It’s totally normal to not always feel motivated! I can’t lie and say that there aren’t some days when I just press snooze and skimp out on the gym. BUT I use a few things to generally keep me motivated (:
1. I always end up having such a positive and energized day when I start it at the gym. It makes me feel more productive, alert, and excited because who doesn’t love taking care of their body and getting their dose of daily endorphins?? I feel like most people who workout frequently can agree that it improves the quality of their day thereafter. So when I wake up and am struggling to get out of bed, I try to remind myself of this.
2. I plan my day/workout the night before. This motivates me because a) having an hourly plan really shows me that if I don’t get off my bum and get my workout in, it’s definitely not going to happen later in the day, and b) I only plan workouts that I enjoy doing, so when I write them out I end up getting really excited for them. (I kid you not, I actually have trouble sleeping on Tuesday nights because Wednesday leg day is my favorite and I’m always so excited for it!!!)
3. Along the same lines, definitely make sure that you’re exercising in a way that you enjoy! If you hate running on the treadmill, don’t! If you hate strength training, don’t! Find something that you genuinely love doing; it should never feel like a chore or you’ll definitely skimp out on it. (If you haven’t tried weight training yet, I can’t emphasize enough how much it has changed my life! I feel so empowered and focused every time I step foot in the gym. During exam weeks, when I don’t plan on working out, I often find myself squeezing in a gym session just because I need the stress relief and time alone)
I hope this helps a tad bit and I send you lots of loveeeee!!!!
I’ve pretty much given up LISS cardio altogether and am loving the results (and the lack of 20 mins treadmill). HIIT training is far better for muscle maintenance, since long distance running at a low intensity actually burns muscle along with fat. So lately I’ve been incorporating HIIT training about two to three times per week after weight training sessions. It’s super easy to find these on the internet or to just make up your own (which I usually do). For example, my last HIIT day was Sunday and I did the following workout:
1 min each exercise - repeat full circuit 2x
Side-to-side steps*
Push-ups
Box jumps (can use a bench instead)
Russian twists
Weighted lunges
1:00 rest
Jumping jacks
Weighted squats
Mountain climbers
Elevated hip thrusts
1:00 rest
Banded crab walks
Banded fire hydrants (left leg)
Banded fire hydrants (right leg)
Squat jumps
This keeps your heart-rate incredibly high (the goal) and promotes muscle maintenance. And it’s a lot more interactive/engaging than running on a treadmill for thirty minutes!
*Hard to explain these, but basically get a short-ish platform. Starting on the platform, extend your left foot out. As soon as you bring your left foot back onto the platform, immediately extend your right foot out. This should be a very fast-paced and kind of jump-y process and you should be “squatting” the entire time to really feel it in your legs
(PS remember that I’m not a personal trainer nor do I have any qualifications. This is just the workout that I, personally, did and I continue to use variations of it.)
