By Michael Browne, Echelon Instructor.

Why Losing Workout Motivation Is Completely Normal

We have all been there. Start a routine, workouts are going well for a good while, have fun sharing sessions with friends throughout the week and look forward to that one class each week more than any other. Then BOOM! It hits you like a ton of bricks.

Very little interest to keep the routine going, feels like a burden, rather be alone more often than not and that one class you look forward to you now dread. What happened you ask yourself? Nothing happened. You are human. We are human, but we need to get back to that good groove of the workout routine we created and if, no when, this happens again, be prepared with the tools at hand to keep ourselves motivated when it starts to lack again.

Those tools are to remember your why, track your progress, use accountability partners, prioritize habits over motivation and use the “two-day rule”. Let’s explore each one.

5 Proven Ways to Stay Motivated and Consistent With Your Fitness Routine

Remember Your “Why” Behind Your Fitness Journey

The reasons are vast and many. Increase energy, improve sleep, change health markers for the long term, gain weight, lose weight and many other things. The why is always evolving and sometimes we gather more why’s along the way. Which is ok and normal, but they can begin to cloud and crowd what was “your why”. Because of this,our motivation to workout can start to slow down. We get lost in all the sauce if you will. When it does, go back to what guided you to begin a workout routine to start.

If you started out with a long list of why you started, try to narrow down to a top three. Now this isn’t to say the other items are not important on your list. They are important, but we need to keep focus on what will really move the needle forward in our fitness journey and to maintain the motivation in it with working out. Once we attain one or all top three items, they become a part of our fitness make up, our “fitness DNA”. We can then change out our top three and move the next items up to have a new focus. Which will naturally make things fresh and brand new like it was when we first started with our original top three goals of remembering your why.

Track Your Fitness Progress to Maintain Motivation

A big part to remember your why is to track your progress. Keeping track of fitness habits, workouts, timing, weights, etc helps tremendously. Some like to keep it old school and use a fitness journal to track daily, weekly and monthly progress. Others are up with the times and use fitness apps to see and be celebrated how far you have come with milestones attained and more to gain. 

It is good to have a combination of them both, analog and digital recording, to keep a well rounded tracking approach. In addition, a fitness calendar can also help as well. For instances to notate health markers like improved blood sugar levels over the last three months. Weight loss or gain in its totality beyond just weight, but muscle mass, hydration levels and body fat on pre-planned dates throughout the year. Or that big time fitness event where gathering with other like minded people is set, bringing all the progress news to share and build more momentum not only for you, but for others

Use Accountability Partners to Stay Consistent

Now we all know that a workout routine, a good sweat or going into a class hits different when you have that buddy joining in with you. It is a non-negotiable once you find that partner to tackle all the classes and workouts towards that good sweat. Over time, our partner adds even more to the equation, accountability.

When we may not want to attend a class, do a workout or even the simple task of going for a walk to get our steps for the day. Our workout partner will tighten us up and let us know that it is in our best interest to get the task done as we will feel better for it in the end.

How do we go about finding an accountability partner? Well there are many ways, but usually they are in the classes we attend, notice they share similar style as us in attire, motivate us to try different classes from the one you meet them in and before you know it you are talking to each other on social media, have exchanged numbers and planning an in person meet up!

That is the beauty of this Echelon community and the uniqueness it has. Our squad grows with more like-minded individuals becoming a group and before we know it a team! Remember to always have that person that keeps you grounded and has the same interests/goals as you. The crew is fun, but what keeps us focused is that one or two people that keeps us going. Vice versa for them too!

Prioritize Habits Over Motivation for Long-Term Success

We have remembered our why. Tracking progress hasn’t been missed. Your accountability partners are more than dialed in, but motivation is still lacking. What gives? Our habits could be the issue. When was the last time we had systems, creating habits that lead to success and build discipline? The discipline no matter the motivation down and out, it motivates us to keep to our workout routine.

Some great advice to prioritize habits over motivation are;

• Prepare Ahead - lay out workout clothes or pack your gym bag the night before to reduce friction. For me, my gym bag stays packed with two pairs of shoes, all workout tools and the most important thing if in the gym solo. Ear buds! They are vital for good music or a solid podcast.

• Schedule It - treat workouts line an unmissable appointment by marking them on your calendar. I literally have on my calendar the specific time I plan to workout day to day. Some days it changes due to the nature of my profession, but it will happen because I have set aside time for it to happen.

• Reduce Intensity/Duration - when motivation is low, do a shorter, lighter or “better-than-nothing” workout rather than skipping. In my younger years this was tough to do. You know that mentality of dropping intensity or duration was taking the easy way out. Well with wisdom we learn that is not the case and if anything it is the best way to stay on point!

• Use Visual Cues - place your gear where you can see it or set an alarm for a specific time. My gym bag is in my vehicle Monday thru Wednesday. Take it out Thursday to air out, clean and change out anything if needed. Back in the vehicle Friday and Saturday. When it is in the house it is right next to my television in the man cave. As crazy as it sounds, it matters. When you would rather skip, you look in the back and there is your bag. Gotta go get this work in!
  

Apply the Two-Day Rule to Avoid Burnout

This is last for a reason. We have exhausted all options. Even ones not listed in this blog, but are shared from other areas like adjusting mindset, keeping workouts engaging, changing workouts by mixing them up, embracing the benefits of exercise and more! Nothing is working and you feel like you are going to lose it. Well before you do, take a day away from the usual workout routine.

What to Do When Workout Motivation Still Hasn’t Returned

If you are to this point, more than likely you have realized it is more than just motivation. It is discipline that gets us through our workout routine. Even then discipline begins to fade and that is fine. In fact it is normal. Most of us want a change in workouts. And it works, until it doesn’t anymore. So make the real change and take a day away from working out.

Go play a sport you haven’t played in a while instead. Or even learn one like tennis, pickleball or golf. This isn’t a workout per say, but no doubt staying active. If the next day the discipline and motivation has returned, great! If it still hasn’t, that is ok too. Truly take an off day when it is supposed to be a workout day. Schedule a massage, read a book or go out to eat with friends. Do something to get away from what is bogging you down. May discover answers in other places to get you back on track. Try to avoid more than two days from any movement if possible while figuring out finding that mojo motivation and discipline again.

Final Thoughts: Building Discipline and Staying Motivated for Life

If two days haven't helped taking a step away from your workout routine, we have to re-evaluate our plan, our why. Remembering our why or maybe adjusting them as we have new and updated why’s. Have we been staying diligent with tracking progress? Some items will stay constant, but if some of our why’s changes, so will how we track our progress to our goals to attain and/or maintain our why as well.

Accountability partners are great and some last forever. And maybe they don’t. But like above things can change. Which just means we get to broaden our horizons and potentially add more to our squad! Prioritizing habits can be tough when the workout threads are old and dingy. Buying some new kicks, shorts or shirts can do the trick! Use a different colorway on your calendar or change the location of where it is located in your home/office.

We all have ways to stay motivated and I have been in the fitness industry, habit, routine, business and hobby or what have you for 20 years. I’ve lost motivation, that is for sure. What I have shared with you all in this blog, I have done over and over again and I have no doubt it will help you stay motivated and build discipline to continue your fitness journey!