How To Get Your Motivation To Train After All of Those Lockdowns
It's been a tough few years with all of the gyms closing down during the lockdowns.
We can only imagine how hard things have been for you to get motivated to train.
The last thing you want to do is head up to the gym feeling exhausted, frustrated, and angry. But sometimes that's just how we feel after everything has happened. So how can you get your motivation back?
Here are some tips on getting your fitness back on track!
Getting Your Mind Ready
The first step of getting the motivation to train again is to assess why you were training in the first place.
Do you want to lose weight? Gain muscle? Get better at your sport of choice?
Figure out what exactly it is that makes you want to get back into shape and remember those feeling!
Then, think about how this crisis has affected your health. Maybe it got worse because you weren't able to go to the gym anymore.
That's not good for anyone who wants a healthy lifestyle. Use that as motivation instead of viewing things negatively!
If all else fails, keep doing what you know works for yourself if there are no gyms open nearby or they're too expensive- do bodyweight workouts with friends or use workout videos online If nothing changes again during another lockdown, then you'll still be in good shape!
Plan Your Exercise For When It’s Easiest To Do
One of the easiest ways to get back into training after you haven't trained for a while is to plan when it's easiest for you. Some people prefer going in the morning, whereas others would rather go at night.
Maybe some of you have a specific time that they can get their training session done or maybe after work is best? Regardless, try and find what works best for your schedule so that there isn't any added stress from having to fit something else in around other commitments!
Don't Do Too Much Too Soon
Remember that we all take breaks because life gets hectic sometimes. So don’t feel bad about taking a break - just make sure it doesn’t last forever!
If you haven’t been active for a year then start off with really small goals like walking every day or trying home workouts before you even head to the gym.
Do something Active for 30 Minutes Every Day
One of the biggest mistakes that people make is not being consistent with their training, but the key to success isn’t always just about doing a huge workout session!
If you are struggling then try and do some type of exercise every day, whether it be walking or swimming - as long as it's something active for at least half an hour each time.
This way your body will slowly start getting used to movement again without feeling too overwhelmed by what's ahead.
Make it Easy to Exercise
The best way to do this is to be prepared. For example, if you going to training early in the morning, think about taking your fitness gear out the night before so that you don’t have to think about it in the morning.
Try and do as many things the day before so that all you need to do is get up and go, making life easier on yourself. This way it's not too much of a struggle when getting out the door!
Focus More on Your Nutrition
We know this might sound like an excuse for eating more but actually what we mean is make sure you are eating enough food!
Sometimes people don’t eat enough because they're exercising so much which can lead to decreased energy levels throughout the day.
So try and increase how many calories you intake while decreasing calorie expenditure (exercise) by doing less intense workouts or cutting back in general.
If that doesn't work then maybe look at increasing your calorie intake again with some extra snacks during the day if needed things start changing for the better!
Break the Process of Exercising into Chunks
If you find yourself lacking motivation then try and break what you're trying to achieve into chunks.
For example, write out these three goals:
- Do a walk every day for the next week
- Do one resistance training session per week
- Swap two of your long cardio workouts with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions instead.
Making each goal small enough will make it easier to not get overwhelmed or bored! 
Then once you have achieved them all move on and set some new ones - maybe this time adding running back in if it's been too long since you last did anything active?
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
Sometimes the best solution is just being honest about how you are feeling. We all know that there isn't any shame in admitting when something is too much, so don’t feel bad about reaching out if things get on top of you.
You have your friends and family around you who can support you throughout this time no matter what! So don’t miss out on asking them for a helping hand - after all, it's always good to have some extra hands ready when needed!
Do What You Enjoy
This one should really be at the top of the list because at the end of the day it's all about finding something that you enjoy doing.
Find an activity or sport that suits your personality and doesn’t feel like a chore then get stuck into it!
You'll find yourself wanting to do more because you are enjoying what you are getting up to rather than feeling obligated to take part - this way things will be so much easier in general, trust us.
Train With a Partner
It's so much easier to stay motivated when you have someone to train beside too. It can either be a friend or even your partner depending on who is available - but the best thing about this method is that it's always good for a laugh!
If things ever get boring then just start telling jokes, making fun of each other. This way training will always feel like something new and exciting again because there are so many possibilities with what you can do together.
Ensure You Get a Good Night's Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is important for lots of reasons but when it comes to exercise specifically, this can be the difference between feeling energised and ready to go or drained and exhausted.
So make sure you are getting enough hours in by using your bed only for sleeping - no watching TV or checking social media! Then feel free to get up early if that's what works best on some days while shutting down earlier on others after an intense day of training will give you time to recover too.
Mix Up Your Exercises So You Don't Get Bored
One of the best ways to keep things interesting is by mixing up your workouts.
If you find yourself getting bored or not looking forward to going then try and think about what other activities would work well for that time slot - maybe a new class, park run, pilates session, etc.? The possibilities are endless so see what works best!
Start New Challenges Every Month
Challenges can be really motivating because they force us out of our comfort zone which in turn helps us improve faster than we normally would without them.
So rather than doing one big challenge let's start small with monthly ones instead?
This way it won’t feel such a huge deal if you don't get around to completing everything on time but also means there will always be something to look forward to!
Doing 12 single challenges will get boring, but doing one every month means you'll finish them all eventually and won't have to start new ones until the next year. This way it feels like a mini-challenge each time rather than one long slog of motivation that might not last for very long at all.
Here's an Easy Exercise List:
- Push-ups and Baby Push-Ups - Push-ups help you build strength and muscle, especially for your arms.
- Sit-ups - sit-ups work on strengthening the main muscles of your abdominals.
- Jumping Jacks – jumping jacks help build stamina if you can do them long enough! They're a great cardio workout too.
- Squats – Squats are awesome because they tone every part of your leg but also require some balance so will give you an extra challenge as well as working those legs hard! Try holding weights to make it even more difficult if needed.
- Jump Rope – Jumping rope is one of the best ways to build stamina because you only need a jump rope to do it.
- Crunches - crunches work on strengthening your core muscles which will help with other exercises down the line too so worth doing them even if they're boring. Do as many reps as possible then rest before starting again or try adding weights across your chest while lying face-up on the floor. You'll still feel like you are getting results without having to make things more difficult than necessary!
- Swimming - swimming is another cardio workout that also helps tone muscle groups all over the body without too much effort.
- Chair Dips - Place your palms on a chair and walk your feet out a little way from it. Then, bend at the elbow and lower yourself away from the chair for between one and three seconds before straightening up again to return to starting position.
- Lunges – Lunges are great because you can do them without any additional equipment so they're easy but effective too! Try doing 12 reps on each leg then resting for 30-45 seconds before repeating two or three times more if needed.
- Side Plank - these are great for working your obliques but also help with balance and posture too. Try holding it for 15-20 seconds on each side if needed, again taking breaks in between sets when you need to.
- Rowing Machine – rowing machines build all-over strength and stamina so they're another really good choice even though they might not be as fun as boxing! The key here is just to keep doing them until your arms feel like jelly because that means you've worked hard enough for today at least which will make tomorrow seem much easier by comparison.
Wrapping Up
It can be hard to get back into the swing of things after a few months off.
There are many factors that go into why you stop training and how difficult it is to motivate yourself again, but after looking at some tips from others who have been in your shoes, there seems to be one consistent theme- getting started!
The Lockdowns have been difficult for everyone, but now is the best time to spring back into action.
We hope that these tips will help you get back into fitness after a little break. If you are looking for more ways to help motivate yourself, look at our previous blog posts on the topic of how to start working out again.
Happy training everyone!
