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Struggling with Gym-phobia? How To Get Your Gym Motivation Back

Losing motivation for the gym is easy. We let one workout slide, then another, and another, and the cycle continues. In the process, we may lose track of our gym goals entirely. It becomes just another chore that we haven’t completed. However, we know we need to exercise; our health depends on it.

If you’re wondering how to get motivated for the gym or how to get gym motivation back, you’ve come to the right place. Below, we share various tips and tricks to help increase your dedication, discipline, and motivation to move your body and achieve your fitness goals.

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Find Your “Why”

To get results, we need to be consistent. To be consistent, we need to keep reminding ourselves why we exercise in the first place. If our goal is to lose weight, you will need to dig deeper than just this superficial goal. For instance, ask yourself: Why do I want to lose weight? What will that feel like? Is this a personal objective? Is there an end goal?

Some may want to increase their self-confidence and self-esteem. Others may desire to keep up with their kids or grandkids. Or perhaps you really want to get back into your favourite recreational sport. Whatever the case may be, discovering your why and reminding yourself of it often can help you gain the motivation you need to hit the gym.

Set Goals That Work For You  

Losing motivation to workout sometimes means we’ve set no goals at all or we’ve set overly ambitious targets without breaking them down into smaller ones. 

When setting fitness goals, using the acronym S.M.A.R.T. ensures your objective is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-oriented. This means that you know when you will actually achieve your goal and can see a path toward it. 

For example, your S.M.A.R.T. goal could be to lose five kgs in the next three months, so you decide you’re going to go to the gym three times a week to achieve this. It’s measurable and time-oriented, and it has very specific parameters, which easily indicate whether or not it has been achieved. However, another key to remember is that targets can be altered as life throws in obstacles such as time-constraints, injuries, and so on. This may mean that by the end of the three months you’ve only shed 4kgs, but instead of being hard on yourself, congratulate yourself for making the effort, and remember this is a step in your journey not a one-off challenge, you will reach target in time as long as you continue to keep pushing yourself. 

Partner Up For Some Friendly Competition

Your best gym motivation might actually involve getting a friend on board with you. They can serve as your workout and accountability partner—and vice versa.

Together, you can formulate a workout routine that works for both of you, helping you both use consistency to achieve results. You can also challenge and push each other to accomplish the goals you set and more. 

Find Some Accountability Tracking

Whether your gym buddy does or doesn’t pan out, a fitness tracker shows you the raw data with zero fluff. For example, if you’re aiming for a specific number of cardio minutes or steps per day, your fitness tracker, such as a Fitbit or Oura Ring, won’t lie and helps hold you accountable. It may also serve as inspiration on days when you struggle to muster up any exercise motivation or when your gym buddy can’t make it to a session, guiding you toward increased self-discipline.

Change Up Your Routine

After some time, performing the same cardiovascular exercise or weightlifting routine may feel rather boring. If you’ve skipped more than a couple of sessions, you may want to consider switching up a routine for increased motivation. At the end of the day, exercising even a little bit is better than nothing at all. Finding something you enjoy and feel motivated to do is half the battle!

This might mean trying a dance class or swimming workout over your regular strength training or endurance regime or perhaps signing up with a personal trainer to take your current skills to the next level, making everything a little more new and exciting.

Set Your Weekly Workout Schedule

We can’t always rely on motivation. Simply put, it won’t always be there when we need it. This is where you need to develop your self-discipline muscle. A weekly routine guides you toward making training a habit as opposed to merely something you do when motivation strikes.

So, pencil your workouts into your calendar or your phone. Plan for them, then follow through. This can further help you develop an overall healthy lifestyle and positive mindset where you keep the promises you make to yourself. In turn, you’ll also likely experience renewed confidence in your body and mind.

Get New Gym Clothes

If you’re running out of ideas on how to make yourself go to the gym, investing in new gym clothes might do the trick. Inevitably, you probably want to wear your new gym clothes, and the gym is the most suitable place to wear them. They can also boost your confidence and make you feel good in the skin you’re in.

Don’t Set Yourself Up To Fail 

This comes back to setting realistic goals. Avoid lofty and unattainable goals. Try to set achievable and measurable ones that you can accomplish in a reasonable amount of time. For example, if you just started running, it’s probably not a good idea to sign up for a marathon. Instead, start with a shorter race and build your way up.

Consider A Personal Trainer 

A personal trainer becomes your accountability partner. They further offer inspiration and confidence in your workout routine since you’ll know what you’re doing is correct. They can also guide you on where to start according to your physical activity level, ensuring the exercise routine you’re doing is appropriate for you and your situation and goals. Lastly, they can provide nutrition advice specific to your goals.

Take Time To Recover

When it comes to how to motivate yourself for the gym, sometimes, rest is best. Daily gym motivation might simply mean taking recovery days when you need them and not actually going to the gym itself. Going hard each day can overload the body and muscles, especially when first starting out. Instead, stretch or walk. Each day doesn’t require an intense workout (nor should it!).

