It’s quite possibly our worst fear. It’s the one thing that makes us sweat even when we haven’t lifted a weight. It’s lack of motivation.
Sometimes an injury can spur a dip in motivation, or maybe the sheer number of years we’ve been at the iron game. Whatever the cause, it’s a drag to fight a lack of motivation.
Short of injury, the single biggest reason we lose our motivation to work out, diet or do cardio, is because we’ve been doing what we’re doing for far too long. Okay, so maybe not for too long, but too stale for too long!
If we fail to keep things fresh and invigorate our daily routines, it can be difficult to remain as passionate and interested in the gym. After all, it’s hard to train for 10 years and keep the same level of enthusiasm and excitement for what we’ve seen over and over again. And it’s particularly difficult to hit plateaus and be as excited as we once were to find ways to transcend the sticking points. But motivation is the key to continuous improvement and longevity.
We all go through periods of laziness or overall lackluster feelings about the things that we do day in and day out, despite what it does for us. Even the best conditioned bodies go through periods of time when it’s like pulling teeth to keep the pace up. But it may just be a lack of creativity that keeps us stuck.
ENLIVEN WORKOUTS BY DOING SOMETHING – ANYTHING – DIFFERENT
They say that nothing changes until something changes, so do just that – change something. The point isn’t to do what you know works, the point is to do something that will get you excited again and knock you out of your funk. Knowing what works, and predictability, is what got you to a point of boredom and overall malaise to begin with, so throwing things off-kilter may help set you on the right path again.
Also try to consider that you can’t have things both ways: You can’t be on the path to ultimate success in mass building or dieting if your motivation levels are lagging. You can’t accomplish anything achievement oriented without appropriate motivation levels, so don’t even try. Put all your energy into gaining back your will and enthusiasm to exercise. And that may take awhile, so be patient.
TIPS TO INCREASE YOUR DESIRE TO TRAIN
Get out of the gym – It sounds odd, but maybe you just need a look at something different or to ride your bike outdoors
Take a buddy into the gym – it helps to take someone who is motivated. It might rub off on you! Make a pact to motivate each other!
Help someone learn how to work out – when you see their new enthusiasm as you help them, it may be contagious!
Try different work out times – If you always go to the gym at 4pm, try 7:30am or 12 noon.
Break up your workouts – If you dread training for 45 minutes, and then having to get on the treadmill for the same, split it up.
Write down your negative feelings to try to pinpoint things – Keep a log noting why you don’t want to get up and go to the gym. You may find the solutions to how to beat your boredom by determining what you’re avoiding.
Take up a sport and do their workout – Take up tennis, skiing, cycling or something that requires a whole other kind of workout. Maybe it’s bodybuilding and the thought of competing again that’s getting you down.
Schedule a photo shoot with a photographer – Knowing you’re going to get pictures out of it, may get you moving!