue with Motivation

So, the issue with motivation is that it is emotion based. Emotions can be rather fleeting, and they are always changing. I was experiencing this more often in the beginning of my journey. I was trying to figure out what worked for me and how to incorporate exercise into my daily life (to this day I still am learning new things). The night before I would plan out my workout and would imagine what I was going to do; I was excited. But, by the next morning I no longer felt the same. I had lost the excitement and I wanted to just stay in bed and sleep.

Even after the last 2 1/2 years, I still have these moments. The difference now is that I have tools to get me through the slump and get back on top of my game. It took me time and practice, and frankly, I had to fail a few times to get the hang of it. But it is a lifestyle, and you can take your time to learn what works for you. Your only competition is trying to be better than yourself from the day before.

Tips and Tricks to Keep Up Your Motivation

Discipline

Discipline is the most important tool to have. You must learn to be stern with yourself so that even if you do not feel like it, you still follow through with your work out plans. To have discipline means to not give into everything little thing you feel or want. For instance, good discipline is working out like you had planned even when you do not feel like it. It is how you enforce the new, healthy habits that you may not be used to yet and get rid of the old ones. Discipline also helps you be consistent. Consistency ensures that you can meet your fitness goals. If you are not consistent it is difficult to make the progress that you want to see. It is important to know that it takes time and patients.

Okay, I need to pause here for one moment. I seriously cannot stress this enough, time and patients are super important factors. For example, I am finally starting to see the changes I really wanted to see when I first started 2 1/2 years ago. It takes time to learn the diet changes, how to workout, and what you need to change mentally to become successful. And it takes a lot of patients because it is a slower process than some realize.

Weight gain does not occur over night, sometimes it is something that occurs over may years. Therefore, the fat loss is not going to occur over night either. Your body, genetics, and environment are factors that play a role in the amount of time it may take. Some may need longer than others, and some may not. At the end of the day regardless of your situation, progress means consistency, and consistency requires discipline.

The Time it Takes to Work Out is Only A Small Fraction of Your Day

It is important to schedule time out of your day to workout from home or at the gym. Just like taking time for yourself for self-care, taking time to move your body is also self-care. If you work out for 15 to 60 minutes a day, comparatively this is only a small portion out of the entire day. Working out feels easier knowing that it is only a small part of the day.

For instance, I prefer to work out in the mornings. As all my schooling is online, this works the best for my schedule. By working out earlier in the day, I do not have to worry about getting it done later, I feel accomplished and energetic, and I feel great overall! Make sure to pick the time of day that works best for you and your schedule so that you do not feel rushed or unable to complete it.

Related: What to Add to Your Morning for A Productive Day

You Are Always Going to Feel Better During or By the End of the Work Out

Moving around and exercising increases the release of dopamine making you feel happier. This also makes exercise a great stress manager as with consistency you feel happier in the long-term too. In those moments when I do not feel like working out, I still drag out my yoga mat and pull up a workout video knowing that at some point I will feel much better. Once I start my workout, I want to finish it and get it done. Afterwards I always feel accomplished for not slacking or skipping out on it. Knowing that I will feel great makes it easier to work out.

Every Little Bit Helps You Get Better and Stronger

Part of my current workout routine is following along to Chloe Ting’s workout videos and programs. I have previously talked about her programs in How to Work Out from Home: Chloe Ting Edition. One thing that I have noticed is how often she mentions how you get stronger with consistent exercise. It does take time to gain strength, however gaining strength can happen faster than one may think. When I am having a difficult time with exercising, I tell myself that even doing a little bit of something is better than not doing anything at all.

Nothing is more motivating than noticing the progress that you are making, even if you do not see much of a visual difference. You will begin to notice how certain exercises feel easier, you are able to do more reps than you could in the beginning, and how you will need to do more advanced moves to feel the same intensity as when you started. Needing to hold your head up when doing leg raises to make the exercise more difficult is an example of a more advanced move. Overall, as you get stronger, the work outs become easier.

Let’s Chat!

What are the ways that you stay on top of your fitness game? Let me know in the comments down below!

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