10 Ways to Stay Motivated About Your Fitness Routine

Are you struggling with your motivation levels for exercising in lockdown? Don't worry about it, we all are. What is happening right now is an unprecedented situation, so here are some tips for helping to keep your motivation levels high.

1. Change your routine - Are you lacking in motivation because you're bored with your workouts? It might be time to try some new exercises. If you've been doing the same exercises week in, week out since lockdown began last March, no wonder you're starting to feel motivation dipping! You're probably finding that what you used to do isn't pushing as hard as it once did, so what's the point? This is happening because your muscles have adapted to handle the stress you put them under while doing those same exercises every time, so shaking up your routine by finding new exercises to implement will definitely help. If you're struggling for ideas, don't be afraid to ask!

2. Set a specific time for exercising - Are you planning to exercise in the evenings like you normally would in a gym, then finding that you just can't be bothered when the time arrives? Try changing up the time of your workout! Move it to earlier in the day, either before you've started work, or during your morning break. Consider all the time you used to waste on your morning commute to work, which you no longer have to do. Keeping that same routine, and getting up early for work to exercise during the time you would have used to take going to the office can help keep your brain engaged in the exercise, and will make you feel better more awake you start your work day. You might even be able to skip that morning coffee!

3. Change the location you exercise in - If you're working out at home and don't have the luxury of a home gym as most of us do, any room with a clear floorspace becomes our fitness suite, and it can be draining having to worry about furniture or animals while exercising. Try changing the location you do your exercise in; if you're lucky enough to have a back garden, exercising outside not only gives you fresh air, but it also means you get some Vitamin D intake if you stay out for long enough. Spring is beginning to come through in the weather right now, with warm sunshine and clearer skies. Take advantage of it! If you don't have a back garden, a local park will work just as well.

4. Change the type of exercise you do - Do you have variety in your exercise, or do you stick to what you're comfortable with and rarely differ? If you're only doing the same HIIT workout over and over again, with no change to exercises or time working, then boredom will soon hit! Try going for a run instead, or dig out the bike from your garden shed and give it some love.

5. Get a workout buddy - Accountability is one of the best motivators. If you and a friend both commit to doing a set workout every day, or agree to go on a run once a week, you will have someone who can hold you accountable and will pop up and ask you if you've done it yet.

6. Step out of your comfort zone and try something new - There's tons of online exercise classes that are happening right now. HIIT, Zumba, Bhangracise, Yoga, Pilates, and more. With classes that are led by an instructor who can correct you and answer questions, why not try something that scares you? You might find your new favourite workout! I run my own HIIT classes on Zoom on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Have a look at my schedule page for more information.

7. Take up a challenge - There are lots of fitness challenges on social media going on right now. The one that I have seen the most is the #MindLockdownChallenge, which has evolved over each lockdown to keep motivating people to go. If you have a challenge you need to complete, and again, like with point 5, something keeping you accountable, you're much more likely to stick with it. I set free challenges for people to participate in on my app, if you're interested in joining, send me a message.

8. Do shorter workouts - Can't be bothered with a full half an hour workout? Just do a quick 10 minute circuit. Some exercise is better than none, and if you do that multiple times throughout the day, those active minutes add up!

9. Follow a video - If you're not feeling up to following along with an online class, where you could get lost and fall behind, following a ready made YouTube video that you can pause, rewind, and come back to later on to finish, it's a lot less stressful than online classes.

10. Take a break - Sometimes, taking a break from exercising to re-evaluate what your goals are and what you want to accomplish can be exactly what you need to help invigorate the fire to get you exercising. It's okay to take a week or two off, you might even find that you feel more energetic if your body is suffering from the effects of overtraining.

I hope that you find these tips useful. Let me know down in the comments what you do to help bring your motivation levels back up when they're feeling low. Thanks for reading!