Routine is everything when it comes to working out, but what do you do when your routine becomes monotonous or when you feel like you’ve hit a plateau? It’s so easy to sink into a state of less and less frequent exercise until one day you realize that you barely work out at all anymore. The answer? Launch a re-motivation campaign! Here are a few things you can do that will help you muster up the motivation to slay day in and day out at the gym.
- Join a Challenge—Fitness challenges are great because they get you to focus on doing something every day, which can help you build a routine and find new joy in each session. Some examples are the 30-day yoga challenge from Yoga with Adriene and the Women’s Health 30-day Fitness Challenge. On top of building a routine, many challenges have you share your progress and results with a friend, coach or social media followers. These tiny interactions will hold you accountable so you stay on track until you complete the challenge.
- Wear Something New and Cute —We’re not saying you should go out and blow thousands on designer gym wear every time you get bored (as much as we all want one of those legendary jumpsuits from adidas x IVY PARK), but we also can’t deny the allure of a fresh, new workout outfit. Occasionally sprinkling in some fly fitness gear or a new pair of sneakers can help you get excited to head to the gym.
- Buy a New Accessory—It’s the same deal with accessories. You’re going to be super pumped to debut your sexy new glass water bottle or to try out some new high-tech Bluetooth headphones/earbuds on the treadmill, so you’ll definitely make it a priority to get to the gym. Try to choose gear that’s equally as adorable as it is functional to make trips to the gym more exciting, such as a water bottle with a secret compartment for your hair tie or lip balm, or a sports bra with a hidden key pocket.
- Try a Novelty Workout—Adult gym class, blacklight yoga, pole dancing, goat yoga, hula hooping, aqua cycling, indoor surfing. All of life is an experiment, you know?
- Track and Analyze—Make sure you have your phone stocked with fitness tracker apps that let you record and analyze your fitness performance over a period of time. Whether it’s a health app on your phone, a running tracker or a wearable that monitors your heart rate, these apps aggregate data and help you optimize performance. They motivate you by showing you results in real-time and by encouraging you to keep your averages up.
- Go with a BFF—The gym buddy was the O.G. fitness motivator, popular long before fitness apps and goat yoga classes even existed. We probably don’t have to cite a bunch of studies that show how working out with a partner leads to higher levels of success (but just in case, here’s one), and it’s not hard to see why. When you’ve got a calorie-burning cohort, you hold each other accountable so you always show up and push yourself as hard as you possibly can.
- Do it for Charity—Attaching your exercise to a greater goal is the perfect way to give it meaning beyond your own physical health. You can do this in a number of ways, but some popular options include running a charity 5K or marathon to raise funds and awareness for a particular cause. You can also use the app Charity Miles, which helps you raise money for a good cause through exercise.
- Do it for the Selfie—Obsessing over your image on social media isn’t particularly healthy of course, (I actually just took just a picture of myself writing this article lol, but cute, but lol) but there’s nothing wrong with using it as a self-motivator if you find that it helps you inch closer to your goal. Sharing your journey in any way—whether it be on social in the form of lengthy progress posts or by keeping your partner in the loop over dinner—is always going to inspire you to keep going. Your friends and loved ones will provide support and hold you accountable every day.
- Ramp Up Your Playlist—Few things compare to the feeling of sweating it out to your favorite Beyoncé song as you’re crushing your personal best. And when you’ve got a bomb playlist to look forward to, you’re definitely going to get excited about some extended time spent on the elliptical, treadmill or trail. Take the time to craft well-coordinated playlists that get you really pumped up.
- Eliminate the Hassle—Wherever you can, remove the hassle from working out. One of the simplest ways you can do this is to pre-pack your gym bag the night before. This way, you can grab it and go without really having to think about it. Another great thing you can do is to pick the gym closest to your house. Nothing kills motivation quite like a long commute or getting stuck in traffic.
- Get Inspo Online—Make sure you curate a world online that inspires the life you want to live, whether it be through your Insta Explore page, on Pinterest or by following brands you love. Following certain hashtags and influencers who are on a similar journey as you will help remind you that you can do it, too!
- Reward Yourself—Don’t forget to give yourself some well-deserved props after you’ve consistently hit your goals day in and day out. Finding healthy ways to reward yourself—a massage, a manicure or an afternoon off—will be great motivators throughout the week when you’re kind of over it and thinking about skipping that workout.
When you fall into a motivation rut, it’s likely because you’re bored with the same old lackluster workout and the hassle of getting dressed and getting there after a long, stressful day. The best way to get yourself motivated is to be more committed to constantly reinventing and breathing life into your workouts. The secret to your success lies in not allowing your daily routine to ever get too routine. Get it, girl.
