True story, this past month has been a struggle for me to get my workouts in. I’ve been dealing with a lot of changes and stress in my life that I’m not going to get into now (more on those things later), and it’s seriously affected my sense of motivation/thrown me into a funk lately. Working out is something I usually do 4 to 6 times a week. It’s something that usually makes me feel strong and powerful, but the struggle has been real lately. I’ve had to seriously work to get motivated. However, this experience has really helped me discover new ways to motivate myself into being active. The funny thing is that it’s not so much about the workout itself. It’s the act of getting to it, which is 100% mental. I’m sharing this not for pity, but to hopefully let you know that even the most motivated of people suck at being motivated sometimes. And to give you some tricks that have helped me in the hopes it helps you, too!

Here’s how I motivate myself to work out lately.

Put on the gym clothes

On days that I feel like it’s just not gonna happen, I put on my gym/workout clothes. Just the act of putting them on usually gets me there. In my mind I think, “If I’m getting these clothes dirty, I may as well make it worth it, because I’m going to have to wash them either way.” Kinda weird, I know. It also just usually makes me feel more productive overall.

Appreciate that I actually can

Whenever I’m in a mindset where I don’t want to go to the gym, I remember back to when I had my injury last year. During that time I was so frustrated that I couldn’t do the things I normally wanted to, like run, play tennis, or even go on a hike. It makes me actually appreciate the fact that I’m able to now, and gets me to. This has been one of my most effective tools. I plan on sharing more about my injury and what it taught me soon. It’s such a learning experience!

Put together a good (cheesy) playlist

Oh man, you all don’t even want to know what my motivational playlist consists of (hint: It consists of Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus and Erika Jayne). If it gets you feeling great, put it in a playlist. Who cares if it’s cheesy or stupid. You’ll be listening to it on your ear buds, so no one needs to know. If it gets you off your ass, it’s worth it! Put all of those guilty pleasure songs on there!

Go to a class with a friend (…with the promise of happy hour afterward)

Okay, this may not be the healthiest of options, but a happy hour with a workout before is a hell of a lot better than a happy hour without one! I like to book a class at a place that does something fun and different, like 305 Fitness, Diva Dance Workout, or Taryn Toomey’s The Class. Even just practicing tennis or volleyball in the park with the hubs is fun. Workouts don’t always have to be workouts with a capital ‘W’. The promise of happy hour will get you there!

Ask myself why I don’t want to

Honestly, this has been the hardest thing to dig deep on. A lot of times we just chalk not wanting to workout up to just not wanting to. But what’s really keeping us from doing it? When I take some time to meditate on this, I’ve unearthed some pretty rough things. But being able to acknowledge these feelings, rather than burying them is the first step to pushing past them. Usually it boils down to the fact that I don’t feel like I deserve good things or to better myself…the question to ask is WHY do you feel that way? I encourage you to explore those uncomfortable thoughts, and to tell yourself that you are worth it.

I hope these help get you moving! How do you motivate yourself to get a sweat session in?

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