Consistency is key when it comes to fitness and nutrition. You know that if you don’t skip workouts, stick to your nutrition plan for the most part, and you do that consistently over time, then eventually you can’t help but hit your fitness goals.
But easier said than done.
Life gets in the way, as do temptations. But sometimes it’s just a lack of motivation and you just don’t feel like dragging your butt to the gym.
The tips below are for the next time when you can’t seem to get off the couch and put your gym shoes on.
You already know it’s going to happen at some point, and preparing for that moment now will help you nip it in the bud before it has any chance of throwing you off track from reaching your fitness goals in time.
Table of Contents
Know Why You Exercise
Yes, sure…everyone knows that exercising is good for you. And that you should go to the gym to lose weight and all that.
But when push comes to shove, and you have to decide between your warm, comfy couch, and fighting traffic to head to the gym, generic reasons like “being healthy” aren’t going to cut it.
You need specific reasons why you exercise. Reasons that have emotional significance to you.
Think about what are the specific reasons why you hit the weights or get on the treadmill. What do you expect to gain when you reach your fitness goals?
Is it about having more confidence? Looking better in a swimsuit? Having more energy to play with your kids? Or perhaps you want to improve long-term health and reduce your risk of chronic disease?
Whatever it might be, the reason must have a strong emotional significance, one that is greater than any tiredness or sluggishness you might feel when it’s time to hit the gym after a long day.
Plan Rewards for Short Term Milestones
The second step is to break down your bigger goals into smaller, bite-sized, more manageable goals.
And then reward yourself when you hit those goals.
Let’s say your ultimate goal is to transform your body into an athletic machine, but you’re far from that achievement at the moment.
If that’s your only tangible milestone, then it’ll be a while before you reach it.
So, what you can do is create smaller milestones that you’ll have to hit on the way to your ultimate goal. For example, if your goal is to run a marathon, then along the way, you’ll have to be able to complete 5, 10, 15-mile runs, and so forth.
And what you should do is plan rewards for hitting each milestone. A milestone can be as simple as going to the gym for six days this next coming week, and your reward could be as simple as ordering a pizza and cheesecake.
Short-term goals, and associated rewards, will give you something to look forward to in the nearer term and will act as stronger motivators to keep you on track.
Address Sluggishness
If you’re feeling sluggish, thankfully there are natural remedies.
Depending on the time of the day, you could drink a cup of coffee. Or sometimes a shower might do the trick. Or even something as simple as putting on the right tunes on the way to the gym can give you a pump.
Otherwise, you can go a step further and replenish some electrolytes and get a clean boost in energy with a high-quality sports drink like Nakedade from Naked Nutrition.
Plan On Your Go-To Exercises
On the days you don’t feel like exercising, even the fact that you made it to the gym and did something is a win.
Don’t feel like you have to go for massive workouts every time you hit the gym. Remember that the name of the game is consistency. So, as long as you made it to the gym, did some sets and reps (or miles), then you can count it as a victory.
And the easiest way to secure a victory on the day is to perform exercises that you’re good at.
If you hate doing squats, then it might be setting yourself up for failure if you plan on heavy squats the day you don’t even feel like working out.
Instead, maybe you enjoy the rowing machine, a spin on the bike, or a yoga class.
Whatever it might be, keep a list of go-to exercises that you can turn to on the days when not much else is a realistic option.
Know That You Will Thank Yourself Later
That’s right, there probably isn’t a memory of that, because barring some extenuating event like an injury, no one regrets a workout after its complete.
In fact, you know that in the past when you’ve forced yourself to hit the gym despite not feeling like it, almost without fail you felt significantly better after.
Your mood improved, you felt more enthusiastic, more relaxed, and probably even slept better.
Keep that memory handy next time you want to skip a workout – just know that no matter how quick a workout, you’ll thank yourself for putting on your running shoes and showing up when you didn’t feel like it.