How To Get Lasting Gym Motivation? – 11 Best Tips (2023)

gym motivation

Working out doesn’t only give you physical advantages like increased strength and improved cardiovascular fitness – it’s also an excellent way to boost your mental health. Exercise releases endorphins that make you feel happy and energized; a gym break can help reduce stress, improve clarity and focus, and even empower you with self-confidence. Plus, exercising consistently is one of the most reliable ways to get a general sense of well-being. So don’t wait – start getting gym motivation today and see the difference that regular exercise will make!

Exercising can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding and enjoyable once you find lasting gym motivation. Unfortunately, many gym-goers struggle to stay motivated to work out over long periods, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

With the right approach and outlook, lasting gym motivation is achievable and can help enhance your workout experience. There are plenty of ways to find motivation, so read on for the best tips on discovering gym motivation that works for you!

Why Do I Have No Gym Motivation?

The reason why people fail with their good intentions lies in many areas. But the overriding reason is the same for virtually everyone. It’s not laziness or needing more time. The reason is that they don’t approach it strategically. First, they imagine what it would be like to be fit and think: from now on, I want to work out more often, and then I’ll get fit. Next, they go to the gym a few times and realize how difficult, time-consuming, and exhausting the whole process actually is. The high expectations are quickly thrown overboard, and it becomes more challenging each time. More time passes between each workout, and eventually, the subscription expires unused.

The truth is, getting in shape is a tough road. So you need every advantage you can get. For this reason, you need a battle plan, a strategy, because it’s not enough to rely on occasional bursts of motivation.

How Do I Stay Motivated To Go To The Gym Everyday?

If you approach it strategically and also deal with your own psyche, then your dream body and performance are not only achievable but far surpassable. So, let’s get into it:

1. Make A Very Precise Schedule Of Your Day

1. Tip for gym motivation: Schedule

You can’t rely on bursts of motivation! It will always work less than 50% of the time, which means it will get you nowhere. You absolutely have to make a schedule. The more detailed, the better. That means, instead of saying I wanna go to the gym after work, you write down in your calendar: I will be at the gym at 6 o’clock, and I will work out for 45 minutes. This leaves no room for not feeling motivated. It is to be seen as an appointment, not a choice. Once you finish the workout, you will be happy that you did it 100% of the time.

Making a schedule is even more crucial when you work out at home. Many people choose that option because they want to avoid commuting, and exercise equipment for a home gym is often more affordable than a membership at the studio. However, while buying a workout station and working out at home generally is a great idea, be aware that it requires some extra discipline.

2. Build A Habit

Building a habit of working out is ultimately what will make it easier to go to the gym when you don’t feel like it. The hard part is to get to this point, but it is essential to understand that gym motivation gets effortless over time. This is because of delayed gratification. Only when you work out for a considerable time can you experience the awesome feeling of being in shape, more energetic, and healthier. You build a habit by making the desired activity as attractive and satisfying as possible.

I highly recommend the book Atomic Habits for everyone who wants to learn how to build good habits and abandon bad ones in detail. The author is James Clear; you can look at the book here.

3. Get One Or Multiple Workout Partners

3. Tip for gym motivation: Gym buddy

A gym buddy can make a big difference because you are accountable not only to yourself but also to him/her, and the workouts are usually more fun. The tricky thing, however, is to find a good gym partner. If you really want to take your life into your own hands and work on your fitness, health, and well-being, finding a good workout partner can be challenging. Be careful that you only choose people who won’t let you be lazy and who are dedicated themself. You need someone that can hold you accountable and not someone to tell you it’s ok that you didn’t make it because you had a stressful day at work. Gym buddies can be a great help, but they must be carefully selected. You are better off training alone than together with someone holding you down.

4. Start With What You Can

Do you weigh 400 lbs? – No problem; start low and build up over time. Do you have bad knees? – The same thing; start low and go from there. You want to get results as fast as possible, but it is counterproductive to start too quickly. If your body isn’t used to working out, give it some time to adapt. Not doing so will result in pain, injury, and, you guessed it, a lack of gym motivation. Don’t be discouraged when you can’t do a single push-up. Start with what you can, stay confident, and trust the process. Even from things others wouldn’t call a workout, if you keep progressing, you will see results!

5. What Is The Best Motivation For Gym? – Set Goals And Write Them Down

Writing down your goals and progress is one of the best ways to have lasting gym motivation. Even on bad days, numbers don’t lie. So write down every workout and track your exercise weights, distances, and body weight. This can feel uncomfortable at first, but when you look back a couple of weeks from now, the satisfaction of having written down proof of your willpower and effort is unmatched by any external source of motivation.

