10 Top Tips to Keep You Motivated for Your Workouts

Whether you’re new to working out or you’re a seasoned pro, we all struggle to keep motivated at times. There are days you just don’t want to finish that final rep or push yourself that extra length in the pool. Let’s be honest there are some days you lack motivation so much that you just don’t feel like working out at all, but we’re here to change that! There are plenty of things you can do to maintain motivation for your workouts and in this blog, we’ve picked our top ten to ensure you stay pumped up for each extra gain!

Why Does Fitness Motivation Drop at Points?

Before we get into our top tips, it’s important to note that everyone goes through a dip in their workouts. We all wish we could be fit and healthy all the time, but the reality is that life throws challenges at us. Simple reasons for that lack of motivation can be boredom of the same routine, physical or mental fatigue, injuries, personal issues, and much more. However, no matter the reason there are ways to boost your energy and mindset around your workout which will enable you to get back on track to hitting your personal fitness goals.

Our Top 10 Tips to Keep Motivated for Your Workouts

1. The Sound of Music

It’s an easy adjustment to make but adding music to your workout if you haven’t already can make a huge difference to your performance. Studies have shown that music, especially music you enjoy, can have a host of benefits on your workout and improve your exercise performance overall. This largely comes from the feeling of satisfaction and happiness associated with your own favourite types of music. Even outside of working out we have all experienced that moment when a song you love comes on and it brings up your whole mood.

The opposite effect can be true of music we don’t like, contributing to a poor performance with our workouts. This means it’s a small factor that can make a big difference to the way we feel throughout our workouts. So, why not make a playlist of songs you enjoy and get out the headphones. Try adding some upbeat tracks for a fast run, or something a bit slower for those intense final reps in the weight area, to block off the rest of the world and boost your fitness levels!

2. Workout Partner

If you’re someone who loves alone time during your workout then this suggestion might not be for you, but it might be worth a try. A workout partner should be someone you enjoy spending time with that also has an interest in getting the most out of their workouts! They can be your mood booster for the tough days while also being there to push you to new heights. If you actively look forward your time in the gym or the pool, then it makes working out that bit easier!

Studies have outlined how having a supportive partner in the gym, or elsewhere in life can have massively positive effects on your emotional health. They can help you forget how hard your workout is just by being there, while they may simultaneously make you feel more comfortable in your surroundings by reducing stress, which will allow you to express yourself in your workouts. Another brilliant thing about a workout partner is the feeling of accountability, as you’ll never want to miss a workout that they are participating in. While it might only be a little change overall, having a companion to work out with can be reason enough to persist with your fitness journey as you drive one another to the top of your fitness game!

3. Remember the Little Goals

Many people that start off their fitness journey tend to expect lifechanging results within a couple of weeks, but the truth is that with fitness you need time. Don’t set yourself up for a fall before you’ve even begun by aiming too high too soon. Even if you’re already along your fitness journey it’s important to remember that small goals or gains are things to celebrate and be proud of. If you’re only starting and are experiencing some nerves, then maybe try and get a gym partner to help you out like mentioned above, and don’t be afraid to ask staff for their help or assistance in getting you up and running (possibly literally!).

Set your sights on losing that first kilo, and once you’ve completed that worry about the next one, and so on. Give your body time to adjust, even the most accomplished of athletes go through slumps and have to take it step by step before hitting their peak again. Setting yourself attainable goals, that may be short term, can set you up for success in the long run, and it’s important to take motivation from each time you hit a personal best, whether it’s a new personal record time in a length of the pool or getting that extra rep of a heavy weight in. By taking note of your own personal wins, you will be more likely to try and better them at some point which maintains your motivation!

4. Switch Up Your Diet

Everyone knows we need to maintain a healthy diet, but could you do things differently to get the best out of your workouts? The first thing to ask yourself is what are my fitness goals? Are you aiming to bulk up, lose weight, train towards a sporting event? Once you figure that out then you can go about adjusting your diet for your needs.

Don’t be afraid to ask staff for their opinion on what your diet should look like, as well as doing your own research. For example, if you’re someone that’s trying to bulk up and build strength, then there’s no point in simply eating fruit and vegetables, you need protein, whether that comes in the form of natural protein such as chicken or salmon, or by adding protein products to your meals, is up to you. It’s important to know what foods and drinks to avoid depending on your fitness goals, as you could be negatively affecting your workout performances with your diet, or even simply the timings you have your meals at. It’s no secret that our diets also have an impact on our mood, so by fuelling yourself properly before and after your workouts you can ensure you feel great each and every day which will encourage you to keep pushing yourself to your fitness goals!

5. Track Your Progress

Again, this might seem like an obvious suggestion to some, but keeping track of your progress as you head on your fitness journey can enhance your experience. This can tie into setting yourself goals, however, if you set yourself goals, how are you supposed to know what might be holding you back if you don’t track your progress? There’s plenty of areas to focus on depending on what your targets are and how far along your journey you’ve come. The simplest things to keep note of are your weight, heart rate, how many reps you can do, distance ran, length times, your diet, and so on.

Although, it’s also important to keep a log of other things such as how you were feeling on the day, time between your workout and your meals, did you work out with a friend, etc. By keeping a close eye on these, you can identify patterns as to when you achieved your best and worst workouts and what factors to avoid. In terms of your physical and mental health it is a good idea to keep tabs on these areas through tools such as a smart watch, fitness app, InBody analysers, and much more, in order to gain accurate data and give you the best chance of optimising your workouts. By keeping track of all contributing factors for your workouts you can make even the smallest changes, such as the time you work out, the food you eat beforehand, anything at all that means you get the best workout possible in and continue your motivation to keep fit!

