As winter approaches and cooler temperatures start rolling into Northern Colorado, many of us find it difficult to get and stay motivated to go to the gym for our regular sweat session. Even if you crushed it yesterday and felt like you could work out all night long, today might just feel like a wash.
Don’t let your mind rationalize that missing one day won’t hurt or that you’ll work twice as hard tomorrow. The key to any good habit is consistency. But how do you find the motivation to go to the gym when you suddenly have no desire to do so? Here are some solid ideas:
Use Social Media to Kick You into Gear
How can social media motivate you? In a word, accountability.
We all have times when we can justify letting ourselves down, not following through on a promise we have made to ourselves. But that all changes when we realize that we don’t want to disappoint or fail our friends or teammates.
So when you tell them that you’re going to do something, you’re more likely to do it. Make a pledge to yourself to go to the gym, with your friends as witnesses.
Posting that pledge on social media helps many people remain accountable. If you post whenever you’re going to the gym, you set an expectation. It’s an extra kick in the pants and helps give you that sense of urgency you need to maintain your gym routine and reach your fitness goals. Even if the only reason you’re motivated to go to the gym is that you told everyone you would go, so be it! You’re a person who keeps their word.
Another great way social media can keep you motivated to go to the gym is to seed your feed with health and fitness influencers, and be sure to follow your favorite gym as well. Following Prodigy Gym on Instagram will keep you informed of our newest equipment, expert tips on using that equipment, nutritional and supplement advice, and so much more.
Find a Workout Buddy
Having a workout buddy who supports you, provides companionship, and pushes you (even when you don’t want to be pushed) might be one of the best ways to get and stay motivated. Your training mate will make you less likely to skip, make excuses, or stay on the couch. Facing those frosty November mornings in Ft. Collins will be much less daunting if you know someone is at the gym waiting for you.
Sharing fitness with a friend can also renew your excitement about working out, especially since a pal who works out with you shares similar fitness goals. Celebrating fitness victories with a friend is a fantastic motivator.
Believe That Looks Aren’t Everything
Many people think exercise is all about improving or maintaining your physical appearance. While sometimes this belief can be a great motivator (especially at first), it can turn into a major problem if you never evolve beyond that view. If working out is all about how your body looks, and you fall short of “body goals,” you’ll get disenchanted with fitness and may eventually give up.
Once you stop focusing on looks and focus on how regular exercise makes you feel, the health benefits, and attain your goals instead, your victories will become much more frequent, motivating you to keep coming back for more. For example, don’t set out to get washboard abs. Instead, make your goal about an action, like increasing the number of reps you can do or nailing that suspended push-up, for example.
Want to Get Motivated to Go to the Gym?
Surround yourself with a support system that will help you get the best results with every workout. Find your fitness tribe at Prodigy Gym & Fitness with our free 3-day pass and stay true to the most important person in your tribe: you.
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