Big Goals:

Don’t let anyone tell you to just set small goals. Small goals are important, but having a big vision is just as crucial. You must expose yourself by being honest and acknowledging that you are not nearly where you would like to be. It is hard to tell the truth, but only once you have defined and spoken out your dreams can you begin to aim correctly. Don’t be afraid of big goals!

Small Goals:

Small goals are the signals that you are on the right path. Reaching small goals has to be celebrated. So when you do your first 10 push-ups or run your first full mile, find a way to celebrate and enjoy your progress. But never mistake the achievement of small goals for your end goal. It’s ok to be proud, but then you have to go back at it and reach even greater goals.

6. Be Careful With Rewards

6. Tip for gym motivation: Be careful with rewards

Rewards are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they are important to keep morale up. But what many don’t know is that too many rewards are incredibly counterproductive.

A study examined the effect of rewards. Children who liked to draw were rewarded every time they drew something nice. What was observed was that the painting suddenly faded into the background. The children painted with less passion and just for the reward, and when the reward was removed, they completely lost the desire to paint.

What we can learn from this is that rewards can also be dangerous. Of course, the goal must be to go to the gym because you feel better and want to be healthy. But if you reward yourself generously after each workout, the reward can become the goal. As a result, motivation is never internalized, and the training remains an unpleasant chore rather than something to look forward to.

The best way to deal with rewards is to keep them relatively infrequent. Instead, save them for special occasions, like achieving small goals or a personal best. In the end, it boils down to finding a healthy balance.

7. Visualize Your Goals (Gym Motivation Wallpaper?🤔)

Visualizing your dreams is a continuation of writing down your end goals. If you’ve been honest enough to admit your actual goals, there’s nothing more potent than picturing them in your mind. You can do this anywhere, at work, when you walk up the stairs, on the treadmill, or before you sleep. For example, if you can visualize exactly what it will feel like to have a six-pack or how inspiring you will be to others when you lose 150 lbs, going to the gym will be that much easier.

8. Set Up Your Environment

To stay on the path to your fitness journey, you need to remove as many obstacles as possible. That means cleaning up everywhere you need to: 

  • Fridge: unhealthy and high-calorie food is banned and not re-purchased.
  • In the living room: The TV is put away, or the TV time is regulated precisely.
  • At work: Healthy food is pre-cooked if healthy meals cannot be purchased.
  • In the entrance area: The sports bag is packed and ready.
  • In the social environment: Contact with people who hold you back is cut back.

The environment plays a crucial role because no matter how determined you are, there are always weak moments. Then, it is essential to have already minimized the temptations in advance. 

9. Go Early Whenever Possible

9. Tip for gym motivation: Go early

Going to the gym early brings two benefits. First, you already have the workout behind you when everyday life begins. This is extremely helpful because it automatically gets done even when you don’t have enough time. Of course, it takes some discipline to work out in the morning, but when you’re done, your mind is clear, and nothing stands in the way of your fitness goals. 

The second advantage is that you don’t think about good excuses all day. It’s easier to go to the gym when you haven’t already worked, are exhausted, and maybe have a headache on top.

10. How Can I Increase My Motivation For Gym? – A Different Angle

The truth is, you won’t always feel motivated enough to go to the gym. There’s no way around developing a system to pull it off. 

If you ask athletic people how they muster gym motivation, no one will tell you that he/she is always motivated. The trick is to build a habit and stick it out until it gets easier. 

Eventually, you will look forward to most of your workouts.

Motivation comes and goes in spurts. It’s not reliable enough to use as a foundation for anything. So instead of looking for endless motivation, taking personal fitness and health into your own hands with a system and a little discipline makes more sense. 

11. Trust The Process

11. Tip for gym motivation: Trust

At the beginning of a fitness journey, the path seems infinitely long, cruel, and unfair. But with each workout, with each small goal achieved, the road becomes smoother and the path sunnier.

Pushing forward step by step is the key, and at some point, when you look back, you won’t even see the beginning anymore.

Lasting Gym Motivation – Summary 

The key to building and sustaining gym motivation to get in shape and stay fit is to set big and small goals, keep rewards infrequent, visualize your dreams and ambitions, set up an environment that supports your fitness journey, go to the gym early in the morning whenever possible and trust the process.

Achieving success requires discipline, a system, and consistency. Then, with time and effort, you can look back and see how far you have come.

I hope I could help you get motivated or, more importantly, show you what’s more effective than just motivation.

Good luck on your fitness journey!