How I’m Staying Motivated at the Gym – 8 Tips
So I totally understand how hard it can be to stay motivated with anything. Especially the gym.
I’ve bounced back and forth from working out, to not, to working out, to not. It’s been an endless cycle of giving up and losing motivation. But 2017 just had a different vibe for some reason. And I know that’s typical at the beginning of the year, but I’m not really one for New Years resolutions, but this year was a little different. And I decided to start going to the gym as of the New Year, and I’ve been keeping at it since January 1st.
I’ve realized that I’m a lot stronger than I think, and that it’s all a mental game. Which is why it can be so easy to get discouraged or unmotivated. So below I’ve listed a few tips on how to stay motivated when it comes to working out!
Pre-planning workouts and setting reminders/goals in your calendar.
So I’m pretty bad at sticking to tasks sometimes, but I find that if I have it written down, or organized somewhere I can see it every day, I’m more inclined to complete said task. Google Calendar has been a huge help with this – You can actually create goals and set some guidelines such as X amount of days each week and the length of the sessions, and Google will set it all up for you! You can edit the events on the fly and the calendar will adjust your following weeks according to your patterns. I find it’s been really helpful to have those reminders set up as well as having my workouts organized by body part and day!
Working out with other people.
Working out on your own can be really therapeutic and a nice way to de-stress. But sometimes it gets a little lonely, and you are a little less rigid when it comes to your workouts. So I find that working out with other people, or even having someone there to train you (bonus!) is SUPER helpful. I am much more motivated to work harder and push myself to my limit when there’s someone at my side. I can be a little competitive, so it’s nice to have that healthy competition close at all times.
Realizing that everyone starts from the bottom.
This is SO important to get in your brain as early on as possible. Being aware that everyone is at a different level than you are is good, but knowing that everyone started from point zero is even better. There will always be someone faster, stronger, better than you, but there will always be someone slower, weaker and not as skilled as you too. Keep this in mind while your training – It will keep you humble and considerate of others, while also keeping you motivated and wanting to improve your skills.
Push yourself when you don’t think you can.
This one is easier said than done, but like I mentioned above, working out is actually such a mental thing. There have been many times since I’ve started working out where I think I won’t be able to do something or push a certain weight, but having someone there to tell me to try anyways helps, and I usually end up surprising myself in the end. So next time you think you won’t be able to do something, or you’re too tired to finish your last set, push yourself – that’s when you need to the most.
Sharing your accomplishments.
Now some people might think this is annoying, and I can totally see why, but it becomes a huge motivator to share your accomplishments. Posting an image to Instagram, or tweeting about your PR keeps you motivated and accountable to your fitness journey. People might get annoyed by your constant posting, but who really cares? If it makes you happy, and is pushing you to your best, then why resist?
Giving yourself breaks.
I know you might be feeling high off of adrenaline, or you just want to keep going and working out every day. But sometimes your body needs a break whether you like it or not. It’s how you’ll recover and eventually get stronger. So please, try not to feel guilty about taking a day or two off. Or three, or four. Just make sure that you pick it up again and don’t lose hope!
Make yourself your only competition.
Comparing yourself to others is a dangerous game. You’re sort of setting yourself up for failure if you’re constantly comparing your progress to someone else’s. So instead of pitting yourself against someone else, why not do it to yourself. Compare this weeks progress with last weeks, and the week before that. Become aware of how you’ve improved, and what still needs some work. You’ll be a lot more motivated to work harder this way.
Meeting people with similar goals.
My last tip sort of ties into number two, but this one is more specific. Finding people that have similar goals, but possibly different strengths is a great way to stay motivated and keep things fun. You’ll get to work out with someone, and you’ll be able to improve alongside another person. You will also have someone there to help keep you on track and you can also be there to lend a hand and to help motivate the other person.