Intro: Why is Workout Motivation Important?
We’ve all experienced those days when finding the motivation to exercise feels impossible. Maybe it’s after a long day of work, or perhaps it’s the struggle to get up early for a morning workout. This blog will provide some tips an fundamentals to help you understand how to overcome those tough moments whether it be a bad day or one of the rough patches life throws at us when nothing seems to be going right.
Big Picture Tips to Maintain Motivation
1. Make Fitness a Lifestyle, Not a Temporary Project
One day, I was walking around Chealse in Manhattan, milti tasking, listening to an audiobook and trying to get my daily 15,000 steps in, and a guy stopped me and said, ‘You have a great physique. How long did it take you to achieve that?’ My response was, ‘There is no time frame. This is a lifestyle that I am living.”
Fitness should be a lifestyle and not just a checkbox. Whatever your goals are it is so important to make sure you have a cohesive plan that is sustainable for you and slowly over time, iterate, up the intensity a little bit at a time. We will discuss all of them later in this article, but workouts, sleep, and supplements all work together to support your health.
Don’t go from never working out to trying to work out 6 days a week overnight. For 90% of people, this is a recipe for disaster and abruptly quitting after that initial gungo ho excitement wears off.
2. Measure Progress Beyond the Scale
Don’t make the scale and pounds your only measure of success. Instead, use alternative tools to track your progress, like taking regular photos of yourself or using an app like MyFitnessPal to record body measurements.
Even if the scale isn’t showing the progress you expect, look for other improvements—like better muscle definition in your abs, chest, and back.
This visual cue can help you stay motivated to keep working out, even when the numbers don’t align with your effort. Use progress photos and note how your clothes fit better or how your energy levels improve as key motivators.
3. Patience is Key: Don’t Expect Instant Results
It doesn’t have to happen overnight. If you expect instant results, you will wind up quitting when progress slows or stops altogether. Understand that sometimes there will be significant gains, and other times you will experience setbacks or hit plateaus.
Expect these fluctuations, assess your strategy, and adjust where needed. Staying motivated to workout means recognizing that fitness is a journey and progress takes time.
Celebrate small victories, like lifting heavier weights or running a little longer, to stay motivated during the ups and downs. Including motivational mantras like, ‘This has been a challenging week… but I can handle it’. This can help inspire patience and perseverance.
4. Find a Fitness Buddy for Support
Workout partners are amazing, but finding a fitness buddy you can stay connected with, even when you’re not at the gym, is even better.
Having someone to celebrate your wins with or to lean on when you’re struggling can keep you motivated to work out. Your buddy should help pick you up when you’re down and support you through your fitness journey.
For example, a friend of mine and I set weekly fitness challenges for each other, and we shared our progress over text. Whether it’s sharing progress pictures, discussing new exercise routines, comparing our daily step count (we’ll discuss this later in the blog).
Sometimes you just need someone to put a virtual foot in your behind and tell you to get your stuff together, refocus and get back to work. A fitness buddy can provide accountability and keeps workout motivation strong.
Energize your Workouts
5. Focus on Workout Intensity, Not Just Weight
Muscle gain is about more than lifting heavy weights. The intensity of your workout is also crucial to maximizing results. I see people sleep walking around the gym all the time and I wonder why did you even come to the gym? Where is the focus and intensity? If you are going to dedicate hours per week, to workout, why not make it your superbowl leave everything you have on the field?
Regardless of what body part I am working on, I ask my self one question after every workout? “Did you workout with passion, purpose and intensity.”
If you’re feeling a lack of motivation or a little sore, switch things up—drop the weight and go for higher reps to boost intensity and reignite that fire.
7. Turn Every Workout into a Performance w/ Music
This ties in heavily to the previous tip about intensity, but you should bring a performative aspect to every workout. Think of each gym session as an episode of a tv show, or you are the star.
High-energy music acts as the soundtrack, pumping up adrenaline and pushing intensity levels.
Create a playlist of songs that energize you—whether it’s hip-hop, rock, or EDM—and use it to make each exercise fun and just when you are feeling a little winded or titred find your go to song that gets you going to push through the rep, set and workout.
8. Embrace Flexibility: Balance Structure with Spontaneity
Sometimes, being too rigid with your workout routine can lead to losing some momentum within your workout and also kill the fun factor. To stay motivated to work out, it’s essential to find a balance. Structure 80% of your workouts, and allow the remaining 20% to be more spontaneous.
Use this time to try a new exercise, workout routine or just do something you enjoy. For example, if you usually stick to weight training, use the freestyle portion to try a kalistenics focused workout like Pullups, dips, pushups and core excercises.
Freestyle workouts can add fun and break the monotony, keeping you motivated to exercise and stick with your routine.
Motivate Your Way to Gains
7. Workouts Support Your Diet, Not the Other Way Around
You can’t outwork a bad diet. Maintaining a nutritious diet will help you get the best results from those intense workouts, which in turn helps to motivate you to keep exercising.
Think of your workout as a way to support and enhance a balanced diet, not as an excuse to binge later.
