There are days, weeks, and even months when we don’t feel like working out. Life happens, work happens, deadlines happen, and family matters take precedence. I get it. But what happens when you completely fall off the wagon and need to not only get back to working out but also find a way to improve your motivation? You need to come up with some clever ways to enjoy working out again.
In this article, we are going to look at 10 ways to enjoy working out and improve your motivation so that you can look forward to your workouts, get back on track, and get the results you desire.
Find Something You Enjoy Doing
One of the reasons many people lose motivation and stop working out is because they no longer enjoy working out. You need to find something you actually like if you want to improve your motivation and adhere to an exercise program.
If you’ve been doing CrossFit-type workouts for months and hate them, it’s no wonder you quit. Find something you’re passionate about to enjoy working out again. If building muscle is what you’re after, maybe transition to single body part workouts each day with a “bro split.” Perhaps you could try push/pull styles of workouts. The key is to try different things until you find how you enjoy working out and stick with that.
Train For Something
Why not challenge yourself as one of the clever ways to enjoy working out and help improve your motivation? When you have no goal in mind, things can get pretty boring and stale.
Are you into bodybuilding? Train for a show and jump on stage. Are you into lifting heavy and maxing out? If so, train for strength and go compete in a powerlifting meet. If you want to improve your motivation and enjoy working out, you need a goal, and training for something is a great way to do just that.
Take Progress Photos
You don’t need to be working with a coach to take progress photos. Take them for your own data and comparisons. It’s difficult to see the changes your body makes when they are small and you see yourself on a daily basis. If you see someone you haven’t been around for months, they may be able to see the changes and mention them at first glance, whereas it’s difficult for you to do so without looking at photos.
Take weekly photos or monthly photos, at the least. Pull them up and compare them side-by-side. You’ll find you enjoy working out much more when you improve your motivation after checking your progress photos and seeing results. Photos don’t lie. Do your comparisons, and you may be surprised at just how far you’ve come.
Work Out in Different Gyms
Not everyone has the same disposable income, therefore, this may not be an option for some people where you’re able to have multiple gym memberships. However, if you want to improve your motivation and enjoy working out, change up gyms when things get stale. Or, if you get tired of one gym, cancel your membership and go join a different one.
One of the best ways to enjoy working out is by introducing something new to your workout program. Even changing up machines can make a massive difference due to the angles and pulleys being slightly different. If you’ve ever done a chest press on one brand and then did a chest press using a different brand, you should be able to tell the difference.
Changing things up can keep your workouts fresh but also be a way for you to challenge your muscles differently by using different equipment and hitting the muscles from different angles.
Reward Yourself
Now, before you take this clever way to enjoy working out and put yourself into debt where I get blamed, you need to first understand your expenses and finances. This is not an excuse for you to go out and buy a Lambo because you worked out seven days in a row. Instead, reward yourself in ways that can improve your motivation and allow you to enjoy working out by tying in your reward.
For instance, go get some new workout clothes. Or pick up a new pair of shoes you can wear to the gym. Maybe it’s going out and buying a protein powder that you’ve been eyeing for a long time but didn’t want to spend the money on. Find something that can help you improve your motivation and enjoy working out while also helping you move closer to your end goal.
Speaking of rewarding yourself with protein powder… Have you tried our delicious Classic Whey Protein flavors? Your tastebuds will be shot into orbit with mouthwatering flavors like Banana Cream Pie, Orange Dream, Pistachio Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Jackd Up Ginger Bread, Irish Whiskey Cream, and more! Reward yourself and help support your muscle growth in the process.
Write Down Your Goals
That which gets written down gets worked on. Hold yourself accountable. Think of what goals you want to accomplish and put them down on paper. Look at that piece of paper every day. Think about it. Dream about it. If you want to improve your motivation and enjoy working out, set out to hit your goals. Don’t just put them in your head — things easily slip our minds from time to time, and we lose sight of goals.
But when you write it down and put it on your desk, refrigerator, or dinner table, you see it (multiple times a day). Make the commitment, write it down on paper, and move forward with achieving that goal.
Exercise with a Friend
Misery loves company (just kidding). But seriously, you may enjoy working out with a friend versus by yourself. If someone you know wants to work out or already does by themself, and you can nail down a time to train together, that’s a great way to stay on track with your results and improve your motivation.
You can lean on each other and help hold one another accountable. You’re less likely to find an excuse not to work out when you know you have someone at the gym waiting for you to show up and destroy a training session.
Find the Perfect Trainer
If a workout buddy doesn’t work, find a trainer to work with. The key is to find a trainer that aligns with your goals and knows how to push you. For instance, if you need a drill sergeant to train you and you want them to be hard on you, a delicate and tiny female isn’t going to cut it.
Vet out a few different trainers in your area and find one that you feel comfortable working with. You’re more likely to stick with the program, considering you’re paying the trainer, which can help improve your motivation, and if the personal trainer can get you the results you desire, there’s no reason you wouldn’t enjoy working out with the trainer.
Think of Exercise as Investing in Your Health
You invest in your future through a 401K or some sort of retirement plan, right? What good will that be if you don’t invest in your body and health? You could have all the money in the world, but if you fall ill with a chronic condition, there’s no amount of money out there that can fix many of the conditions out there. You’ll sit on a throne of money, but your quality of life will be horrible.
Start thinking of your health and body like you would your investments. When you think of it that way, you can absolutely improve your motivation. Not only that, but when you invest in your retirement and financial future, you are constantly learning new things, trying new things, and diversifying your funds, right? Your workouts are no different.
If you want to enjoy working out, diversify your workouts, try new things, see what works, and start investing in your health.
Remind Yourself Why You Started in the First Place
It seems so simple, but why did you start? What did you want to accomplish? What were your goals? Remind yourself of why you started in the first place and improve your motivation. You need to enjoy working out if you want to stick with it for the long haul and make this a lifestyle. If you’re doing it simply because someone told you to, you’re going to fail.
Figure out why you wanted to work out back when you first began. What got you started? What made you fall in love with the process? And what changed that is now making you question throwing in the towel?
If you want to enjoy working out and improve your motivation, you need to answer this very question (and fast).
