How To Get Your Fitness Motivation Back: 10 Tips from a Health Coach

Tips To Rekindle Your Love For Fitness

For many people, getting back into a fitness routine is more challenging than being fit in the first place. But getting motivated to exercise again doesn’t have to be impossible—if you can find the right motivation! 

If you’re struggling with your fitness motivation, I got you! Here’s a friendly guide to rekindle your love for working out (and get yourself back on track).

Stop Punishing Yourself For Things That Need Compassion

One thing you need to know is that self-compassion isn’t the same thing as self-pity. It’s not about beating yourself up or wallowing in your feelings of failure or shame. It’s about being kind to yourself—a skill most of us sorely lack. Let me explain.

Self-compassion means taking responsibility for the things that need doing but not dwelling on past mistakes or failures. There are times when we can learn from our mistakes, but there are also times when it’s just better to let them go and move on with our lives—and that includes forgiving ourselves for having made those mistakes in the first place!

To be more compassionate towards yourself after a fall (or several falls), ask yourself: What do I need right now? How can I help myself get back? What do I want? Instead of what happened? What does my body really want from me today?

Find a Mantra

Mantras aren’t just for meditation. Having a personal saying can genuinely motivate and remind you of your goals. You can use a mantra in any situation, but it’s most effective if it’s paired with an exercise routine.

•A positive mantra is one that inspires and motivates you to do your best—it might be something like “I can do this” or “I’m strong.”

•A negative mantra is one that reminds you of how much work you still have left to do—something like “I only have two more reps left” or “This isn’t easy.”

You might want to write down some mantras that work for you so that when the going gets tough (and it will), they’re close at hand. One that I love using is “Lyn you got this! Come on mama!”

Get Excited About Your Progress

Your attitude is everything when it comes to fitness, especially when you’re just starting out. If you’re having trouble staying motivated, try focusing on the positive aspects of your journey—and there are lots of them! For example:

•You’re setting goals and accomplishing them.

•You’ve lost X pounds or inches off your waist since starting.

•Your clothes are fitting better than ever before.

•Your energy level has improved significantly in the last few months, weeks, and days.

Focus On One Step At a Time

The next time you’re feeling unmotivated, focus on the next step rather than the whole journey. Don’t think about how far you have to go or how much further you have to go—just think about what needs to happen right now.

You may feel like there are some huge changes that need to be made in your life before fitness becomes a priority (and maybe there are), but those things don’t matter right now. 

Right now, all we care about is taking one step at a time and getting ourselves moving forward again.

Use Your Unmotivated Days To Rest, Not Stress

It can be tempting to stress about your fitness goals, I know. You might think that if you don’t work out on a particular day, then you’ve failed as a person. But this isn’t true! Some days are just harder than others, and that’s okay.

The way to find some motivation is by resting on your unmotivated days and doing other forms of exercise (like walking around the neighborhood) instead of beating yourself up for not going to the gym that day. If nothing else, make sure that when it comes time for your workout, you’re fully rested and prepared physically so as not to hurt yourself or cause injury during exercise.

You’ll also want to try eating well, even when exercising seems like too much work. The best way I’ve found is “snacking” throughout the day(healthy snacking) rather than waiting until the next big meal—if anything, snacking helps me feel less hungry overall because I’m getting plenty of energy from my snacks throughout the day.

Look Up to Someone

Find inspiration in role models who faced similar challenges and had similar disadvantages to yours and still succeeded.

Finding and following the words, actions, and advice of someone who has been where you are right now is one way to get your motivation back.

This can be an athlete or fitness pro who has overcome the same obstacles that you’re facing, or someone who overcame similar obstacles like being overweight or injured before they started their journey.

However, it’s also important to realize that we all have different bodies, so what works for me might not work for you, but if there is one thing I’ve learned over the years, it is that there will always be someone doing something amazing, either in their own life or as an athlete, fitness model, or pro, that you can use as inspiration no matter where you are on your journey.

Know, Embrace And Use Your Strengths

You have to be your own best friend! You have to be your own biggest fan! You have to believe in yourself and accept who you are. You can’t be cruel or judgmental toward yourself. Instead, try being kind and honest with yourself about where you are at with the goal of getting fit again.

Pamper Yourself

This helps you do something good for yourself, even if that something is just taking a bath or going for a walk. Even just journaling with your favorite cup of coffee. Self-care is anything that makes you feel good and nurtures your spirit, so it can be as simple as doing the dishes or as complex as booking a spa day (or both!).

It’s also important to remember that self-care doesn’t have to be something we do every day—it’s just a reminder that we need to take care of ourselves more often than not. A great way to do this is by setting aside time in your schedule each week for activities such as exercising, eating right, and getting enough sleep.

Focus On The Reward

1. Think about how your body and mind will feel when you’ve accomplished your goal, not how long it will take to get there.

2. Focus on what you want to do rather than what you want to avoid or escape from.

3. Focus on the positive and what you can control, not the negative and what you can’t.

4. Think about the end result, not just the journey that it takes to get there.

5. Keep things in perspective by focusing on how far you have come rather than thinking about how far there is still left to go.

Set Mini-Goals And Checkpoints

•Set a timeline for your fitness goals.

•Create a list of things you want to achieve in the next few months, and then break each goal down into weekly or daily goals that are more manageable.

Final Thoughts

When you’re feeling uninspired, it’s important to remind yourself that it’s okay to take a break from your fitness routine. If you want to get back into the swing of things, it’s also important not to beat yourself up for taking time off. 

You’ve already done what was right for your body by resting and focusing on recovery! Even if you aren’t sure if you want to start exercising again right away, remember that exercising regularly is an important part of maintaining good health—and if anything else, being kinder to yourself will help keep those endorphins flowing!

In A Nutshell

If you’re at a point where your fitness motivation is low, don’t despair. 

It’s normal to feel unmotivated from time to time, and there are plenty of ways to get back into a routine. 

Start by taking some time off to rest or relax; focus on self-compassion and not self-punishment; connect with someone who supports your goals and motivates you in their own right (even if it’s just an inspirational quote!); find a mantra or goal that works for you—maybe even one from this article! 

These are all great tips for recharging so that when it comes time to get moving again, you’ll be ready!

Remember, every step, no matter how small, will bring you closer to your goal.

#Fitness #Wellness