5 tips for motivation in the gym

Blog | Justin Shaw, Sports Development Coordinator

We at SportUNE know better than anyone that some days you just don’t feel like the gym. Its ok, we aren’t mad – we get it. Motivation is sometimes hard to find and even harder to maintain. And while some days it’s ok to take time to relax, it’s also easy to take a few too many days off which results in it becoming daunting to start again! So here are 3 tips to get motivated and 2 tips to stay motivated.

Have inspiration

A key factor for motivation is inspiration. It’s good to have something that inspires you which can help to keep you on track when the going gets tough. Inspiration might be a person, social media account, song, or movie – whatever makes you feel the need… the need, for speed! Personally, what keeps me on track when I start losing motivation (yes they are a little nerdy) is I like to listen to the Halo Theme Mjolnir Mix, or I’ll watch Top Gun, and if I really need a course correction, then I pull out the Halo 3 trailer from 2006.

Set a small goal

Setting yourself a small, easy, and achievable goal can kick start your motivation. Shifting your focus from what you didn’t do, to what you did do is a great way to stay motivated. It can be as little as making your bed, doing 10 push-ups, or 5 minutes on the treadmill. Anything is always better than nothing.

The key factor in health and fitness is simply showing up.

Make a plan

Everything is easier with a plan. The gym won’t seem so daunting if you have your gym routine mapped out for you! It can be as simple as writing the days you will train on the fridge. We even have a few tips to writing your own gym plan here.

Keep a diary

Keeping a training journal can help you look back and see your progress over time. It’s always good to get that reality check and see how far you have come. These results will keep you motivated, seeing where you’ve come from can help you stay motivated for where you are going. Keep track of the reps and weight you’re using on each exercise. This also helps with progressive overload, so you can check your journal to see if you should be stepping it up!

Check in with yourself

It’s very important to look inward and remember why you started. Ask yourself how you are feeling, how you feel the training is going, are you giving it your best effort, could you be working harder, or are you working too hard? Here at SportUNE, our focus is health and fitness, AND in that order, and includes mental health. Some people use the gym to punch away the stress of the day. That is totally ok! Trust us, we can relate! But you can’t keep this up every day. Stress is like air filling a balloon. Even if you let the air out every now and then, the balloon will still stretch over time. If the air coming in is greater than the air going out, the balloon will eventually pop. We know some stress is unavoidable, but be realistic with yourself if it’s getting on top of you. Talk to someone, manage your stress, and get on top of it. We don’t want any of our members to pop!

And don’t forget to reach out to the team at SportUNE if you aren’t sure where to begin! We’re here to help.

Make one of our group fitness classes part of your workout routine!

See the timetable by visiting our website or speaking to one of our friendly staff members on (02) 6773 3856

Lifeline is a 24/7 mental health support hotline and you can call them on 13 11 14