Gym-goers often have a love/hate relationship with their workouts. We all want to stay fit and healthy, but actually getting ourselves to the gym can be hard.
It takes dedication and consistency to make exercise part of our lives, which is why it is essential to find ways to keep yourself motivated when you start feeling burnt out or unenthusiastic about your fitness routine.
Let’s take a look at what it takes to make consistent visits to the gym part of your regular routine.
Set Realistic Goals
One of the most important aspects of staying consistent is setting realistic goals that you can actually achieve. The more achievable and specific a goal is, the more likely you are to reach it. Think about what kind of results you would like to see and how long it would take to get there, and plan accordingly.
That way, when you hit those goals, it’s an added motivation boost to keep going. For instance, if you are looking to lose weight, set goals for yourself, such as “I will eat healthier meals” or “I will complete 30 minutes of cardio each day.”
Create an Exercise Plan
An exercise plan helps keep your workouts organized and allows you to focus on achieving your goals. It also helps with consistency because it gives you something concrete to follow that is tailored specifically to your needs. You can create an individualized plan based on what type of exercises you want to do each day, how many sets and reps should be done for each exercise, and any other specifics related to proper form or technique.
Mix Up Your Workouts
Staying consistent also means keeping your workouts fresh by mixing up your routine every now and then.
Try different exercises, add new moves, change up rep ranges, or even switch up which days of the week you work certain body parts so that your body continues adapting in new ways over time. This will help prevent boredom while also keeping things interesting so that you don’t become complacent with your workouts.
Find an Accountability Partner
Having someone else who holds us accountable for going to the gym makes all the difference – even if it is just texting each other ‘Good luck!’ before heading out for a workout session, having a support system helps foster consistency and builds lasting habits that are beneficial for both mental and physical health.
Track Your Progress
One of the best ways to keep up the momentum and stay motivated is by tracking your progress. Keep a journal or use apps that allow you to log your workouts so that you can look back at how far you’ve come and celebrate small victories along the way. This visual representation of your hard work will help motivate you when it comes time to hit the gym.
Reward Yourself
Rewarding yourself after reaching certain milestones is one way to stay motivated consistently. Whether it is buying yourself a new piece of gym equipment, trying your luck at Everygame Poker, or treating yourself to a cheat meal after hitting a major milestone in progress, rewarding yourself helps keep motivation levels high when times get tough.
Just make sure that whatever reward you choose doesn’t undo all the hard work put into reaching those goals in the first place.
Push Yourself
There are days you will just not feel like working out, and that’s okay. But don’t let those days become the norm – instead, push yourself to go even when you do not feel like it.
You probably have heard about “Never miss a Monday,” and true enough, if you don’t make it a habit to stay consistent even on the days when you are feeling unmotivated, eventually, it will become easier to skip workouts altogether.
Find the right personal trainer
While some people do great on their own, many people find that hiring a personal trainer is the best way to stay consistent. A good trainer will be able to give you personalized advice and guidance tailored specifically to your goals.
Plus, having someone else help keep an eye on your progress helps ensure consistency in your workouts, as they can provide much-needed motivation when times get tough.
Have Fun
Above all, make sure to enjoy yourself while working out. Doing something you love gives you an extra boost of motivation and will help keep consistency in your workouts.
So find a style of exercise that works for you and have some fun with it – the more enjoyable it is, the easier it will be to stay consistent. Music is also a great way to keep things both energizing and enjoyable, so don’t be afraid to put together some eye-opening playlists for yourself.
Take Away
You can only see results from your workouts by staying consistent. The only way to stay consistent is to keep up motivation levels, mix up workouts, find an accountability partner, track your progress, hire a personal trainer (if necessary), push yourself even when it’s hard, and have fun while doing it.
