How to Motivate Yourself To Workout When You Really Don’t Want To

It happens to all of us. We know we should go to the gym, it’s on our training plan, and yet, we just can’t get ourselves to go.

When I talk about “not going to the gym” and “skipping a day”, I am talking about you came home and sat on the couch. Not that you went for a walk when you were supposed to go for a run. I am talking about no activity at all.

It’s important to note that I schedule 1-2 rest days into every week for both my own workouts and those of my clients. This is not talk for those rest days which are part of the plan. This is for those scheduled workout days when you just can’t get up the gumption to get sweaty.

Here are my 9 suggestions on how to motivate yourself to hit the gym even when you really don’t want to go:

Warm up. If you managed to get yourself dressed into workout clothes and make it to your workout space, but are still feeling like you’d rather turn right around and sit on the couch, at least warm up. Once you get your blood flowing, you might feel your energy and motivation come back to you. If a warm up still doesn’t cut it, then call it quits.

Do your favorite moves. We all have those moves that we just love when they show up in our workouts. Whether it’s burpees or sit ups, something out there gets you excited. Build your workout off of those moves you love. It should make you a little more excited to get moving.

Obsession Confession 1, Obsession Confession 2, Obsession Confession 3

Get Outside. Typically work out in your basement or in a minimally windowed gym? Your body might be telling you it needs some fresh air and sunlight. Take your workout to a park, path, or your own backyard. A new location might be just what you need to get moving.

Put on favorite TV show, podcast, or playlist. Sometimes all I want to do is sit and watch a TV show. If I know I have to get some sort of movement in, I will set up the show on the treadmill and just watch while I walk. At least it gets me moving! Same thing works for me with podcasts.

One podcast I am loving right now is Mind Body Musings from Madelyn Moon. Interesting topics that get you thinking about your own mind-body connections.

Remind yourself of your goals.  If your goals are weight loss, conditioning, toning up, etc, skipping a day a planned workout may set you back a step or two. While this is completely fine, it won’t work if you’re on a time limit. For example, getting ready for my wedding that was less than 3 months out was extremely motivating when I wanted to skip two or three days in a row.

Remind yourself of your goals and decide if skipping a day will make you feel better or worse about reaching those goals.

Get a buddy. – Enlist a friend to do your workout with you. Or do their workout. Most of my friends know I am pretty quiet until you get me walking/running. Then, if you’re next to me I become a complete chatter box. Taking a walk to catch up with a friend? Now that’s something I can get motivated to do.

Try something new. Workout plans can get redundant. Rather than slog through another getting-boring workout, try something new. Take that class at your gym you’ve been wanting to try, pop in a workout DVD or youtube video, or just put on some loud music and dance around. Either way you slice it, it’s movement. ClassPass is an excellent option for this!

Just go to have fun. Stop thinking of your workout as a chore and start thinking of it as fun. Especially on those days you don’t want to be there.

Don’t go. If not of these “tricks” work, then just skip it. Your body is clearly trying to tell you that it’s tired and overworked and you’ll feel better having listened. However, distinguish between being tired vs unmotivated. There is a difference.

If you skip a day, do your best to keep your healthy eating habits. Often times I take missing an afternoon session as an excuse to watch netflix on the couch with a cocktail. Not a good habit to get into. Keep your eating and hydration habits and then get back to it the next day.

RQ: How do you motivate yourself to get moving when you really don’t want to? When you do skip a day, do you fall into any unhealthy habits?