When you lose motivation for the gym, it can be very hard to find it again sometimes. Life can get in the way and the gym can be pushed to the back of your priorities, but we are here to help you regain your motivation to feel like the best version of yourself!
Try New Exercises
The first thing you should do to feel more motivated for the gym is to try new exercises. If you are repeating the same routine over and over, you’re probably going to find that you begin to lack motivation. So, keep a couple of your favourite main exercises and then switch up the rest for something different.
For example, on leg day you might keep your leg press and hip thrust exercises, but swap out your squats for good mornings and swap out your normal lunges for walking lunges. Rather than finishing your workout with 10 minutes on the treadmill, give the stair climber a go. Make a few small changes and this can be enough to completely refresh your routine. Maybe try super sets, with two exercises straight after eachother, to help you make the most of your workouts and even shorten your workouts to around 30 minutes!
If you find that you have fallen out of love with your current routine completely after trying new exercises, maybe rethink the kind of exercise you are doing. For those of you with a predominantly cardio based routine, try to incorporate a couple of weight days. If you normally do mostly weights, try a few different gym classes. If you like to train 5 days a week but find you lose motivation mid week, break your routine up with a swim on your 3rd day of working out. This is such a good opportunity to try something new if you are feeling uninspired and you might just find your next favourite activity!
Invest In A New Gym Outfit
Next up, you should invest in a new gym outfit. There is no better feeling than putting on an outfit you feel great in and smashing out a workout. When choosing your outfit, find something that you feel really confident in and that provides you with the right support to do any workout you want to!
Even if you don’t get a whole new outfit, getting yourself a new pair of trainers, womens gym leggings or a gym top can give you the boost you need to get back into the swing of things.
Try A New Playlist
If you’re just getting back into the gym and want some serious inspiration, try out a new playlist. For many people, the music they listen to in the gym can be make or break, so this is a great way to get inspired. If you usually listen to dance in the gym, give a rock or indie playlist a go and you might really love it! There are so many great pre-made gym playlists out there already, so give a few a go and see how you get on.
Carefully Track Your Progress
It can take time to see results in the gym, which can often feel quite disheartening. However, you will be making so much progress without even knowing. So, tracking your progress can really help with this. There are so many ways to do this, and although tracking weight works well for some people, it is not always the best method.
Muscle weighs more than fat, so you could be working really hard in the gym without actually losing any weight, but you are actually losing fat and building muscle at the same time. So, in this case, taking regular progress photos is the best way to track how your body is changing.
If your goal is to get stronger, then keep a record of how much you are lifting for each exercise and how many reps. Even if you are only increasing the weights you are lifting slightly every week or couple of weeks, when you look back, you will see how far you’ve come.
When you are working hard in the gym, you are also more likely to find that you are excelling in other areas of life. Maybe you find it much easier to carry your shopping home or to take the stairs. You might feel much more energised at work or more motivated to look after yourself. Progress in the gym translates into all areas of life, so make sure that you reward yourself for the progress you are making.
Commit To Going With A Friend
Another great way to get motivated again is to commit to going to the gym with a friend. When you have someone to answer to when you miss a gym session, many people find that they are far less likely to miss any! So, over the weekend, plan with a friend, partner or family member when you are going to go to the gym and this should help you to stick to it.
This doesn’t just apply to actually going to the gym either, as you can make choices in your daily life to become healthier. Rather than going out for breakfast with your friend, why not go for a walk instead and take some healthy snacks along with you. Instead of sitting in and watching a film, why not try something new and play a game of tennis or badminton. Over the weekend, go for a swim together followed by a nice relaxing steam or sauna. Your journey to becoming healthy doesn’t need to be restricted to just the gym!
Final Thoughts
From getting yourself a new gym outfit to trying some new exercises, refreshing your diet and committing to a friend, you will feel motivated again in no time with these tips and begin to see your healthy habits stick. Don’t be hard on yourself and make sure that you are celebrating your progress, no matter how small it might be!