Reward Yourself 

As previously mentioned, small wins can fuel our motivation and keep us on track. However, it’s important to take time to celebrate these wins, even if it’s simply having your favourite meal for dinner or grabbing that sparkling water after your workout session. Don’t be afraid to go out and enjoy yourself too. You need a healthy balance between physical and mental health, so make sure your fitness regimes allow for treat days, and time to enjoy your friends’ and families’ company. 

Pump Yourself Up With Your Music Workout Playlist

For a bit of fitness motivation, listen to music that pumps you up. This might mean listening to your favourite songs or looking up playlists for the best workout music or the best gym motivation songs. This can not only get you into gear but also keep your motivation high throughout your workout (you may even adjust your workout to songs, e.g. running on the treadmill for one song, and walking for the next!).

If music isn’t your jam, you can also try listening to podcasts. In fact, this can really help fuel motivation for those that truly don’t enjoy the gym. 

How To Build Good Habits For Daily Gym Motivation 

Track Your Progress

Progress tracking can help you see how far you’ve come. This can inspire, empower, and motivate you to keep going. After all, we often don’t want to lose our progress. This can be by keeping track of your workouts on an app, or simply taking a picture of yourself every few weeks to see the change exercise is having on you. 

You may also pump up your gym motivation by celebrating every small success and win you make along the way. For example, consider rewarding yourself when you’ve hit a certain number of gym sessions or when you finally hit a specific weight with your squat. Sometimes, this can provide the best type of workout motivation since you know if you keep going, more celebrations will follow.

Think Positively 

When it comes to improving our physical health, our mental health also matters. Committing to the gym is just as much of a mental battle as it is a physical one. Learning to think more positively can work wonders when it comes to mustering up enough motivation to hit the gym. However, it’s often much easier said than done.

Thinking positively takes work; Negative thoughts make up about 80% of the average person’s daily thoughts. At the end of the day, this aspect comes down to self-improvement tactics, such as positive affirmations, reframing, and challenging negative thoughts. 

Positive affirmations help us practice positive self-talk and may include phrases such as, “I am enough,” “I am confident,” “I am beautiful and worthy of health,” or “I am getting better and better each day.” Additionally, you can practice reframing or challenging your negative thoughts. This might mean thinking the complete opposite thought and meeting somewhere in the middle or looking at the thought from an entirely new perspective. Simply telling yourself you can achieve your goals rather than saying you can’t is a massive step in the right direction. 

Stop Worrying About What You Look Like in the Gym

Behind all of the success stories and before-and-after photos, there were beginners at the gym and individuals just starting out. Transformations take time and effort. Plus, no one is watching you! Most likely, they are focused on their own workout and potentially even worried about how they look to others. 

While you might not know how to use a particular piece of gym equipment, the chances are that no one is paying any attention. Take some time to figure it out. Read the instructions or Google it or feel free to ask a member of staff how to use it, as that is part of their job! The gym is a judgement-free zone. Everyone is there to improve themselves. And everyone started somewhere!

Common Obstacles To Avoid Losing Gym Motivation

When motivation isn’t there, making sure we don’t fall prey to the following obstacles can keep us on track.

Time and Planning

If it’s not on the calendar, it’s less likely to happen. We all know how this works. Thus, it’s always better to pencil it in than wing it. Having a plan significantly increases the odds it will happen.

Not Having Fitness Goals 

Not having goals is an easy way to avoid the gym. If we aren’t working toward something, why bother? This, ultimately, comes back to your “why.” What do you want to accomplish? How do you want to feel?

Working Out Purely For Weight Loss 

Losing weight is sometimes necessary for optimal health. However, losing weight for the sake of losing weight might not work out in your favour. Instead, it’s best to focus on why you want to lose weight. Is it to gain greater confidence? Is it to feel better and more energised? Is it to gain more muscle? 

Boredom With Workouts

Mixing up your routine on occasion is necessary to combat the boredom that may come with going to the gym. However, sometimes, it might feel boring. This doesn’t mean it always will or always does. At the same time, if this persists, it could be a sign that you need to change something. Just remember there will always be days that you struggle in the gym however, these are the days that once you push through them can often feel the most rewarding!

How To Spot Lack Of Motivation Before It Becomes A Problem 

A lack of motivation might look like procrastinating going to the gym, a lack of enthusiasm when it comes to working out, a loss of interest, skipping sessions, or negative self-doubt. If you begin to notice any of these entities hindering your ability to stick to your plan, you’re likely starting to lack motivation. Exploring the above to reignite that spark can help you tackle it before it becomes problematic or causes you setbacks.

How Can Aura Help You Build Your Gym Motivation

With over 20 years of experience motivating individuals to achieve their fitness goals and more, Aura Leisure is here to support you every step of the way. 

From state of the art gyms to fitness classes and personal training, our fitness community can help you stay motivated. 

Join today and experience all the health benefits that regular exercise has to offer. It’s time you begin thriving and making progress toward your goals.