For example, focusing on lean proteins like chicken and fish, healthy fats like avocados and nuts, and plenty of vegetables will help you feel better and see the physical results that keep you motivated.
9. Support Your Workouts with Supplements
Supplements can elevate your workouts and sometimes even more importantly support your recovery.
- Pre-workout supplements can provide extra energy to help you energizr your workout.
- BCAAs help with recovery and sustaining energy throughout the day.
- Protein powders are an efficient way to support feeding your muscles for growth
- Creatine pills and poweders enhance strength and muscle gains.
Supplements, when used wisely, can be a great way to support your workout routine and help you stay motivated by making each session more effective.
However, always consult a healthcare professional before starting any supplement to ensure it is safe and appropriate for your individual needs.
10. Prioritize Recovery
Remember that gains are made during recovery. Sleep well, hydrate, and allow rest days.
For example, consider using a foam roller like the TriggerPoint GRID Foam Roller to target tight muscles, or try a yoga stretching routine, such as a 10-minute post-workout flow, to improve flexibility and aid recovery.
Recovery plays a crucial role in keeping you motivated to workout because when you’re rested and pain-free, you’re more likely to get back to the gym.
Mix It Up: Variety Is the Spice of Fitness
11. Add High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Workouts
One of the best ways to improve workout motivation is to keep workouts fresh and fun. Mixing in HIIT sessions will not only boost motivation but also build lean muscle effectively.
What are HIIT workouts? High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a cardiovascular exercise routine that involves short bursts of intense activity alternated with brief periods of rest or low-intensity movement.
These workouts are designed to elevate your heart rate quickly and improve both aerobic and anaerobic endurance in a shorter amount of time compared to traditional steady-state cardio.
- For example, a HIIT workout might include sprinting at maximum effort for 30 seconds followed by walking or jogging for 60 seconds, repeated for several cycles.
- Another example is performing a circuit of exercises like burpees, jump squats, and mountain climbers for 45 seconds each with 15-second rest intervals in between, maximizing calorie burn and boosting metabolism.
If you’re new to HIIT, consider using an app like Freeletics or Nike Training Club to help guide you through beginner-friendly HIIT routines.
12. Don’t Be Married to One Machine or Exercise
If you’re at the gym and someone’s using your favorite machine or steals your spot on a machine while taking a break, don’t wait around—switch to something else. This is simply a sign the workout gods want you to do something else.
Staying flexible is a great strategy to stay motivated and keep your workout moving. Think of this as an opportunity to break routine and try something new, like switching from the bench press to dumbbell chest presses or using resistance bands to target the same muscle group.
It’s all about making your gym sessions enjoyable and effective, keeping your workout motivation high.
13. Keep Cardio Simple with Walking & Counting Steps
You don’t have to run marathons to boost cardiovascular fitness. Walking can be just as effective, especially if you focus on hitting a certain number of steps each day. Set a daily step goal, like 10,000 steps, and make walking part of your routine.
Whether it’s on a treadmill, an outdoor hike, or a walk during your lunch break, walking is an enjoyable and effective way to keep your exercise routine consistent. It’s a simple way to stay active, boost your mood, and stay motivated.
Try adding a quick walk during lunch breaks or parking further away from your destination to get more steps in.
14. Never Underestimate the Power of Push-Ups
Push-ups are a powerful yet often underrated exercise, especially when you can’t make it to the gym. Here are some of the top benefits:
- Require no equipment and can be done almost anywhere, making them highly versatile.
- Great for Building upper body strength, including your chest, triceps, shoulders, and upper back.
- They Support core stability by engaging the core muscles, which helps improve balance and posture while reducing the risk of back pain.
- Promotes Cardiovascular health, builds endurance, and burns calories when performed at a high intensity.
To keep push-ups challenging and interesting, try different variations.
Standard push-ups are a great starting point, but you can also mix in diamond push-ups for more tricep activation, decline push-ups for added difficulty, or wide-grip push-ups to target the chest differently.
Start the day or end it with a few sets of push-ups, or even mix them into your day—like during TV commercial breaks or between work meetings when you are working from home.
Push-ups are one of the best ways to keep the momentum going when you can’t make it to the gym.
Conclusion: Sustained Motivation is All About Mindset
Staying motivated on your fitness journey is not just about the physical workouts; it’s about nurturing a mindset that propels you forward. By adopting these tips, you’re setting yourself up for sustained success and a more enjoyable path to your goals.
Remember to reward yourself along the way. Positive reinforcement can make the journey more enjoyable and keep your motivation high. When you reach a milestone—be it sticking to your workout schedule, hitting a new personal best, or simply feeling more energetic—treat yourself.
This could be new workout gear that excites you to get moving, a relaxing massage to soothe your muscles, or a day off to indulge in a favorite hobby.
Celebrating your achievements acknowledges your hard work and reinforces your commitment to your fitness journey.
Ultimately, sustained motivation is all about making fitness as a fun, fulfilling and integral part of your life.
By finding joy in the process, staying flexible, and nurturing both your body and mind, you’re not just working out—you’re transforming your entire well-being.
Keep pushing forward, celebrate every victory, and remember that each step you take is progress.
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