When Motivation for Exercise Tanks

“This is the last thing I want to do right now”

— Me

That’s how I was feeling on Monday at 6:30am when I was getting ready to exercise.

• I was tired from 3 days of driving

• It was already 80 degrees outside

• The humidity made the garage gym a sauna

• Front squats and lunges were on the agenda

If you have exercised more than one time in your life, you’ve experienced what it’s like to have zero motivation for it.

Here are 3 things that have helped me push through when everything inside and outside screams “no”.

1. Make it easier to start

The more time it takes to start, the more time excuses are given to grow.

Here are some things that help me:

• I wear exercise clothes in the morning

• I exercise barefoot

• My workout plan is prepared

• I exercise at home

With these things in place, it takes me ~3 seconds to walk to my home gym and start.

2. Don’t do it alone

The more isolated I feel when exercising, the less likely I’m going to do it.

No one has steady motivation every day.

Find someone to help keep you on track.

My wife and I have been exercising together for the last 4-5 weeks.

That’s been an awesome help.

3. Motivation comes after

This is the biggest mistake I see with motivation.

We expect to feel energized before the workout begins.

But we actually have the most energy when the workout is over.

That feeling of “motivation” is a reward when the work is done.

If you liked this, check out the Layman’s Fitness Newsletter, where I release similar content like this every week.

The information provided in this article is for informational and educational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.