Are you stuck in a workout rut? If your workout is becoming a bore and you are having a hard time getting excited about exercising, perhaps you need to tweak something about your schedule or routine to reignite the fire you once had about getting in shape. There are several things I do to pump myself up when I start feeling that way. First I try to figure out what is at the source of my “blah-ness”. Am I busier and more stressed than usual? Have I been eating horribly? Have I been doing the same workout for too long?
If you’ve been stressed out, remind yourself of how great you would feel after a short cardio session. Even 20 minutes is better than nothing at all so try not to hold yourself to your usual duration since it can be overwhelming. I find that downloading several new songs to my iPod ALWAYS gets me charged for a run, bike ride, etc.
If you haven’t been feeling enthused because your nutrition has been sub par, it may be a good idea to go shopping for healthy food to stock your fridge with. Then eat a good meal and reset your frame of mind with a gratifying workout.
Doing the same workout for more than a week or two will lead to certain boredom. If you are sick of taking yourself through the same old routine, grab a pen and paper and write out a new plan that you can get excited about trying. Mix it up! Add some cardio activity in with your strength training or pick a new time of the day to train. This may be all you needed to get the blood pumping again.
Bottom line, we all have ups and downs with fitness. Sometimes we are so into it and can’t wait to workout and other times, we think we will never lace up the sneakers again. It’s mental. If you can change your attitude, associate positive feelings with exercise and pull yourself out of your slump, you will be able to get back on track a lot faster and on your way reaching your goal.