Finding motivation to get fit can be hard, especially when you suffer a setback. Like I recently did. Or when you’ve had some success in the past, but then regressed. Like I have. I’ll share more about that later in post. Anyway, when we first begin a new fitness plan, it’s an exciting change. We are determined to make a difference! Over time, though, that excitement can wane even without a setback. When the excitement evaporates, we are more likely to make excuses and skip workouts. Here are 14 ways to find motivation when you don’t want to exercise. I don’t know about you, but I need ways to find motivation.
14 Ways to Find Motivation When You Don’t Want to Exercise
- Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Improve your sleep with a weighted blanket from YNM. Use sleep supplements if necessary. If you’re like me, and have sleep apnea, actually wear your CPAP. The hard truth is, if you’re tired or fatigued, you don’t want to exercise. So, combat that from the start! Getting plenty of sleep is a huge factor in being motivated to exercise.
- Pray. Read your Bible. I’m serious. There are several great weight loss devotionals on YouVersion that can help get you in the right frame of mind for exercise and weight loss.
- Create an exercise music playlist. Find the most upbeat, fitness-worthy tunes to play when working out and put them on all your mp3 player or phone and listen with your wireless bluetooth earbuds. Sing along until you are working too hard to breathe, then just listen as you exercise every muscle you got.
- Get an accountability partner. That way, you have someone else to keep you accountable on days you just want to relax. Make sure it’s someone who won’t just take your complaining, but will kick your butt to get out there and finish your exercise!
- Create a vision board. Clip photos and words from magazines to fill a poster board that represents where you want to be, health-wise. Look at this board when you aren’t feeling it, and soon you’ll be jumping into your workout routine.
- Give yourself options for exercise. Lack of motivation can sometimes come from boredom. Freshen up your routine with a new type of exercise. Do you typically walk or run? Trying bicycling (avoid the curbs, trust me). Do you typically use an elliptical? Try swimming. Find a workout buddy. If you can afford it, get a personal trainer. You can’t quit when you have a scheduled appointment you’ve already paid for. This can be enough motivation to follow through, even on days you aren’t feeling it.
- Buy a gym membership. Whether you’re looking for gyms in St. Louis or gyms in Anaheim, you’re sure to find a location within a few miles of home. Some people don’t find it easier to make excuses to not work out once they are in the comfort of their own home. Heading to the place designed for exercise leaves you little reason NOT to exercise!
- Go for a walk with a family member/friend. Walking is a great social exercise, as you can burn some calories while spending time with a loved one!
- Wear an activity tracker
. If you have a competitive nature, you will love tracking your progress with an activity tracker. Set goals to beat your previous days steps. Get the same activity tracker as a friend, and compete against each other. - Buy new workout clothes. I recently purchased a custom Confident workout tee from my gal pal, Erika, who is a Lularoe boss. Check out her group, LuLaRoe Erika Bailey VIP Boutique, where she offers unparalleled customer service and amazing custom graphics for her VIP members. Plus, you’ll be supporting a small business owner who just happens to be a homeschooling Momma.
New exercise duds may make you more pumped to get your work out done. Or at least keep you cool while you drag yourself through them. I just ordered another Confident, because I love the way they fit and the way they cover my posterior, which is ample. Anyway. - Set rewards for yourself for meeting the goals you have. If you have SMART fitness goals to obtain, there is no harm in rewarding yourself when you reach them. These rewards may boost your motivation so that you continue striving to meet those goals!
- Don’t have access to exercise DVD’s? Search Amazon Instant Video or YouTube for exercise routines that you’ll enjoy. There’s a variety of exercise videos included in Prime. Seeing those fit people moving in ways you’d like to (without breaking a sweat, of course) will give you the push you need.
- Set the alarm anyway. If you work out first thing in the morning, you are less likely to skip it if you are already awake. Don’t talk yourself into hitting snooze either!
- Find fitness inspiration and workouts on Pinterest. Trust me, there are hundreds of images related to exercise, weight loss, and getting active that can easily be found online. Do a search and read through a few to pump yourself up for a great workout.
