Many of us are working towards achieving summer bodies or maintaining a healthy weight but keeping motivated is a problem a lot of us face. Almost everyone has started an exercise program at some point only to give up further down the line but it is possible to keep going and enthusiastic.
Whether you’re having trouble fitting in your gym routine or getting distracted with other summer activities, you can follow these tips to keep your gym motivation strong throughout the summer months.
- If you’re struggling to get to the gym because you want to enjoy the summer weather, there’s a simple solution – take your workout outside! From simply going for a run through the park to joining a boot camp there’s lots of options to work on your tan and exercise at the same time.
- Finding a workout partner is a great motivator for getting you out the door and into the gym. Working out with someone else will encourage you to push yourself to do more and create some friendly competition to spur you on when muscles start to ache.
- Doing the same workout over and over can be dull. Try varying your workout and adding new exercises in every so often. If you’re not sure how to mix it up, try taking part in a group class or booking a few sessions with a personal trainer.
- Think about what your goals are and how far you have progressed towards them. Sometimes when you’re pounding the treadmill you can forget what you’re there for but visualising your goals can really help, whether that’s to drop a dress size or record a personal best in a race.
- Make sure you’re eating right. If your energy levels are low you’re not likely to want to head to the gym after a long day at work. Be strict about not skipping meals and eating foods that will keep you energised and awake throughout the day.
- If you often find that you’re putting off workouts and forgetting to go to the gym, then a wearable fitness device could be the extra motivation you need. From setting daily activity goals to creating reminders for when you should be hitting the gym, these little devices could provide extra motivation at exactly the right time.
- Remember to cut yourself some slack sometimes. If you’re feeling burnt out it’s okay to take a break from the gym occasionally. Having some time to rest, relax and do other activities means you can return more energised and motivated.
I definitely thought I would be more motivated during the summer because of all the free time I have but I’ve found that is sadly not the case. I’ll try these tips and hopefully I’ll be able to make the gym a routine again. I miss how good that felt.
Kelly I quite agree, get it out of the way early in the day if you can. There is a lot of research that shows exercise late in the day isn’t great for you anyway!
I find that the earlier I workout the easier it is to get motivated. If I wait until the afternoon I find I’m way less motivated and tend to find things to distract me. Just get it over and done with as soon as I wake up definitely works for me. Setting goals also definitely helps. When I’m feeling unmotivated I sign up to a run or some kind of race to keep me motivated to work towards.