You’re too tired. It’s too cold outside. The gym is so far away. Your couch is calling you. We’ve all likely found excuses for not working out when we’re not in the mood.
“Low motivation to work out — or just not being in the mood — is common and normal,” says Amanda Capritto, an ACE-certified personal trainer and nutrition coach at Trainer Academy, who is based in Miami, Florida. “Even as a fitness industry professional, I am rarely fueled by motivation alone.”
Relying on motivation to fuel any behavior change can indeed be a pitfall, adds Greg Chertok, a certified mental performance consultant in New York City who works with athletes and coaches of all levels on mental toughness training.
High performers don’t wait for motivation to strike. Rather, they identify actions that align with their values and commit to following through by creating routines that encourage them to do so, he says. “We’d all be pretty unimpressive exercisers, romantic partners, or professionals if we only did the right thing when we felt like it,” he says.
That’s not to say that motivation is useless or that working out should often feel like a drag.
Research shows that intrinsic motivation in particular — or the drive to do something simply because you like to and not for some far off and theoretical reward like a “bikini bod” — is key to adopting an exercise routine you can sustain for life.[1] “Doing something for the sake of the task itself instead of boosting your ego works best,” says Sam Ryan, a master’s-level sports and performance psychologist with the Clontarf Rugby Club in Dublin.
But given that, yes, there are going to be days you don’t feel like sticking with an exercise routine, so here’s how experts say you can overcome a meh attitude and get moving.
It bears repeating: If you’re only exercising because you think you should, you’ll rarely be in the mood.
But paying attention to the tangible and more immediate gains (like a lifted mood or feeling a sense of accomplishment or more energized) compared with the longer-term ones (even the very valid ones, like longevity, disease prevention, and weight management) can mean that you’ll be motivated to work out more often than not because you’ll likely reap those benefits during the exercise itself, some research suggests.[2] “Switch from an achievement goal to an experiential goal, so that it feels like something that is going to nurture you and your day, as opposed to something that feels like a chore,” recommends Michelle Segar, PhD, a sustainable change researcher at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Saying you’re not in the mood to work out is often a guise for procrastination, Chertok says. So ask yourself: What am I trying to avoid? Physical discomfort? Judgment from others at the gym? The necessity of showering once it’s over?
Once you can name the real reason you’re not in the mood, you can address it. Maybe you remind yourself that progress only comes from discomfort, plan to wear something that makes you feel more confident, or simply invest in dry shampoo.
If your reason is more basic — you’re not well rested, fueled, or hydrated — address those needs and see how you feel, suggests Domenic Angelino, an ACE-certified personal trainer at Trainer Academy, who is based in North Providence, Rhode Island. “If you feel low energy, try having a healthy carb-dense snack to increase your blood glucose and prime yourself to feel more motivated to work out,” he says.
Source: everydayhealth
