Are you looking to motivate yourself to workout but don’t have the energy to even move? Here are 8 powerful tips that can give you the boost you need to get moving.
Nobody can deny that you’re the master of your own life. You can do anything you put your mind to. You’re the star of your own life. Nothing can stop you. You’re awesome. Period.
But you know what isn’t awesome?
A rut.
And do you know what’s even worse than that?
A physical rut! The one that turns your workout plans to dust and leaves you struggling to figure out why you can’t get your body to move.
If you’ve been running low on energy lately, I want you to know you’re not alone. There are people out there rowing in similar boats. I wish it wasn’t this way, but sadly, it is.
Life is so complicated, that one thing after another gets in the way, and makes it hard for us to muster up the strength to exercise regularly.
So, can we do something about this? Can we somehow magically transform our lack of inspiration into a robust form of power, and start working out like beasts?
If there was a magic potion to get to that point, I’d rain it down upon you. But since I can’t do that, I’ll share with you 8 tips that ALWAYS help me get out of MY physical ruts.
But before getting started, it’s important to power up our motivation by reaffirming the importance of workouts.
Importance of Workouts In Your Everyday Life
Regular exercise has many health benefits. You might know already that regular exercise is good for your heart, lungs, and basically every part of your body.
But a workout routine goes way beyond having just bodily benefits. It can have a super-positive effect on your spirit and change the way you see yourself and the world.
A good workout session can bring those values to your life, that no other habit or anything materialistic could ever give you.
Regular Workouts Can Change Your Personality For The Better
This is not an exaggeration. If you manage to form a habit of exercising regularly, you’d see massive changes in your life.
I prioritize my workouts over every other part of my day because it gives me three important things: Strength, confidence, and stress reduction.
I am going to briefly touch upon each of these precious benefits.
Workouts Make You Stronger
I felt the full force of this the first time I ran to catch a train. Normally, I’d just let it pass and wait for the next one to come.
But I’d been exercising regularly for about four months, and this time, I didn’t hesitate a second before sprinting to catch the train in time.
It surprised me just how easy it was for me to do that when earlier it wouldn’t have been.
And that was when I confirmed to myself, that YES, sweating off during exercise does make you strong.
And in this world where you never know when you might need to play catch-up, it’s always good to stock up on some good strength.
If You Workout Regularly, Your Confidence Skyrockets
Workouts increase your strength.
And the added strength comes with a plethora of advantages, including a ton of confidence. If you think about this, it’s quite clear to see where this confidence comes from.
It’s not easy choosing to make your body sweat every day. It takes endurance and a lot of patience.
After every sweat-inducing workout, you step out of your shoes feeling stronger and more confident.
This hard-earned confidence lasts for hours, and you recharge by choosing to workout again the next day (or the day next to that, because you do need rest, of course.)
Workouts Reduce Stress, And Who Doesn’t Want That?
Exercise reduces stress-inducing hormones, and thus, is a great way to get to a calmer state of mind. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, which ultimately help you relax.
Also, wouldn’t you agree that exercise acts as a sort of meditation too?
During an exercise, all of your attention narrows down to your body’s movements, leaving little to no space for other thoughts.
When you’re doing crunches or even the good old jumping jacks, it’s hard to mind the pesky stress that had been bugging your mind just an hour ago.
I say yay to that because seriously, I am always in dire need to relieve stress.
There is too much noise around us all the time, and I love that I tune all of it out when I’m working out.
Okay, so now we’re clear on why exactly we should put in efforts to exercise every day. Time to move on to my tips on how to motivate yourself to workout.
(Number 3 is my favorite, so make sure to turn on your hawk eye when you get to it.)
Let’s dive in! 😀
How To Motivate Yourself To Workout When You’re Stuck In A Rut (8 Tips)
1. Write It Down
This is the simplest tip I can give you to motivate yourself to workout.
Setting your intentions beforehand is a crucial part of getting out of a rut.
You need to start writing your workout plan for the day, along with the time when you’ll do it.
I recommend using a daily planner for this purpose. It doesn’t even have to be a complicated one. It’s alright if over-planning isn’t your thing. It isn’t mine either.
But exercising is going to be just one part of your day. You’ll likely have other things planned too.
It’s super convenient if you write everything down in a well-kept planner. The motivation that comes from this often sees itself through till the end.
If investing in a planner for every task doesn’t sound like you, and you just want to be focusing on getting your workouts done, then use a random piece of paper.
