Losing motivation to workout? You’re not alone.
Here’s some of the easy ways I’ve been motivating myself to move more when it’s the last thing I want to do!
– AD | Sponsored blog post with Myprotein –
Let’s be honest, finding the motivation to workout is hard at the best of times when it’s not part of your every day routine. We all know we should be moving more, and most of the time when we do it feels great! But sometimes it’s that initial spark that gets you off the sofa and using that wonderful body of yours that’s hard to find.
I’ve recently been trying out some low impact and most of all FUN ways to get my body moving at home. Both for the physical benefits of not being out of breath walking up the stairs(!), but also for the mental benefits too of helping me sleep and feel a lot less anxious. I’ve been calling it ‘my exercise for people who know they should be exercising but don’t really want to’...not the most catchy blog title but you get the gist!
Hopefully these tips will help you if you’re also losing motivation to workout and want to be a bit healthier without being too intimidating to start!
What to Do When You’re Losing Motivation to Workout
…Tips from one exercise avoider to another!
First we’re going to take a look at my top 2 tips to help you find your motivation and make movement happen. Then we’ll get into the activities and things I’ve been using to help me get more active at home!
Tip 1: Put Your Gym Gear ON!
I pick my gymwear based on how confident it makes me feel, how comfortable it is and how nice it looks so I can happily just lounge around in it and be ready to go if the urge to move strikes!
Getting changed into your gymwear is just another opportunity for your brain to say ‘actually, I can’t be bothered with this’….so take away that extra step and start the day ready to exercise leggings and all!
Let’s face it though, there’s nothing more depressing than trying to squeeze yourself into your gym leggings that no longer fit, so make sure you have some nice gear that makes you feel confident when you put it on. Don’t worry about it ‘being a waste if you’re going to lose weight soon’. Spoil the current you and show them a bit of love and respect because we all know that hating or shaming ourselves into change never works!
I get most of my workout gear from Myprotein – these leggings are my absolute FAVOURITE – because I’ve found they last super well. I’ve got workout clothes in size medium from when I was at the gym a lot pre-2020 AND I’ve also got some in size large for where i’m at now…and I don’t feel bad about that one bit! If I really get back into my fitness and end up losing weight then that’s fine, but if I don’t change size with my new activity that’s ok too and I’ll still be comfortable and feeling fab in my gym gear!
If you feel good in your active wear then you’re more likely to want to wear it and then in turn more likely to move that beautiful body of yours!
These are my new Myprotein Curve Leggings and Crop Top –
I LOVE the olive green colour and this crop top makes me feel like a boss!
Never underestimate the power of feeling confident in your clothes and the knock on affect that can have.
Grab free next day delivery for 3 months if you’re a new Myprotein customer spending £35 or more – Just use my code: AMELIA-R1IV at checkout!
TIP 2: The Catalyst Moment
Roughly speaking, we have around 90 seconds from a thought popping into our head until our mind starts to reason with it and motivation drops.
This is your catalyst moment.
So if the urge to move pops into your mind – STAND UP – take that moment and run with it before your brain starts putting on the brakes! Give yourself a 3-2-1 countdown (out loud or in your head) and when you reach 0 it’s time to move!
We often think we don’t have any motivation for these things but it is there. We just have to allow ourselves to go with it when it appears!
Make a pact to implement these two simple tips and the rest will be a LOT easier, I promise!
Don’t forget your water bottle…
Have you drunk enough water today? Here’s your friendly reminder!
Exercise for People Who Don’t Like Exercise
Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt personally victimised by burpees.
High intensity full on home workouts just aren’t for everyone. Whether you find them intimidating, can’t do them due to mobility, fitness or space issues or quite frankly find them abhorrently boring – I get you.
What I’ve come to realise recently is that not all types of exercise are right for everyone. Some people love seeing how many bicycle crunches they can do in a minute, some people would rather lick the pavement. And while I did find quite a clever hack that helped me to actually enjoy jogging last year (yes, really), recently I can barely find the motivation to change into jogging bottoms let alone GO on a jog.
There IS a form of exercise out there to suit you – you just have to find it!
Pre-2020 when the word shut down, I loved playing badminton with my local club. The hour would fly by and I would be so wrapped up in the game that I’d forget I was even exercising (although I certainly knew about it the next day!). So I decided that home workouts I did would have to be FUN for me to keep them up.
If it’s fun then there’s less chance of you losing motivation to workout right? And considering I spend the majority of my day doing my best potato impression on the sofa, ANY movement would be an improvement!
Try a Dance Workout!
These are a blooming revolution! So much fun and they really get your heart rate pumping!
If you need a bit of inspiration there’s so many free dance classes on youtube to choose from – some of my faves are the African Dance Workouts and anything set to a musical soundtrack! Some of the youtube dance parties will try and sneak in a crafty squat or two, but they’re so relaxed and fun you just don’t care! You know what they say – dance like no-body is watching!
If you don’t want to follow a workout then pop on your fave playlist and just shimmy round the kitchen! My faves for a solo dance party are the Pitch Perfect Soundtrack and the Bloom From the Darkness Feel ‘You’ve Got This – Motvational Beats’ playlist!
