Hi babes! It’s Tuesday and I’m back at it with another healthy lifestyle post on motivation. This month we are focusing on getting back on track with our goals and the biggest obstacle of this is MOTIVATION. Staying motivated to get into the gym or work out every day is probably the biggest battle. Once you get there you’ve already won. I’m not the best at getting myself to the gym every day.
Within the past month, especially, I didn’t want to go. I had a hard time after the loss of my cat and getting discouraged with my job search. Going to the gym was the last thing I wanted to do.
Here’s a few tips on what I do when I’m not feeling motivated:
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Cute athletic wear
This one is a biggie! We all know that having a new wardrobe is a big motivator to get back at it. I love wearing cute outfits and the gym is no exception. All those mirrors at the gym are just staring back at me, so I better be looking cute. New + cute is a winning combo for feeling happy and confident aaaaaand ready to go to the gym.
Functionality and quality is also just as important to me as style. The fit and feel of athletic clothes is much more important than any other type of clothing and a lot of factors affect the quality of a piece. Material, fit, stretch, transparency and shape are just a few things I look at when finding athletic wear. If I love to move around in a piece, I’m going to love working out in it.
Recently, I’ve been having a love affair with Gymshark. It’s a pretty toxic relationship (for my wallet) that takes a lot (of money) from me. They just keep releasing new collection after new collection that sells out instantly and I know if I don’t snatch them up I regret it later {let me know in the comments if you want me to talk about my favorites and which pieces I have}.
I spend the majority of my life in athleisure clothes, so I find higher value in buying comfy clothes than anything else. I’ll be wearing these outfits whether I’m headed to the gym or not. I’m also more likely to head into the gym if I’m already dressed to go.
A few of my other favorites are Lululemon, adidas, Nike and Victoria’s Secret Sport.
Some other good ones (that I don’t have yet) are Neu Apparel, Saski Collection and Cleo Harper.
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A fit buddy
Oh boy oh boy this one is so important to me. Having a buddy to go to the gym with has always kept me in check. Whenever I have had plans to workout with someone I will either feel bad cancelling or if I do try to cancel, they will call me out on my BS.
Currently, my buddy is Danny and I don’t feel bad cancelling on him because he will go and enjoy himself no matter what, so he has to call me out or convince me to go if I’m trying to back out. Get someone to shame you into going. 9 times out of 10 it works for me. He also drives me to the gym when we go, so I really don’t have a reason to skip.
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New workouts + workout videos
Something that really helped me get back into the gym was fitness YouTubers. Having a video to set you up for a workout and go through each movement really helps, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. I wasn’t new to working out or lifting, but I used these videos to give me ideas of different lifts and cardio workouts to try {my favorites are Whitney Simmons, Nikki Blackketter, Robin Gallant, Cristina Capron and Lauren Simpson}.
I get so bored doing the same workouts every time so I like to mix it up and try new things frequently. If I’m feeling especially icky about going to the gym that day, I look up a few videos for inspiration and then all of a sudden I have a new excitement to get up and go.
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Workouts I actually like doing
Playing off that last one, you must actually like what you’re doing at the gym. If you don’t like your workout routine, you’re definitely not going to want to do it. There are so many workouts out there: yoga, crossfit, power lifting, cardio, mixed fitness classes, biking, swimming, etc. You can even mix a few. Just find something you like to do and the passion will bring the results. Decide what works for you!
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Tracking
Using an Apple Watch to track my calories has been life changing. I just joined the Apple Watch fam in January and it has revolutionized the way I work out. Having the rings to show me what days I’ve worked out and NOT worked out gives me the ass kicking I need to get to the gym.
Looking at my rings for the month I can clearly tell which days I haven’t put in the work that I should have. It’s easy to say, “I haven’t really gone to the gym as much as I should,” when you don’t have a record of the days you actually skipped. The Apple Watch is here to say, “Well, Jessica, you actually only went to the gym once this month.” And now I know I need to make more of an effort.
Relating to my last post, measuring progress is essential to keeping your goals long term.
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Music
This one is kind of obvious. Having a great playlist to workout to is essential!
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Planning workouts ahead of time
Having a plan to work out means less chance of impulsive decisions, like skipping the gym. Committing to a routine makes it easier to stick to. As humans, we seek a sense of structure and order. An intentional routine builds good habits and provides that structure.
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Having a reason to work out
Planning a special occasion like a vacation or wedding is great motivation to get yourself into the gym. You have a reason to get in shape and an end date to make it happen by.
If you don’t have a special occasion, you can give yourself one. Get yourself into shape for summer. Or sign up for a 5K race. You can find any reason to get into the gym, but almost none not to.
Above everything, don’t beat yourself up if you really aren’t feeling it. We all have bad days or bad months. Just make an effort to get back into it when you’re ready.
I hope you enjoyed reading and thank you so so much for being here! Please let me know in the comments what you do when you need workout motivation.
Blue outfit from Gymshark | Jacket from Lululemon | Scrunchie from Lululemon | Shoes from Converse
xoxo Jess
