Bad Habits That Kill Your Workout Motivation
We all know the exercise has a lot of physical and mental benefits. But there are times when it is just hard to feel motivated to get out of bed and put on our running shoes and go to the gym or go for a run. It could be because we feel stressed, or tired, or just had a bad week. And there are times when we are the one sabotaging our own progress by doing things that kill our motivation.
To help you stay motivated, here’s a list of bad habits that may be killing your motivation and ideas on how to get rid of them.
1. Not setting realistic goals.
If you have a goal of, let’s say, running your first marathon next month, and you have never participated on a race, there is a big chance you will get hurt. Instead, have a more realistic goal that you can achieve.
Instead of trying to run a long-distance race like a marathon, how about training to run your first 5k a couple of months from today. That is a more achievable goal, and with the proper training, it is something many people can do.
2. Doing the same thing all the time
If you enjoy lifting weights and all you do is the same exercises over and over, you probably are going to get bored soon and do little to no progress.
Yes, there are some essential workouts we all should probably do. Exercises like squats, push-ups, and pull-up, just to name a few, should be part of your basic training. But every now and then take time to explore new routines or types of exercises. Things like yoga, or swimming can help you stay motivated on your fitness journey.
3. Doing long workout sessions just because
There are times when you may need to do long workout sessions, especially if you are training for an endurance events like marathons or other types of endurance events. But if you spend more than 45 minutes on a workout session at the gym, just because, it may be time to rethink your strategy.
Plan your workouts ahead and stay focused. Instead of going from one end of the gym to the other to find a spot you like, find a spot where you can make best use of your time.
4. Not challenging yourself
Being part of a fitness challenge can be a great way to help you stay motivated. Most probably your gym or fitness community are creating them all year long and you can join by yourself or with your friends and have fun in the process.
5. Not being a part of a community
You may be the kind of person who enjoys working out by herself, but there are times when being part of a community can help to stay in focus.
A fitness community could be a couple of close friends who workout at the local gym or run together, or a virtual community life a Facebook group.
6. Not knowing where you are going
If you exercise just for the sake of exercising, it is easy to get discouraged because you don’t know whether or not you are doing any progress. Even if you are in optimal health and see exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle, goals can help stay motivated.
One easy solution is to set appropriate goals and keep track of you progress. You can use a notepad, a calendar on a wall, or an app on your phone to keep track of your activities. It will help stay focused and motivated during your journey.
7. Working out in the same place all the time
Yes, the gym may have all you need to do your workouts, but an outdoor run at your local park or going on a hike will work wonders to break the monotony. Whenever you have chance, move your workouts to a new location.
8. Lack of goals.
Without good goals, it is easy to lose focus and motivation. That is way setting smart goals is important. Make sure your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and have time frame.
For example, if 3 months from today you want to run a fun race like a 5k in your community, that can be a smart goal for many of us.
9. Thinking fitness is only for the gym
Many people get easily discouraged for their lack of progress because they think fitness is only for the gym. If you make fitness and exercise a part of your daily life, it becomes easier to keep working on those goals you have created for yourself. Find ways to make fitness and movement part of your day. It doesn’t have to be a lot. Walking more, using the stairs instead of the elevator, moving around regularly when you are at work. It all helps to keep the motivation strong.
10. Focusing on the difficulties
Instead of focusing on how hard it is to make type to workout, focus on the benefits you will get by living a fit life. We all know that making exercise part of our day brings lots of physical and mental benefits. From better sleep to having more energy and building stronger bones and muscles, there is a lot to gain by making exercise part of our life.
