7 tips to help you workout…even when you really don’t want to!
Today is all about helping you workout even when don’t want to
So you can find consistent results in your workout routine and feel great
Even when motivation has left the building!
*Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. All recommended products I would use myself, and all opinions expressed here are my own.
What to do when you just don’t want to workout
I think it’s an understatement when I say we have all been there
“There” meaning having absolutely no motivation or will to workout!
I see so many people talking about “finding the motivation” etc.
But the truth is some days it’s just not there and we really need to find ways to work around the lack of it
The magical motivation will not create itself
What does work though is showing up for yourself and doing the work
Regardless of whether we are feeling it or not, having routines and habits in place will be your back up when motivation is no where in sight
Allowing you to workout with consistency and see results regardless of whether you want to workout… or not 😛
7 Tips to Workout When You Don’t Want To
Here are 7 tips + A bonus tip to get you moving no matter what your mood and crush your weight loss and fitness goals!
How to Tip 1:
- Get your space and setup right
My excuse for not working out had always been “I have absolutely no room to do home workouts”!
As if that was a reasonable reason to set my weight loss goals on the backburner… it was not
Since most of us are now turning to home workouts these days it’s important to designate and set up a space that works for you
Even small spaces! You would be surprised what you can accomplish in a tiny room
I only have my room to workout in at my house, so I really needed to take the time to set up something I could utilize at home
Before I carved out that space, each day I would start out with good intentions for myself
But found that my lack of organization was a convenient reason to “wait till tomorrow”
Take some time to organize and set up an exercise space for yourself
Tuck your dumbbells and yoga mat in a corner where you plan to move around, and trust me you do not need much space
There are so many varieties of workouts now available online you can really find routines that fit in a small space!
When you designate a space for working out, you then see it as such and you have a little sanctuary for yourself when its time to get moving
How to Tip 2:
2. Remind yourself how amazing you feel after working out
I am sure you’ve heard it before, nobody regrets working out
They do regret however not working out!
When you’re feeling no ambition to pick up those weights or get moving, take a moment to reflect on how good you feel when you get it done
I know I always feel so accomplished when I get my workout done for the day, like a mix of “yay me” and “THANK GOD it’s over”
Also I like to think about it this way…
Is 30-40 min out of my day worth feeling good about? Or do I want the regret of not just biting the bullet and doing it
Or commit to a smaller time frame like 15-20 minutes and stop there
If you feel like you can go longer commit to more time, if not stop for the day
Find ways to get yourself checking exercise off that to do list!
How to Tip 3:
3. Decide when the best time is for you to successfully workout during the day
If you’re like me you wake up having all intentions of getting in that workout by at least the early afternoon, and all of a sudden 4pm rolls around…
Motivation has definitely gone home for the day, at least I know that much is true for myself
Coffee anyone?
And I am pretty sure it is true for a lot of you out there!
I recall back to an audio book I listened to, The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma
It is mentioned to do your most energy demanding tasks for earlier in the day, because as the day goes on you start to suffer from decision fatigue
As the day goes on your energy starts to wain with the more decisions you have to make
So naturally later in the day you’ve made so many decisions that the decision to workout becomes one decision you aren’t willing to make anymore!
For me personally I try to get it done as earliest as possible, then it’s done
But what if you just don’t have the time in the morning, or your schedule doesn’t allow for a morning workout?
Decide when you do have the most energy to workout, track your workouts with a timestamp, when do you most frequently workout?
You could also work on getting up earlier, but that is definitely not my first option, but is an option
Also feel free to utilize my other tips in this post for exercise encouragement
How to Tip 4:
4. Time block and schedule your workout like a task
This is a necessity for me now, and has really helped keep me consistent along my own personal fitness and weight loss journey
I can’t trust myself to leave my workout to willpower alone!
Even when it’s just on a to do list it is still not guarenteed to happen
So I have to make it scheduled like top priority task, a must do, a have to!
I encourage you to do the same as well, as it really ups the accountability, especially if you get distracted easily like me
All it takes is a split second to lose my concentration so implementing this trick has really helped me overcome procrastination regarding not only exercise, but also any task at hand
How to Tip 5:
5. Utilize YouTube and scope out what looks exciting for you
Oh how I love a good YouTube workout!
