We’ve all been there… “I’m too busy”, “I’m too tired”, “I’ll go tomorrow instead”. There’s a million and one excuses for not sticking with your exercise routine, however, are you making those excuses because you’re lazy or uncommitted? We don’t think so, at all. It’s usually because the very thing you’re trying to get out of isn't keeping you interested and motivated enough. Here we list some tips on how to maintain the routine and beat that exercise boredom.
Train with a partner
Training on your own can be boring, and very often, lonely. You’ll find you won’t push yourself as hard and you may give minimum effort with certain exercises. Also, gymming alone means you only have yourself to answer to when you decide to give it a wide berth. Having someone there to encourage, support and even compete with, can really uplift your training as well as adding accountability for turning up in the first place!
Don’t have a pal that goes to the same gym as you? Don’t worry, refer a friend and we’ll give you a little something to say thank you when they sign up!
Put your mind first
We all know and can see the physical benefits of exercise. But have you ever considered the mental benefits? Exercise releases endorphins that help combat stress, depression, tiredness etc. So those excuses of “I’m too tired/stressed/down” is a reason TO workout! Ask yourself this question… have you ever felt on top of the world after a workout? Just stood in the shower, absolutely buzzing? Those endorphins exercise releases will be the exact reason as to why!
Join a fitness class
The gym is a community, essentially, you’re all there for the same reason. You will have differing fitness goals and levels but you are all there to reach those goals; whether that be to lose weight, gain muscle or just improve your overall well-being, you are all there for a reason.
Group fitness classes give you that extra motivation, there are other people there that you can socialise with, compete against and lean on when you’re not feeling 100%.
Think of it as a dentist's appointment - you fit in the appointment around you and your schedule. The same should go for the gym. We have over 100 classes a week to cater for all needs, goals, fitness levels and lifestyles. By booking onto a class, you’re more inclined to go. It's a commitment, like that dentist's appointment.
Make it fun
If it isn’t fun, it won’t last. If you find hours of cardio therapeutic, then great, keep at it! Anything that stimulates the mind is serving an important function. However, if you find grinding out an hour on a treadmill about as fun as watching grass grow, it won’t be long before you’re finding other things to do when it's time to hit the gym. If it isn’t fun, it won’t last and if it doesn’t last, it’s not going to get you to your fitness goals. Mix it up a bit, set yourself targets and try your hardest to smash them. Play little mini games with yourself or your fitness pals.
Work with a Personal Trainer
Having that external source to monitor your progress, motivate and give tips on how to improve or set out your next goals could be that missing piece of the puzzle if you’re struggling to motivate yourself. Again, with the dentist appointment analogy, it's a commitment, you’re more inclined to attend and we promise you, you’ll feel like a superhero when those endorphins kick in. At Village Gym we have an array of highly trained and qualified Personal Trainers that work with people from all sorts of fitness levels, goals and lifestyles. They cater for your needs and give you that helping hand to reach those fitness goals.
You can find out more information on our PTs here.
We’ll leave you with this…
Is what you are doing right now working for you? Is it keeping you motivated, focussed and most importantly, feeling good?
If the answer is yes, brilliant - keep chasing those goals! You’re doing great!
If it’s not, what’s the harm in trying something new? It might be the missing the piece of the jigsaw you need to get the results you want.