Or start your personal workout notebook where you plan your workout in advance. If you have a writing board in your room, that would work well too.
Giving words to your plans is mostly a guaranteed victory. You hold yourself accountable to achieve the task this way and are more likely to finish it.
2. Start With A Low-Intensity Workout
If you’ve been stuck in a physical rut for some time now, it isn’t a good idea to attempt breaking it with a high-intensity workout.
I get the appeal to start off in a full-on workout mode, but here’s why that likely won’t work for you.
Firstly, you might wake up in the morning thinking you’re going to do that one-hour Pilates workout from youtube you’ve got saved in your playlist since forever.
You feel pumped about doing it for a few hours, but then noon rolls around and your motivation might start withering.
Now you just feel tired, and wonder if it’s really a good idea. Soon, it’s time to work out, but now you don’t feel like doing it anymore.
See what just happened?
You set such a mammoth goal for yourself on day 1, that your mind wore itself out before it was time to act.
For the sake of keeping an open mind, let us assume you somehow drag yourself to your workout spot, and hit play on the workout.
But again, there’s a good chance you won’t be able to finish it because you’re not physically prepared for a heavy workout yet.
Your body needs time to adjust to new movements, and getting back to exercise needs to be a gentle task.
Don’t try to reach the top of the mountain in one jump. You know that’s a pipe dream. Instead start small, and build high.
Here is my favorite low-impact workout. I like to call it my get-out-of-a-rut workout. 😉
3. Add Good Workout Clothes To Your Wardrobe
It’s true that when you’re pumped about working your fitness, how you dress up won’t really matter.
Your motivation is so high that nothing can stop you. Not even ratty old gym clothes that you absolutely love because of how comfortable they are.
But since we’re talking about being in a physical rut here, you need every bit of inspiration you can find to make yourself work out. And clothes are an integral part of your workout routine.
Power up your motivation by buying workout clothes that speak to you. Like, pick something that blends with your taste. Or try a new style that you’ve been hesitant to put your hands on.
You’re trying to get fit here, so act like it by making bold or cute choices, whatever works for you.
How you dress up is an expression in itself, so make sure your choices speak to you (ratty gym clothes included if that’s what makes you feel good.)
The truth is you’re awesome the way you are, as we’ve already established.
But to be able to feel that awesomeness for yourself, you need to reflect it on your skin. So that when you’re sweating it out, you feel the power of being your true self.
Be excited about adding new workout clothes to your wardrobe, then when it’s showtime, strut onto your workout spot with confidence.
NOTE: Don’t forget about your shoewear. It’s never a good idea to compromise with your feet, which take the maximum brunt of your exercise. Make sure your footwear is comfortable and of good quality.
4. Join An Online Workout Challenge Program
There are a ton of workout challenges on the internet. And the best thing is, you can find most of them FOR FREE.
Usually, such challenges comprise planned workouts spanning a set period of days.
When you sign up for an online workout program, you don’t have to worry about planning your exercises in advance, because the creator’s already done that for you.
The workout videos are often created in the form of Youtube playlists, so they’re easy to access.
Chloe Ting releases some of the best exercise programs. She has a website where she’s always putting out new programs.
The best thing is that after signing up, you get to track your progress every day, and even have the option to take breaks according to your own convenience. The tracker adjusts itself according to your plans.
Check out Chloe Ting’s programs here.
I love taking up her challenges whenever I’m trying to get back into fitness after a break.
In fact, I recently stepped back into a good health regime by completing her Summer Shred Challenge.
I loved each of the workouts. They were fun to do, and by the end of the challenge, I felt like a true victor.
Have a look at my Review of Chloe Ting’s Summer Shred Challenge (2022). It was the first post I wrote on my blog. 🙂
5. Drink Black Coffee An Hour Before Your Scheduled Workout
Coffee is the perfect drink to boost your energy before a workout.
The caffeine in it increases your alertness and makes your senses sharp. This is just what you need to up your power before a workout.
Coffee enhances your endurance, strength, power, and energy both during a workout and before it.
I turned coffee into a pre-workout drink because it prepares me both mentally and physically.
I lay out my workout clothes, then sip a cup of coffee while doing some mind work (like journaling.) It’s become a soothing ritual for me now.
Your exercise procrastination happens right before you step onto the mat.
Drinking coffee might make you feel like your workout hour has already started, and you won’t hesitate before launching your workout right on time.
6. Make Your Workouts Fun
Okay, here’s the deal.
