Your Lack Of Motivation To Work Out Is Normal. Here’s How To Deal.
It’s ok if you feel like you lack motivation to work out right now. You are not alone. And in spite of the fact that it is 100% normal to feel this way in the middle of a global pandemic, I also recognize the fact that some of you might genuinely want to. You have the best of intentions. You know it would make you feel better. Maybe you even like working out??
Instead you lay in your bed and scroll through social media one more time. Then you read a news story that makes you sad and anxious, and take a quiz that tells you your quarantine name based on your current mood and the last snack you ate. That girl you went to high school with just posted another meme about making sure your jeans still fit by the end of the lockdown, and you’re annoyed. You feel guilty because it’s almost noon, you’re still in your pj’s and you have NO motivation to work out or to do any of the things you “should” be getting done during this time.
You are not alone.
In fact, I have a secret to tell you. This person I described above isn’t really you. It’s me. Actually, I suspect that it might be a lot of us. The truth of the matter is, motivation is a myth. It doesn’t actually feel the way any of us imagine that it might. I am a personal trainer, dance teacher, and yoga teacher. Movement is literally my job. It’s my passion. And I want you to know that I 100% do NOT bounce out of bed first thing in the morning excited to get moving. I will procrastinate with 8,000 other pointless tasks before I even head out of my house to walk my dog. Some days I stare at my kettlebell for at least 10 minutes before I finally decide that I’m gonna pick it up and practice my snatches.
Motivation does not always feel like a shot of espresso delivered by a sparkling rainbow unicorn.
But I do know from experience, that once you finally get yourself to do the thing, life can start to feel just a little bit brighter. This can apply to all sorts of things. The motivation to work out. Making your bed. Motivation to take a shower. Changing from your pajamas to a fresh pair of leggings. It’s the getting yourself to actually do it that’s the hardest part.
Please know that you are under NO moral obligation to work out right now or ever.
Don’t let anyone tell you that you have to. Movement is wonderful. So is training with intention. But it’s also ok to take a minute to chill, process, and let the glitter in the snow globe of your life settle before you make any moves. I also want to add a caveat to this: I think that when people like me make that statement, it implies that working out has to suck. It makes the assumption that movement isn’t something that really can make us feel good. But in many cases it really does. What if we reframed it as something we “get to” do, instead of something we “have to” do?
I know that some of you may be here because you can’t seem to find the motivation to work out, even though you genuinely want to. If that’s you, keep reading. I have some ideas to help you get started.
1. Have patience with yourself. You are literally trying to form a new habit.
Even if you were in the habit of working out before, this feels harder because it’s different. Before shit hit the fan, you may have had a routine. There were classes you liked to take on certain days. You would hit the gym after work. You had a freaking job. Many parts of your life were on auto-pilot. Your responsibilities were different. Give yourself a minute to adjust first. Then, decide what you might like your new habits to look like.
2. Remember that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
You didn’t fall off the wagon. There is no wagon. I see so many people go all-out with working out. Get burned out. Then do nothing at all. Recognize if this was the case for you before? Then give yourself permission to ease back in when you’re ready. Know yourself. And if this sounds like you, lower the bar. Start small. I’m willing to bet that you’d feel better about your habits and your life if you were consistently doing a little, rather than constantly yo-yo-ing between doing all the things and doing nothing.
3. You can do something totally different right now.
It’s easy to get frustrated when your sense of normal is cut off. You don’t have to pretend that soup cans are dumbbells and that online yoga classes are the same as in person unless you want to. It’s ok to shift your focus: perfecting your form instead of trying to lift heavier. Pivot to bike rides instead of trying to take a HIIT class. Keep your weights but take them outside? I don’t blame you if you don’t like tripping over dog toys trying to do squats in your living room. Neither do I.
4. It’s ok to ask for help.
Your friendly neighborhood personal trainer (hi, it’s me!) has suddenly found themselves unemployed and/or doing more work online. Reach out if you need some guidance. Many of us would be happy to write you a program, or schedule a Zoom training session or a coaching call with you. We have free options if that’s something you need, and paid options if you have the means to give back. I personally have a genuine desire to connect right now, and am probably giving away more free advice in my DM’s than I should be. I’m glad to do it. Don’t be afraid to ask. 🙂
5. Make it fun-sized.
You don’t have to make working out into a whole THING. Break it up into fun-sized bits over the course of your day. A stretch break before lunch? Some kettlebell swings in between work calls? It doesn’t have to take any particular amount of time to “count”. Doing just a little bit might be the energy boost you needed to remind yourself that moving really does feel good!
6. Stop trying to put yourself into a mold. Know yourself and honor how you work best.
You won’t have any motivation to work out if you’re trying to make yourself do shit that you know doesn’t work for you. You don’t have to work out in the morning if you’re not a morning person. Stop trying to force yourself to do it after work if you’re exhausted after work. Don’t feel like you have to participate in online classes if you already know you hate video workouts. Stop trying to plan your workouts yourself if you know you do better when another coach takes the guesswork away and writes the program for you.
7. Set a goal you’re at least 90% sure you can achieve and build on that.
Make sure your goal is a behavior based goal instead of an outcome based goal. Instead of saying that you’re gonna come out of this thing being able to do X push-ups, could you practice doing push-ups 3x a week? No? What about 2? 1? Set the bar low. Celebrate your wins. You can build on that later if you want to, or decide you’re doing good enough.
8. Schedule it, but be flexible.
Routine is something that can help you build a habit. Consider scheduling your workouts in to your life based on where you anticipate your energy and stress levels to be each day. If you’re feeling mostly ok, keep the appointment with yourself. You’ll feel likely feel better when you’re done. If you’re sick, give yourself permission to skip it. Not sure? Check out this post to figure out if working out or resting is right for you.
9. Stop listening to the “shoulds” and let your own unpopular opinions shine through.
Everyone on the internet (and EVERYONE is on the internet right now) has an opinion. You “should” be working out now. Shut up about your home workouts, you “should” be resting! You “should” take advantage of all the free online resources. You “should” love taking walks outside and YouTube yoga. Nope. Shut it out. Tune in to you.
The only thing you should know to be true right now is that whether you’re resistant to working out or clinging on to it as a way of coping with stress, your reaction is 100% normal and ok. If you know that your actions aren’t aligning with your values right now, take yourself through each of these points, and see if you can get yourself moving closer to where you want to be.
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