6. Let the Experts Help

Especially when you’re starting off on your fitness journey, it can be daunting to walk into the gym or dive into the pool and know exactly what to do. The key to success can often be as easy as letting the experts help you find your feet. At the end of the day fitness instructors or swim teachers are there to help you feel comfortable in your environment and get the most out of each and every workout. If you’re a beginner, it is worth signing up to a starter programme such as Aura Fit for Life, as this allows you to settle into your fitness journey with the assistance of a professional, which brings with it motivation to persist.

Even for more experienced members of the fitness community it can be a good idea to ask for some help, as many people hit a point where they start to see less gains. It’s a great idea to join up to a more advanced fitness programme such as Aura Lean3, which will help you bring your workouts to the next level. This can add some excitement to your workouts as you change up your routine and can give you a boost to take on new fitness challenges. Remember, while your fitness journey is ultimately dictated by you, there are always professionals around with the knowledge and skills to help you keep motivated along the way!

7. Think to the Future

While we already mentioned it’s important to set short-term achievable goals along your fitness journey, it can also be hugely beneficial to have long-term targets. Long-term goals are a way to keep you going on the days you lack drive, and when you achieve them, they produce a feeling of accomplishment that can’t be repeated by anything else. These long-term targets can give extra meaning to the little milestones you hit on the way. For example, if you set yourself a target of losing 10 kilos in 10 months you should celebrate each kilo lost but imagine the feeling you will have once you lose those 10 kilos.

For other people it may be a fitness challenge such as running a marathon or partaking in an Iron Man competition. A good way to set these longer-term goals is by using the SMART method, which stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bound. When you come up with your target it’s got to be something you have a desire to achieve and is realistic for you to do in the time you give yourself. The idea behind setting long-term goals is that you have something to build towards, step by step, again enforcing motivation to continue your fitness journey!

8. Swap Gym and Swim

A major influence on people lacking motivation in their workouts is the over familiarity of their fitness routine. While it’s important to have a fitness plan, it is a great idea to have variance within it, as our minds and bodies can get bored of the same pattern each day. An easy way to keep yourself fresh for your workouts is by alternating between the gym and the pool. Most people stick to one, either hitting the weights in the gym on the daily or doing length after length in the pool.

What people often don’t think about is that the more often you perform the same workout, the more your body adapts to it, and you don’t feel the same rush after completing it or you begin to slack a little without realising. To prevent this from happening don’t just stick to your comfort zone, if you love weight training in the gym, then swim on alternating days to enhance your muscle building. As well as changing the scenery, swimming is also a full body workout, while people regularly forget to train certain parts of their body in the gym. By combining the two you can boost your physical and mental results, avoid boredom in your routines, and keep up motivation on your fitness journey!

9. Strength in Numbers

We’ve already mentioned the benefits of having a workout partner, and fitness programmes, but what if you mesh the two together in a sense? That’s where a fitness class may be the answer to maintaining your fitness drive. In a fitness class you have the experience of a fitness instructor bringing you through your paces combined with the comradery of your fellow classmates. Joining these two things together is bound for success.

While fitness classes have major social benefits, they also give you a chance to work other parts of your body in ways you might not otherwise. If you are someone who does a lot of running, then a spin class is another great way to get in your cardio, or if you often lift heavy weights, a more movement-based class like aqua aerobics can help you reap the benefits of your hard work. Not only this but a large amount of people lack motivation due to time constraints and by having no clear direction on their fitness journey, two things a fitness class provides the antidote for as they are short and focussed on specific goals. Whether it’s mixing fitness classes into your fitness routine or just simply attending one every couple of days they can give you a reason to stick to your fitness journey and provide lots of motivation!

10. Take Control of Your Own Fitness Journey

This is a suggestion for more experienced fitness goers. When you’re getting started it’s always a good idea to get guidance from the experts, and while support from the professionals will always be needed no matter how far into your fitness journey you are, once you know your way around the gym or pool it can be nice to take things into your own hands. At the end of the day, you know what exercises work for your body, whether you work out better alone or in a group, what foods make you feel good, and so on. With all that in mind it can be empowering and motivational to create your own fitness regime.

Start with a sheet of paper or an app and create your own fitness programme with exercises and routines you enjoy that have benefits for your body. Make meal plans, pick alternating days for gym and swim, add in some fitness classes, whatever works for you. While having a set routine from professionals is a fantastic support, and can be all you need, if you are lacking that inspiration then building a fitness plan around your own likes and ambitions might be exactly what you need. Once you set up your own fitness routines you are more likely to stick to them, as they will be setting you up for goals you want to achieve, making you more accountable for your success, which again can be massively motivating to keep your fitness journey on track!

Stay Motivated with Aura Leisure

We hope our tips are useful for you and that they help you stay motivated along your fitness journey. At Aura Leisure we provide the opportunity for you to achieve your fitness goals while maintaining motivation throughout. We’ve got something for everyone in terms of our range of memberships, state of the art swimming pools, our variety of fitness classes, personalised fitness programmes, and so much more. Aura Leisure is here to help you every step of the way in your fitness journey, as we strive to build a healthier, happier Ireland!