Are you experiencing a work out rut? Staying consistent with your fitness routine over a long period of time can be difficult. Especially if you just got back from vacation or something happens to break your routine, or maybe you just get bored with the same old routine. Don’t worry, this can happen to everyone! We put together some of our favorite tips, and the tips of some of our awesome fitness enthusiast clients to help you break out of a work out rut.
Reboot your playlist –
Press refresh on your playlist, update it with some new songs. Having a great playlist helps your mind have something else to focus on and may reduce how much effort you feel you’re putting into the workout. The faster the beats the more intense the workout, you will find yourself syncing your movement and intensity with the music which can improve your workout!
Workout with a friend –
Having someone else there to hold you accountable to showing up can be a huge help! Pro Tip: Choose a friend you consider more active or fit than you, that way you will be motivated to step up your game.
Change of Scenery-
Javi Miller-Estrada of Ignite Performance says, “When I find myself in a workout rut, I try and change up my routine or scenery… I’ll go boxing, or hiking and that will refocus and reinvigorate my workouts.”
Take an active rest –
Make sure you are giving your body ample time to recover, if you are over exerting yourself this will likely lead to burnout or injury. Take your rest time seriously! Consider incorporating something like Whole Body Arctic Cryotherapy or Compression Therapy to aid your body in recovering and help avoid a future workout rut.
Enlist a trainer –
Sometimes all you need is someone else to help encourage you to keep going. Julie Xander of LifestyleJules.com says, “You don’t get what you wish for, you get what you work for.” So, if you can’t seem to motivate yourself to put in the work, have someone help you!
Get more sleep –
Getting enough sleep is key when you need to motivate yourself to have a good workout, not too mention lack of sleep can actually increase your risk of packing on extra pounds. Waking up well-rested will likely influence how you feel about getting yourself to the gym.
Set small goals and remember why you started –
Many fitness enthusiasts find that setting small goals helps keep them motivated to work out. @froyotofitness says, “when I find myself in a workout rut I write out new goals for myself and put them in a place I can see them everyday. This keeps me accountable and is a constant reminder to get my workout done!”
Remember your “why” –
@michaelnester says, “When it comes to working out or fitness you won’t always be extremely motivated or performing at level that you want to or are used to. We all go through it and just kind of go through the motions and begin to get down on ourselves about it. When these times come (which they will) my biggest piece of advice that has gotten me out of these times is to take a moment and remember why you started!”
Similar to setting goals, having a specific reason why you are committed to your fitness routine can be helpful. Maybe it is to be healthy and strong enough to continue playing with your grand children? Maybe you want to check running a marathon off your bucket list? Whatever it is, keep your “why” in mind.
