What’s the motivation to go to the gym? For most of us, it’s not an easy question to answer. We all know that exercise is good for us. It can help us lose weight, improve our strength and stamina, and even lower our risk of developing chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. But somehow we just can’t always seem to find the motivation to hit the gym on a regular and consistent basis. So, what can we do about it? Well, there are many ways that you can once again fall in love with your local gym and get motivated to hit those treadmills, lifting bars, and squat racks on a regular basis.
Here are 10 simple ways to do just that…
1.) Change Up Your Routine
If you’ve been following the same routine for weeks or months, you might find yourself getting bored and losing interest in your workouts. If this is the case, it might be time to change your routine. You can do this by switching from cardio to weight training or vice versa. You can also try a new form of cardio, such as swimming or cycling. You may also want to try cross-training or combining different types of exercise in one session.
2.) Find An Exercise You Love
If you love the exercise you’re doing, you’re much more likely to keep doing it. So find something that you love to do and you’ll be far more likely to keep it up. Weights, cycling, yoga, and walking are great forms of exercise that just about everyone can do. Squats, push-ups, and pull-ups are also fantastic exercises that are very beneficial to your body. Alternatively, you can look into weight training or even Personal Training (PT).
3.) Make It A Social Event
If you have some friends that you can regularly work out with, you’ll find that you’re much more likely to go to the gym on a regular basis – as well as helping with accountability as you’ll know others rely on you to go. Exercising with friends not only makes it more enjoyable, but it can also help you to push yourself that little bit harder and see results in a shorter amount of time. You can also look for a local fitness class that you enjoy, such as a dance or yoga class.
4.) Commit To A Schedule
If you commit to exercising at certain times during the week, you’ll find that you’re much more likely to actually follow through on this plan. You can also make it a rule to yourself that if you miss one of these workouts, you have to make it up by doing two workouts at once the next time you go to the gym.
5.) Track Your Progress
If you keep track of how many workouts you do each week and how long each workout lasts, you’ll find that you’re much more likely to keep exercising on a regular basis. This way, you’ll also be able to tell when you’re making progress and see how your workouts are helping you. You’ll notice a massive difference in the effort you put in during your workout if you track your progress – as well as helping you spot any mistakes or diet slip-ups and how they affect your workout.
6.) Reward Yourself
If you’re having trouble coming up with a way to reward yourself for exercising, try using sports equipment, clothing, and/or supplements. Every time you go to the gym and finish a workout, give yourself a reward. You can also give yourself a reward for reaching a certain goal, like losing 5 pounds or completing a certain number of workouts in a week. You can also reward yourself with something unrelated to exercising, like a new book or a nice meal out with friends.
7.) Create Accountability
Find someone to hold you accountable for your workouts. You can do this by joining a gym with a friend or finding a fitness group that you can interact with online. Alternatively, you can even go as far as hiring a personal trainer or coach, who will hold you accountable for your progress. This way, you’ll find that you’re much more likely to keep going to the gym and following through on your workout plan.
8.) Don’t Expect Too Much At First
Exercise is good for you, nobody denies that, but it can take a while for your body to get used to exercising regularly and consistently. So don’t expect to wake up one day, go to the gym, and feel like a pro. It will probably take a few weeks before you really start to get the hang of it. During this time, try to stay positive and patient with yourself, and don’t get discouraged by how hard this new journey might be.
Conclusion
Exercising regularly is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. However, getting motivated to go to the gym can be tough. The best way to get motivated is by changing up your routine, finding an exercise you love, and making it a social event. You can also try committing to a schedule and tracking your progress to stay motivated to exercise. Additionally, you can reward yourself, create accountability, and don’t expect too much at first.