Why I Need Motivation
So, why am I struggling? Well, for starters, I’ve been battling a hormone imbalance for several years. After years of low-fat dieting, which I had moderate success with, I developed Low T Syndrome, or Low Testosterone Syndrome.
Which contributed to significant weight gain, fatigue, and muscle weakness, among other things. In effort to lose weight, I wrecked my hormones, and gained back everything I’d lost. Did you know that fat is one of the most crucial elements for hormonal balance? Or that healthy fats, including omega 3 & 6, are essential for hormone production and proper hormone function? Trust me, I learned the hard way that a fat free diet can wreck your health.
Add to that the fact that between October 2018 and May 2019, I had five major surgeries that required anesthesia. In October, my primary doctor thought I was being too restrictive with my diet, so she recommended that I re-introduce grains and fruits.
Last June 1st, I saw my primary doctor again. Reintroducing grains and fruits had a devastating effect on my pain levels. I gained over 25 lbs, and weighed in at 246.4 lbs. I was at the heaviest I had ever been. She said I need to lose a hundred pounds. ONE HUNDRED POUNDS. My serum hsCRP is 5.1. Anything over 3 indicates risk of cardiac events, like heart attack or stroke. Quite frankly, my weight putting my health at risk.
Snowball effect much? It’s disheartening, really.
She agreed I should eliminate grains again, only consume fruit in it’s raw/natural state and only once or twice a week, and recommended that I introduce intermittent fasting to control insulin spikes. I’m not diabetic, but my Mom is, and her Mom was, and I’m obese, so it’s not a stretch to understand my risk.
So, there I was, starting over.
It took over a month to be willing to share those photos. I won’t lie. Tears have streamed down my face more than once.
One hundred pounds seems insurmountable. How can I get fit when walking is hard? There’s a trail nearby, that’s about 1.25 miles, and by the time I get to the 3/4 mile mark, tears are streaming down my face because my back and hip are killing me.
So, I started riding my bike. Then, in June, I wrecked my bicycle and sustained injuries to my right lower leg and knee. My 11yo was with me, and we were at a busy intersection near our new home. I misjudged the turn, hopped a curb, and landed on my knee with my bike above me. All I could think was, “Dear God, please don’t let anyone stop to see if the fat lady is okay.” I hurriedly told my daughter to get on her bike and pedal, I’d be right behind her. After she realized I was going to be okay, she quipped, “how bout next time you leave the trick riding to me?”
Fun, fun, right? Not so much. Rebounding from this injury is doubly hard, because I’m also fighting the little voice that keeps telling me, “We’ve been down this road before. This is where you always fail. You start off great, get hurt, and give up.” Or the voice that says, “Don’t tell anyone you’re trying to lose weight. They’ve heard it from you before. They know you failed.”
I did actually start losing some weight. Then in September, I developed lumbar instability and SI joint dysfunction. In November, I had to have a right greater trochanter bursa injection. Then in December, I had an SI joint steroid injection. Then I spent January through April in physical therapy.
Failed. Again. After nearly 7 months in pain, and unable to walk around my house without tears, the scale crept back up closer to 250 than I care to think about.
I have lost weight and regained weight more times than I can count. I’ve been at both extremes of the pendulum. I have been 102 lbs and been threatened with IV nutrition because of disordered eating.
I won’t lie. This is hard. But, I can’t afford to give up, I need all the motivation to exercise that I can find.
The next time you feel like sitting on the couch instead of being active, pick one of these and get moving! Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step! And I just want to be able to walk without pain.
Remind yourself why you are exercising in the first place. Is it to get healthy? Feel better? Make it easier to fall asleep? No matter your reason, it’s good to keep it in your mind when you’re wanting to skip a workout. You can get fit with motivation, a support system, and a solid plan. And yes, I am preaching to the choir. I need this post, and plan to come back to it when I’m having a hard time getting out of my own head.
