What To Do When You Lose Motivation To Workout
Motivation is a fickle thing. When we have it, we scream from the rooftops about it and inspire others to do the same. A moment later, without explanation, it can be lost. This is something that every athlete faces at some point, and the good news is that we can always get it back.
Recently I went through a period where I completely lost my motivation. I didn’t want to run, ride my bike, do strength training, or do basically any of my usual activities. Read on for some of the steps I took to get my motivation back.
1. Schedule a Break
When I start to lose motivation, it is usually because I am feeling overwhelmed or beginning to burn out. Does this sound like you, too? We set expectations for ourselves to do so many things all at once, and it can feel discouraging when we let some of those things slip. Missing one run or skipping one gym session is no big deal, but when it starts happening repeatedly, I always try to take a step back.
Instead of feeling guilty about my lack of dedication, I accept that I need a break. I will give myself one week where I can skip all of the things, guilt-free. It almost feels like a vacation from responsibility. It is a time to reset and regain control.
By the end of that week, I am usually able regroup and get back into my routine of crushing goals.
2. Reset Your Goals
Setting goals is an important aspect of maintaining motivation. We can go through our days working our butts off, but it becomes difficult to keep the momentum going if we are not working towards something specific. More importantly, setting the right goals is integral to achieving them.
Life happens, priorities change, and we need to learn to adapt. The goals you had a year ago may not apply anymore. Towards the end of my scheduled break from responsibility, I usually take some time to reassess my goals and what I need to do to achieve them. Is there a race I am training for? Am I trying to just maintain my fitness?
When I sprained my ankle in the spring, I had loads of time to ride my bike and do strength training. As I started to recover, I was able to run more and more. I was trying to still maintain my old workout schedule: biking, strength training, and running. Eventually I realized that was not possible to juggle all of these things and I had to reset my goals.
3. Do Something Different
Routine has its benefits, but it can become tedious. If you are not loving what you are doing, it may be contributing to your loss of motivation. If this is the case, change is in order!
Let’s say you have been spending a lot of time at the gym and you are not enjoying yourself. Instead of forcing yourself to go (or feeling guilty for not showing up), try switching it up. Do some workout videos at home, or go for a hike or doing something outdoors. Anything to reignite that desire you had to move.
I used to force myself to go to a yoga class every week, and it felt like a chore. Eventually I came to terms with the fact that I am not a big fan of yoga. Instead of continuing to fight with myself about it, I just started doing short stretching sessions at home. I am much happier with this change.
4. Focus on How You Feel
This last trick can be tricky, but I think it is important. Many people set goals based on being faster, or being able to do a certain number of push-ups, or being a certain size. Chasing numbers takes a mental toll, and if you are not hitting those goals it can feel very discouraging. You might feel like giving up.
Exercise can have a variety of positive benefits if you let it. It can improve mental health, self-esteem, mood, your ability to focus. And these are all benefits that cannot be quantified.
The next time you finish a workout, ignore your watch. Just take deep breath and focus on how you feel. Do you feel good? Do you feel less stressed? Do you feel empowered? Hone in on that feeling. Make that feeling your goal.
If you are lacking motivation, remember to be kind to yourself. You are not failing; you may just need a little break or a shift in focus. Our bodies and brains were not built to go go go every minute of our lives. And I am done with feeling guilty for not doing things I do not want to do. Sometimes we just need to take a step back, regroup, then get back out there.