It’s good to do the workouts in the traditional way. You know, laying out an exercise mat, doing crunches and sit-ups, a hundred squats and all.
But if you don’t feel like starting your health journey that way, it’s okay.
And if even the mere thought of doing cardio tires you out, it’s not the end of the world.
Any form of movement that makes you sweat is good for the body and totally counts, no matter what anyone tells you.
So you don’t want to join the gym or work out at your home? That’s fine. There are better, chirpier alternatives you can go for instead.
Take A Hiking Trip
Ever heard of hiking?
I bet you have. So now make use of it.
Make plans with a friend, or kidnap a bunch of people. Going solo is fine too. Just tie up your shoelaces, and head out for a hiking trip.
Hiking is an awesome way to connect with mother nature. A day spent in the outdoors might inspire you to fly away from your health rut.
After you return from the trip, start going on regular walks in a park or on a road surrounded by trees.
Don’t forget, that as long as you’re moving, you’re winning.
Go Swimming
Swimming is fun, we all know that. But do you know it burns a ton of calories? And I mean it when I say A TON.
Water fun combined with sweat. Sounds fun to me, definitely.
Believe me, you guys, if I knew how to swim, I wouldn’t get out of the pool ever. Sadly, I have no swimming skills at the moment but plan to learn soon.
If you don’t know swimming either, now is a good time to join a club, and transform your low-energy vibes into fun water vibes.
Ride A Bicycle
Riding a bicycle is a superb leg workout.
It burns a good number of calories and is good for mental stimulation as well.
And what I like best is that you can do it indoors on a workout bike, or go traditional by taking your regular bike outdoor for a spin.
NOTE: Make sure you have proper cycling gear before setting out for a ride.
Dance Your Way To A Healthier Day
Cardio doesn’t always have to come in the form of running or jumping jacks.
A free-styled dancing can be equally challenging for your heart and can help you shed excess fat too.
Dance workouts can be fun to motivate yourself to workout.
Even if you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy dancing, I strongly recommend you give this activity a go. You’ll get to be a kid again, and hopefully challenge yourself to switch on your fitness mode.
Here’s a dance workout that I absolutely adore, and would love for you to try.
7. Create A Health Journal
I think you might have heard of this advice already, but here it is again.
If you’re serious about getting back to your fitness routine, you need to create a health journal.
There are many benefits to this. You can set your workout goals in advance, track your meals and workouts, and practice self-love to earn a positive body image.
Journaling is a gentle way to figure out what’s causing your physical rut.
There are always reasons behind our minds and body wanting to take breaks. And knowing them can help you figure out the course ahead.
So even if you’re convinced health journaling is a waste of time, give it a try.
Write down your random body thoughts, and ask yourself arbitrary questions.
You’ll be surprised by how much you can find out about yourself.
Then, if you feel like it, add a 10-minute workout plan to your journal, and try to show up for it.
You can gradually tick your goals off, and keep going. It’ll be fun looking back on your progress and showing yourself kindness on your slow days.
8. Use The 5 Second Rule
This method might take a bit of practice to work, but is worth trying. It is also known as the infamous 3-second rule, but I’m going with 5 seconds because this is what works for me.
In her book titled ‘The 5 Second Rule‘, here’s what Mel Robbins says:
“If you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill it.”
I won’t try expanding this any further, because it’s pretty self-explanatory. But just to give you a gist of how you’re supposed to execute this rule, here’s what you’ll do.
- Fix your workout hour at the beginning of your day.
- An hour before the scheduled time, drink some coffee.
- And when the clock strikes the right time, count 5 seconds backward in your head.
- 5-4-3-2-1.
- And GO!
- Take out your workout clothes, put them on, and slip into your shoes. And that’s it. Now that you’re all dolled up for exercise, there’s no way you’ll back out.
As I said already, it might take time for you to imbibe this rule, but once you do, it’ll be easier to make use of it whenever you lack the motivation to work out.
Wrapping It All Up
Lacking fitness motivation is something we all go through at multiple points in life. Don’t beat yourself about it.
It’s okay to have breaks, both short-term and long-term.
There are always ways to break out of your ruts and so many colorful ways to inspire yourself.
You just have to look for the sparkles in the right place, and I promise if you look close enough, you’ll find them. Sometimes in the form of a blog post like this one, but mostly just within you.
Because remember what I told you at the beginning?
You’re awesome, and don’t you forget that.
Have any thoughts? Perhaps some tips you’d like to add to the list? Leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you.
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