When your beloved teenage daughter comes to you for advice on overcoming exercise motivation slumps, this fitness-loving mama can’t help but do a little happy dance on the inside! Just the fact that she cares this much about being intentionally physically active, and for all the right reasons, is enough to make my heart swell. I guess I’ve done a thing or two right to instill this healthy habit in my baby from a young age!
I told her how proud I am of her commitment to her wellness and explained that we all experience these motivation slumps at times, no matter our age, fitness goals, exercise experience, or any number of other factors. There’s a very simple reason for this. We all share one thing in common: We’re human. I often say we can look to “our humanness” as a main foundational reason we struggle with any number of healthy lifestyle choices and behaviors. We get busy, distracted, overwhelmed, exhausted, insecure, fearful, stressed out, confused. So many descriptors of the human condition can get in the way of realizing our full wellness potential.
Lack of motivation happens to all of us at some time (maybe many times) in our life. Even fitness buffs or so-called “gym rats” can fall out of an exercise routine for one reason or another. Maybe it’s due to an injury or illness, pregnancy, extended family or work circumstances requiring more hours of the day and energy, burnout, boredom, that thing called “life,” and the list goes on and on. For some, it’s easy to just hop back into a fitness regimen when life normalizes again. But for most, it’s a struggle. Taking that first baby step can seem huge and insurmountable. Have you ever experienced this? Sometimes you don’t even know where to begin.
Like I said to my daughter, the good news is we all have options we can experiment with to find what works best for us. Let’s explore some options.
Support: Perhaps you need an accountability buddy from the start. A friend to drag you to the gym or exercise class. A neighbor to knock on your door each night for an evening walk. A personal trainer you give your hard-earned money to in order to help keep you on track. Or a loving, fitness nut mama who adores you and will support you every step of the way as you find your motivation sweet spot.
Consistency: Maybe you decide to go it alone instead and focus on a planned exercise routine that you work into your daily schedule just like any other meeting or appointment. This level of consistency might be what helps keep you motivated because you know that some type of exercise is a planned component of each day, no matter what. On days when you’re feeling your best, you’ll be motivated to put 100% into your workout. And on days when you’re not totally all in, you’ll still give it what you’ve got even if it’s not your peak exercise performance.
Flexibility: If you would feel overwhelmed by this daily commitment, though, you might choose instead to set a goal number of days to exercise per week, choosing the days organically based on how you feel each day. With this method, you’ll give 100% each time you exercise, helping you stay motivated for the next workout and preventing burnout or disappointment.
Environment: You might discover that your exercise environment is what has you feeling unmotivated. Maybe you currently exercise at home alone and would feel more inspired in a gym or group setting. Maybe you typically exercise indoors and would look forward to your workouts more if you could enjoy nature and fresh air at the same time.
Variety: Perhaps it’s simply your choice of activities that could use a revamp. Maybe jogging no longer excites you and a dance class or bike ride would get you back on the motivation train. Maybe the jogging is something you want to keep in the mix while also adding in some yoga and strength training. Variety and new experiences can go a long way toward boosting your motivation!
Equipment: Maybe you simply need some new supplies to perk up your motivation. A new pair of active shoes, updated exercise clothes, dumbbells or resistance bands for your home workout space, a new workout video or YouTube channel, or equipment specific to your active hobby might be just the trick to get you looking forward to your next fitness session!
My baby and I are exploring all these options together so she can discover her best sources of motivation and look forward to each and every time she moves her body in healthy ways. It’s truly a beautiful thing to see her embrace her wellness and build a wonderful foundation of healthy movement for life! Best wishes to you as you consider your own level of exercise motivation and how you might spice things up a bit. Share in the comments if you come upon some gems that might work for others too!
No spam here! Just occasional healthy tips to educate, motivate, and inspire you!