There is so much variety out there and some really amazing routines that take the guesswork out of working out
You can really find content that connects with your style and goals, and find encouraging inspiration
If I am not feeling much motivation in the morning I will put on a workout streaming on my tv
Just as background noise while I do my morning routine or while I am working on other things
Usually seeing the movements, hearing the countdowns, feeling the vibe gets me hyped up to do the same
Making your environment encouraging can do wonders to the energy you create for yourself, use that energy you create to your advantage!
How to Tip 6:
6. Make exercise something to look forward to
To tie into the last tip, create something to look forward to!
Make a workout playlist of routines you want to try, or a playlist for a different type of exercise you want to try
Organize your calendar and plan out what you’re going to be doing ahead of time, make it pretty, use stickers, have fun
It creates anticipation and excitement around something that is challenging and difficult
Helping you break that barrier of excuses to not workout
Journal about your plan the night before or time block your day the night before to ensure a clear plan of what is happening when the next day
Set out a cute outfit so it’s right there ready to go
This creates one more step in the right direction, one more step towards the end goal
How to Tip 7:
7. Do a stretching routine first if you’re not feeling up to exercise and see where it leads
This is another go to routine for myself on the days I am REALLY resisting exercise, but I know if I skip another day it’s only gonna be harder to start again
I put on some fun music or video to listen to and just stretch in my little spot I have dedicated to fitness
I do not tell myself I will exercise afterward so there is no pressure, because the pressure is what is causing me to procrastinate in the first place
There are no expectations I put on myself
I just stretch and move around
Whatever feels good to my body, focusing on tight areas, allowing myself to be free and just enjoy that moment to myself
More times than not when I am done, I find I feel invigorated and ready to take on a workout
It’s like a little refresher to get you going, once a body is in motion it tends stays in motion
A little 8th grade science to get us consistent with working out 😛
Bonus Workout Tip:
Join an exercise challenge!
I love a good challenge
And even though I believe we shouldn’t take life too seriously there is nothing like a good challenge to kick start habits that will stick
A challenge gets you out of your comfort zone and trying new things, and most importantly creates accountability
In order to see results we need to push our physical boundaries and grow in our journey
A few years back I did a 30 classes in 30 days hot yoga challenge
It was so hard! I wanted to give up, especially when I skipped a day and had to double up on classes another day
By the end I was literally exhausted, but damn did I feel accomplished
I didn’t think I was capable of such a thing, and winning a fancy yoga mat at the end helped too!
It was just such an awesome feeling of community and accountability
Which really opens the doors to new possibilities when you see what you’re actually capable of!
Here are a few challenges to get you started:
Are you a beginner?
If you haven’t worked out in a very long time and you are unfamiliar with exercise try my 3 week challenge!
It is not time sensitive so you can start when you would like and create a routine that works for you, join here:
Are you at more of an beginner/intermediate level?
I would highly suggest the Garage Fitness Girl January 6 Week Challenge
Penny is a You Tube and fitness professional that I trust and love, you will see results and join a community of amazing people
I am currently participating in her 6 week challenge and on day 5, but you can join in at any time this January
Website: garagefitnessgirl.com
YouTube: Penny Barnshaw- Garage Fitness Girl
Are you advanced or just want to push yourself way out of your comfort zone?
Try the 75 hard challenge… this one is not for the faint of heart!
I hope to do the 75 hard challenge soon, but am not quite there yet, because it is definitely a commitment
And I think you need to be in a good place to do such a challenge, but food for thought
I will be doing a post on 75 hard, what I think about it and how I would implement the rules
So keep an eye out for that one!
Check out 75 hard here: Andy Frisella/75 Hard
Are we feeling pumped!!!???
So there we have it my friends
7 tips to help you work out when you don’t want to and a bonus tip:
- Get your space and set up right
- Remind yourself how amazing you feel afterwards
- Decide when the best time is for you to be successful
- Time block and schedule exercise as a task
- Utilize YouTube and scope out what looks exciting
- Make exercise something to look forward to
- Start with stretching to see where it leads
- Join an exercise challenge
I hope you are feeling pumped and excited to get exercising consistently
So you can actually see results and make working out part of your everyday life without dreading it
For more weight loss inspiration check out these other blog posts:
3 Easy Habits to Start your Weight Loss Journey
Interval Training for Weight Loss
As always feel free to reach out with any comments or questions, my inboxes are always open <3
xo Mel