Exercise programs often come to our minds during January because we want to start anew. We get all excited about heading to the gym during the first few weeks. However, sadly, only a few people sustain their momentum – some people quit too easily.
So, what can we do to help keep our focus on our fitness goals? Why is it that we find starting a fitness goal much easier than maintaining it? The answer will be revealed in this guide, which we wrote. We want to help you maintain your fitness goal, too, so read below to find out more.
Contents
Why is it often easier to start a fitness program than it is to maintain one?
You often ask yourself: what are the reasons why we easily quit a fitness program that we started? Why aren’t we finding the motivation to keep on doing it? There are two common answers: you get bored with your fitness program or you get physically tired too easily.
Imagine having to do the same amount of reps and sets every single workout day of your weekly plan. Now, imagine running on the treadmill with no music. And now, imagine if you are the only person around working at the gym, with no one to motivate you. These are recipes for boredom.
Workouts should be fun and exciting! If not, going to the gym will bore you to the point that you aren’t interested anymore. What exercise should be, in the simplest terms, is any activity where you are physically moving and exerting effort.
On getting tired easily, you’ve probably thought that “I can’t do this” and then proceed to quit. What you don’t realize is that you’re still at the low level and it is okay if you find it too hard at first. Experience is the best teacher and you will eventually get better.
How to not get bored or tired with your fitness program
So, now that you’ve realized that boredom and getting overwhelmed with workout intensity are both hurdles to maintaining a fitness program, what can you do about it? Here are our tips on making your fitness workouts fun, exciting, and consistent:
Choose a workout that you like best
Your workouts don’t have to be at the gym nor do they have to involve weights, treadmills, machines, and the like. Why don’t you try something that you like? For instance, if you love music then try some Zumba classes. If you loved jumping rope as a child then why not try workouts involving it as well?
A fitness program shouldn’t be standardized – it all depends on you. We think that you are your best training coach, at the end of the day, and you decide which workouts you will feel more comfortable with, depending on the fitness goal you want to go with.
If you don’t like hitting the gym and you’re more of a sporty person, you can also join your friends for a game of basketball, tennis, and the like. Sports can also be a form of exercise since you are working all sorts of muscles there while you are also enjoying!
Set the workout mood
There’s a reason why people go to the gym with headphones or earphones on – to listen to their favorite tunes while shredding fat or gaining muscles. Try playing your favorite mood-boosting tunes on Spotify or iTunes and you won’t even notice just how much you’ve walked on the treadmill.
You can also wear gym clothes that will help you focus more, such as hoodies (so you won’t be tempted to look at your body all the time) and a baseball cap (to keep your hair out of the way) – both of these make you stylish and give you a confidence boost when going to the gym.
Do you have other hobbies, likes, and pastimes that you can relate to your workouts? Perhaps you wanted to hit the gym because you enjoy watching MMA or wrestling shows and you have idols there. You could even want to take Zumba classes because you simply love listening to good beats.
If your fitness program or exercise has something related to your favorites, such as your idols, hobbies, or interests, it will help you to retain the interest better.
Get friends and mutuals involved
Aside from setting the mood and making the workout fun, it helps to have someone beside you (a gym friend or mutual) to help motivate you further. They don’t have to be a professional trainer – just someone who also goes to the gym with you or does the same kind of exercises or physical activity.
Oftentimes, people quit their memberships because no one else is there to say “hi” to at the gym. Without a gym buddy to help push your limits, you’ll likely quit as well in no time. Therefore, it helps to have someone – even a new acquaintance – to keep you company throughout your workouts.
Have patience and practice some more
If you’re the fitness program quitter who quit because you “just can’t do it”, think again – you might not be giving it enough chance. Anything is difficult and overwhelming at first – it could be a wrong choice of fitness program or your lack of patience.
What you need to do is to give it a little more time. For example, if you can’t do 6 reps at first then it’s okay! If you can’t lift a certain weight yet, it is fine! Start with the basics first and don’t expect to be like everyone else right away – give yourself some time and you will eventually find it easier.
Any skill requires months to years of practice – this is especially true for any kind of physical activity. Don’t feel distressed if you aren’t as strong as your gym partner just yet!
Conclusion
Combine patience with fun activities that you like, your interests, some great music, and friendly colleagues – you will get a fitness program that you wouldn’t want to skip anytime soon. We hope that this guide helped you in your fitness journey!
