10 tips to keep motivated at the gym

10 tips to keep motivated at the gym

So it’s reached that time of year when your gym sessions have started to slip. You started the year with all the right intentions, bought new gym wear and signed up for a new membership at the gym. I’m sure at that time you had every intention of seeing it through, sticking to it and getting that summer body, but as many people find out, life gets in the way and it can take real dedication to see those changes your looking for. So now you’re at that stage your finding more excuses to not go to the gym and gym motivation is slipping. So here are my top 10 tips to keep motivated at the gym.

Tip 1: Choose the Right Gym

Now this is actually a very important factor for keeping motivated at the gym. You need to choose a gym that ticks a lot of boxes for the right reasons. So many people make the mistake of choosing a gym solely based on price? It’s great to have a budget to stick to but you need to really think what you’ll actually be getting out of your membership.  You’ll get more value out of it, if you put more in.

You need to think about a gym, not just a place you go to workout but as a new healthy way of life. Think about choosing a gym that doesn’t just provide some weights, cardio machines and a few classes, but somewhere you can also relax, socialise and incorporate into your life. This way you’ll be happier to be there, feel keener to visit and won’t want to rush off afterwards. Choosing a gym with other facilities like a pool, wellness facilities, like jacuzzi, steam and sauna, a restaurant or coffee lounge, good facilities for children. These all help to keep you going, making you stay longer and happier to return to the gym, giving you the fitness inspiration you might need.

I’m personally a member of a David Lloyd Club. They have great leisure facilities to keep me motivated to return to the gym. An indoor and outdoor pool, jacuzzi, spa and sauna, a relaxing lounge area with restaurant including children’s soft play area, an adults only lounge, tennis and badminton courts, they hold great kids classes meaning I can book in my daughter to a class while I train. They also hold many social activities throughout the year, monthly kids parties, seasonal fun events, quizzes and parties. I can sometimes spend the day there using it as my office, it’s a great relaxing environment to work in!

 

Tip 2: Get dressed for the gym

When you get up in the morning put your gym clothes on straight away, even if you’re not feeling up to a workout, it’s much more likely you’ll head out to the gym if you’re already dressed for the occasion. Research suggests that our brains are susceptible to ‘enclothed recognition’, meaning in simple terms the clothing worn has an impact on the wearer, so if we dress the part then we are more likely to achieve those tasks we set out for.

Tip 3: Go as early as you can

If you’re able to, get up, put on your gym clothes and go to the gym first thing. Getting your workout completed early on in the day means it is done and out of the way. This allows you to enjoy the rest of the day knowing you’ve accomplished your workout for the day. The danger of leaving your workouts until later in the day is that you can find more excuses not to go. For example; you’re too tired, it’s cold outside, you’re hungry or you’re just too comfortable at home and can’t be bothered. Get up, do it early and feel good for it!

Tip 4: Find someone to train with

A great way to keep up your gym motivation is to find someone to train with. Having a partner to go to the gym with can really benefit you both. It’s much more fun having a buddy to exercise with, set your goals and track your progress together. On the days when you’re lacking motivation for the gym then a training partner can help push you on and give you the fitness inspiration you need.

 

Tip 5: Mix up your workouts

Try mixing up your workouts. Not only will you get bored from doing the same workouts week in week out, but so does your body. It’s a good idea to keep things fresh and interesting. Maybe try some new classes that you haven’t tried before. This can stimulate new muscle groups, break through a plateau, keep you from getting bored and you can reap the rewards.

Tip 6: Pre-book your classes

To prevent a loss of gym motivation it is probably a good idea to pre-book your classes. You can be super prepared by planning your week’s workouts including your meals. If you plan your week and book ahead, your much more likely to attend rather than just deciding on the day.

Tip 7: Incorporate some relaxation

As well as working out and exercising at the gym, it’s important to try and incorporate some relaxation into your workout routine. Your mental well-being is vitally important to keep you feeling tip top. Taking part in some relaxation classes like yoga or fitness, or going for a swim or chilling in the jacuzzi can all help to make you feel more relaxed. Maybe after training, rewarding yourself with a steam or sauna could be just the trick.

 

Tip 8: Don’t give up

Don’t get disheartened if you miss a day or two. Life can sometimes get in the way but what is important is that you don’t lose your motivation at the gym. Even if you can only make one session at the gym that week, don’t think that is pointless, still go and then pick up the pace the following week. It’s much harder to get back in the gym after a longer spell away. So if you have a busy couple of weeks lined up and you can’t get to the gym as much, still go, even if it’s just once or twice. It will be so much easier keeping the momentum going rather than having two or three week breaks here and there.

Tip 9: Book in a review session

It’s important to make use of your included PT sessions at the gym. They can make a plan for you based on your goals, fitness levels and circumstances. If things start to plateau or you start to lose motivation then make sure to get book in for a review session with your PT. If it’s booked in, you’re more accountable and more likely to go. You may also be pleasantly surprised at how far you’ve come without noticing. Whether it’s a loss of a few inches or your able lift that little bit more weight or add in those few extra squats. You’ll also get a fresh new workout plan to look forward to!

 

Tip 10: Track your progress

It’s important to track your progress to keep you motivated at the gym. The scales do not always tell you the truth behind what’s going on. You may gain weight but that’s because your building healthy muscle. Your fitness does not depend on the scales. Take photos of yourself, this is one of the best ways to track your progress. Even if you don’t feel like you’ve made much of a difference, you could be really surprised when you compare photos of your journey. Take measurements and set realistic goals, maybe smaller ones bit by bit, building towards that one main goal.

At David Lloyd Clubs they have a Boditrax machine that measures your body, including your fat, muscle mass, water, weight, BMI, it even works out your metabolic age. As you measure yourself over time, it saves the data in an app and you can track your progress. It’s a brilliant machine and sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised when you’ve lost some body fat, grown more muscle or knocked a few years off your metabolic age! Just the motivation to keep at the gym!

 

For some fitness inspiration and to motivated at the gym, read our review of the amazing new Blaze classes at David Lloyd Gyms here.

Read about why we love visiting the gym as a family here.

Thank you for reading my top ’10 tips to keep motivated at the gym’

Written in collaboration with David Lloyd Gym but all thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.

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