Combatting lack of workout motivation. Woman on bed covering her face with a pillow

Get Motivated to Work Out

exercise exercise behaviors muscle building training workout workouts Jun 02, 2023

Picture this: it’s Thursday after work, you’re super exhausted from a crazy work week, and you know you still have another day to get through, and it’s time to hit the gym, but you totally don’t want to and would rather go home and hit the couch instead.

This is a stupid normal human experience, and we’ve literally ALL been there!

But you also know that if you want to achieve your fitness goals, whether that’s fat loss, building muscle, or maintaining optimal health, you need to go to the gym.

Sure, missing one workout won’t be detrimental to your fitness progress, but if you skip the gym every time you lack the motivation to work out, it will be more than one session.

You need to rely on habits, not motivation, to achieve your fitness goals!

We understand that a lack of motivation can be a common challenge when it comes to fitness. However, there are several strategies that you can use to overcome this barrier and get back on track with your fitness goals.

How to Get Motivated to Work Out

So what do you do about your lack of motivation?

Lack of motivation can be a common barrier to working out, but it doesn't have to be a permanent roadblock.

Here is some advice we give our clients to help them on these tough days:

1 Trick Yourself Into a Workout

Try starting with just your warmup, and tell yourself you can leave if you still don’t want to be there after that.

Alternatively, you can use an allotted amount of time. For example, “I’ll go for 40 minutes, and at the end of that time, I can leave even if I’m not done.”

Many KJO Coaching clients find that when they take this approach, they end up completing the entire workout.

Oftentimes the difficulty is in getting started. Once you’re there, your blood starts pumping, and the endorphins hit, you’ll likely want to finish the whole workout.

And if you don’t, that’s okay because at least you gave it your best shot and moved your body a little bit.

2 Figure Out Why You Don’t Want to Work Out

Another option is to reflect on why you don’t want to go and if not going will make you feel better or worse. Base your decision on this.

Ask yourself if there is a physical reason you shouldn’t go. Maybe you have an injury, are sick, or are under recovered.

All of these could be valid reasons for missing a workout, but you can’t use them as a cop-out.

For example, if you sprained your ankle, you probably can’t run or back squat, but you can most definitely sit on a bench and do upper body exercises.

Upon reflection, you might realize that you aren’t motivated to go to the gym because you don’t have any energy because you skipped lunch.

In that case, grab some pre-workout fuel (as in food, not the supplement) and hit the gym!

Working through these questions can be a helpful way to decide if you could benefit from rest or movement.

3 Make Exercise Fun

When you’re struggling with motivation to work out, your best bet is to offer yourself a substitution. Instead of lifting weights, maybe you want to go on an incline walk or try a group class instead.

Switch it up and allow yourself to do something enjoyable!

Trying out different types of exercise can help prevent boredom and make it easier to stick to your workout routine. Plus, you may discover that you love something you never thought you would—who knew a Zumba class could be so fun!

By finding fun ways to work out, you can add variety to your fitness routine and challenge your body in new ways.

Fitness Motivation From a Coach

If you’re really struggling to get motivated for your workouts, we recommend that you reach out to your fitness coach and get their thoughts. Sometimes all you need is a little pep talk to bring you down to earth and remember why you want to do something.

At the end of the day, it's up to you how you choose to show up for yourself!

You might be feeling stuck in a fixed mindset, which may be reducing your motivation to work toward your goals.

Sometimes motivation can come from having a plan to follow that you know actually works, and we’ve got one for you!

Check out our FREE 4-week workout training guide.

The guide comes with important information, videos, and terminology that will help you make the most of your workouts.

Our team designed these workouts for maximum effectiveness and to help you fall in love with strength training.

Get your free guide here.

And if you don’t already have a fitness coach to guide you through these rough patches, the team at KJO Coaching would be thrilled to help you!

Our team of stellar coaches specializes in helping high-achieving women prioritize their health, fitness, and wellness to achieve long-term results.

You can learn more about working with us here.

Check out the original post here.