Chances are you don’t enjoy EVERY workout you do. Some days it feels better than others. What you DO like is the feeling you get afterward and the changes in the way you look and feel. Even if you’ve exercised for years and don’t plan on stopping, you may go through an occasional period where you lose your enthusiasm for exercising – not just for a day but for days on end. Instead of gingerly lacing up your workout shoes, you have to muster up the motivation to work out. Even then, you’re watching the clock and not giving it your best effort. Exercise ruts happen to the best of us – but what can you do to break out of one and rekindle your enthusiasm for working out again?
Change Your Workout
One of the most common reasons people lose their enthusiasm for working out is simple boredom. You may have slipped into a “comfort zone” where you do the same types of workouts every week. Here’s the good news. Your brain (and muscles) will “perk up” when you give them new stimulation. Why not slip a new DVD into your player and try an entirely different workout? If stepping is your “go to” cardio, try a boot camp workout instead. Shake things up with a circuit-training DVD. Circuit-training, alternating cardio with resistance exercise, is one of the best ways to add variety to a workout because you’re constantly moving from exercise to exercise. It’s also an effective way to burn fat. Introduce change into your routine and rediscover why you enjoyed exercising in the first place.
Get Back in Touch with Why You’re Working Out
When you get into a rut, think about why you began exercising. Remind yourself of the benefits exercise offers – how it improves your health, your body composition and helps relieve stress. Then make a list of how exercise has personally impacted your life. Sometimes you need to remind yourself why working out is so important. Get inspired by other people. There’s nothing more motivating than reading about a person who transformed their body through exercise or a senior who’s still running marathons. Get fresh inspiration!
Set New Goals
Sometimes people lose their enthusiasm for working out because they’ve reached the goals they set out to achieve. Is that the case with you? Maybe it’s time to set some new ones! Be sure the goals you set are specific and measurable. Some people get disillusioned with exercise because they fail to set goals or set vague ones. Having specific, realistic, measurable goals can help you break out of an exercise rut by giving you something to strive for. There’s nothing like fresh goals to get you back into the exercise frame of mind. Don’t forget to keep a training log or journal. Watching your progress will help keep you motivated
Shorten Your Workout
If you’re working out an hour a day, cut back the time and increase the intensity. With high-intensity interval training, you can reduce the amount of time you’re working out and still get benefits. High-intensity workouts are real boredom busters too. They take you out of your comfort zone and give you an entirely new way to challenge your body – and get fresh results. Just don’t do high-intensity training every day. Alternate with lower intensity workouts that give your muscles a chance to recover.
Take a Break
If it’s hard to get up the motivation to work out, make sure you’re not overtraining. Overtraining not only has a negative effect on physical health – it can affect you mentally too. If you’re pushing too hard without allowing adequate recovery time, you may experience more than just fatigue and muscle soreness. Athletes that overtrain can experience loss of enthusiasm for exercise or even symptoms of depression. In fact, overtraining syndrome is sometimes referred to as “burnout.”
Take a close look at how many hours a week you’re training. Are you taking a full day off once a week and are you giving your muscles a chance to recover before working them again? Keep a training log so you’re aware of how much you’re exercising. At the same time, make sure you’re getting adequate sleep and nutrition. You’re going to enjoy exercise more with a rested, well-fueled body. If you’re overtraining, take a few days off or do a yoga or stretching DVD instead of your usual workout.
The Bottom Line?
Most people go through an occasional exercise slump or rut. When you experience one, it’s often a signal you need to change your workout a bit. Fortunately, there are so many ways to work out and you can do it from the comfort of your home with a DVD. Explore your options and discover something new and invigorating.
References:
Rice.edu. “Overtraining Syndrome”
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