Big Little Gains

There’s a reason why going to the gym and staying motivated is ‘working out’ in itself. It’s tough! I personally hate going to the gym. I usually come up with a thousand reasons to stay home:

“I’ll go tomorrow”

“I have more important things to do”

“It’s cold outside”

“I don’t feel good”

What I found about going to the gym and getting a work out in is you just have to start. Consistency is key when it comes to getting in shape. They say if you do something every day for 21 days, it becomes a habit. The most important thing you can do when it comes to finding motivation to go to the gym is to make ‘going to the gym’ a habit.

It absolutely helps if you have a friend or family member that can add to the motivation and go with you. But if you’re flying solo, this is how I’m going to motivate myself to go to the gym / get daily exercise.

Choose the same day / time to go

Choosing the same day and time to go work out will help with staying consistent. Treat it as an appointment or a set activity that you cannot compromise.

In the past:

I used to try to wake up at 6 and get a work out in. And while that’d be amazing, it’s truly just not realistic for me. The alarm goes off at the crack of dawn and I will likely press snooze and fall back asleep. And at that point, there’s a close to none chance I’m getting up and going to the gym.

Now:

I wake up at a normal time. 8 / 8:30. I do my normal morning routine. I’m well rested and mentally prepared to start my day.

Eat a little before

I feel like 80% of getting in shape is what you eat. Working out, whether it’s cardio or strength training, you’re likely to lose calories. And the way to build muscle / gain weight is by consuming calories.

In the past:

I would either not eat at all before a work out or eat a full meal. Both not the best for me. I found myself either too full or lightheaded. I want enough energy to get a 30-45 minute workout done, but not enough where I feel too bloated or full to have the motivation to work out.

Now:

Snacks! I like to have a granola bar or even some fruit just to fuel my body a bit. Enough to safely get me through a 30-45 minute work out. And then I know in the back of my head that I’ll have a nice, full meal after I’m done.

Pick out a great soundtrack

The music or podcast you pick for your workout would add so many other benefits. There are literal playlists out there that are specific to motivation and working out. If you enjoy podcasts or even audiobooks, those are the perfect length to listen to during your work out.

In the past:

I really didn’t have a set playlist. I’m more of a music girlie. I like listening to podcasts when I work out. But I found myself not focusing on my breathing or my work out. And personally for me, I need a distraction when I’m working out.

Now:

I like to choose an album. A typical album can range from 30-45 minutes which is the optimal time I like to go to the gym when I’m just starting out. I listen to song after song while getting a sweat in.

Set a small goal

Goals are everything when you’re starting out. Humans like to accomplish things whether they’re big or small. I’ve found that having 1 very small goal is easy to do while also being proud of accomplishing it.

In the past:

I had no small goals. I had big goals. And while that’s still great to have big goals, what I didn’t realize is the big goals take time to achieve. I didn’t have that immediate satisfaction. I wanted to lift X amount of weight. And it just wasn’t achievable given you have to work your way up to that level.

Now:

Small goals! Right now, at this stage of my journey, my goal is to get up and go. Consistency. My work out goal is to get a 30-45 minute work out in. I like taking it day by day so I don’t get overwhelmed, but my small goal every day is to work out for 30-45 minutes. It’s a small goal but for my own motivation and growth, I think it’ll help contribute to my long term goals.

Reward afterwards

Working out is not easy! Starting out is not easy. You deserve to be rewarded for getting up, getting out and working out. Rewards will look different for everyone. Small or big, you deserve to have something to look forward to after your work out.

In the past:

My reward in the past would be relaxation. And it wasn’t super healthy for me. I’d justify not going to the gym with this type of rewards because I’d say “well I went yesterday so my reward today is to take a day off”. And I’m ALL for taking a rest day. But for me, at this step in my journey, I need consistency. A ‘day off’ for me should still be a 30 minute walk. Some form of exercise to keep that motivation. Based on this, I’d need a better reward system.

Now:

I’ve been tracking my progress, my step by step journey. Writing these “blogs” will help my track my progress and share what’s working and what’s not. That in itself is a small reward. I think I’ll also reward myself with journaling how I feel post-gym. I do feel better about myself and feel more motivated throughout my day, more energetic and happy.

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We’ve all been where you might be right now, in the slumps. Finding motivation to get back into the gym is a hard task. But by starting and taking the small steps in the right direction, you’ll find you own form of motivation to work towards your goals.