Walk at Home
Is the weather outside putting you off your daily walk? Another home workout phenomenon I’ve come across is the walk at home series on Youtube. Yeah, it’s cheesy and I’ve never seen so many smiley people marching on one spot, but there’s no denying these retro-esque videos are addictivly cheerful and 15 minutes completely whizzes by!
You have to try one of these – it’s a strange experience but you just can’t help but smile and they’re a fab way to get some steps in without any scary burpees!
EXTRA TIP: Sometimes I’ll use my resistance bands while i’m walking on the spot or dancing for an added challenge on my upper body. It’s SO easy but you feel it working the next day that’s for sure!
Stretching and Yoga
I have a love hate relationship with Yoga. I really WANT to like it but sometimes it feels incredibly intimidating. In this blog post (3 ways to workout at home for beginners) I talk about a wonderful beginner friendly Youtube channel that really helped ease me into the world of yoga and it’s well worth checking out. For me I find that any hip opening poses work wonders for my body and they feel quite natural for me to get into unlike the advanced and rather daunting downward crow lotus pretzel poses you see all over instagram!
Beginners yoga is a fab way to use your body in a gentle way and also incorporate some mindfulness in your day.
But sometimes all we need is a good old stretch! I didn’t realise until I did a Calm App stretch session recently just how much I needed it and how amazing I felt after something as simple as stretching. So if you don’t feel quite ready to try a full on yoga flow then even googling some simple stretches or checking out the calm app for some guided meditations and gentle stretching can work wonders.
I paid for the a year’s subscription on the clam app and thier daily mindfulness reminders, stretching sessions and sleep stories have made it SO worth it. I’d highly recommend taking up their free trial and giving it a whirl!
– Grab a yoga mat for extra support –
Anyone elses dog ALWAYS have to get involved if people sit or lie on the floor?! They’re like ‘Oh hey human, what you doing down here on my level?!
Skipping!
Remember how much fun that was at school?! Skipping ropes are such an easy way to get some cardio in at home. They’re cheap to buy, take up no room and you can just grab it and go! I use mine in our garden with my favourite tunes in my headphones and I’m off – if you don’t have a garden you can take one to your local park and have a skip session. I like skipping because you don’t have to think too hard about it – you can switch off your brain and the repetitive whipping of the rope is kind of soothing in a way…if you can hear it over my heavy breathing!
I set myself goals to skip for one song, or skip during the verses and have a rest during the chorus – 15 minutes soon whizzes by, I love it!
Hoola hoops are also a good one too…but a little more tricky to put in a drawer when you’re done!
Hey, how cosy is this Hoody + Jogger combo?! It’s got a towel-like lining so it’s just the best for throwing on after you’ve been jiggling around. My new fave lounge wear for sure.
Pre & Post Workout Support
I always find that my aches and pains the day after I’ve exercised are a lot less when I’ve got enough protein in my diet. Protein basically helps the body heal and it’s really important – read more on it in this post here!
Protein can be a tricky one to fit into your daily diet, especially if you’re not in the hardcore gym crew. So I’ve found this Clear Whey from Myprotein to be invaluable for helping me top up. It’s a powder you dissolve in water and it just tastes like diluting juice/cordial/squash (whatever you call it in your part of the world!). Really easy to drink and it helps me to get an extra 500ml of liquid down in the AM which is where I struggle to just drink plain water. It’s a fab alternative to the heavy creamy shakes and my fave flavour is the cranberry & raspberry!
Or if you fancy something to nibble on instead, then they also do an awesome range of protein cookies, brownies and bars that taste delicious. My faves are their dark chocolate and sea salt bars if I’m having a coffee, these chocolate cookies if i’m having a cup of tea or their new salted caramel cereal bars in the morning!
Every little helps in the protein department. These are just easy ways to help support your nutrition without needed to meal prep or eat turkey, broccoli and rice for every meal!
And Finally…
Gratitude
This final tip is probably one of the most helpful new habits I’ve picked up recently, and that’s active gratitude.
After I’ve moved my body – whether that’s a 10 minute skipping session, a 30 minute bedroom dance party, or a 5 minute stretch – I like to have a cup of tea and a protein bar in my comfies and take a minute while the kettle is boiling to thank my body.
I find it way too easy to chastise myself and always feel like I could have done more when i’m losing motivation to workout, so taking this time to say thank you to my body for enabling me to have that movement is a game changer. Giving myself a few deep breathes and a metaphorical pat on the back while the kettle is doing its thing has become so important for me to help celebrate my achievements no matter how big or small.
I really hope this post helps if you too are losing motivation to workout. You’re certainly not alone. You don’t have to do a million burpees a day to see and feel real physical and emotional benefits from a bit of movement.
I’d love to know if you implement any of these tips – leave me a comment below or drop me a message over on instagram @xameliax!
Tag me in your next solo dance party on instagram stories!
Looking for some motivational quotes to stick on your fridge and help remind you to move?
I’ve got a list of 100 motivational movement quotes right here to help you keep striving towards those goals – take your pick!
PIN THIS POST FOR FITNESS MOTIVATION!
– Losing motivation to workout: How to Get Your Body Moving When You’ve Got NO Motivation! was written by xameliax in February 2021 –