How to Stick to a Workout Routine With No Motivation

“How do you stay so motivated?” The number one question I receive. And my response is always, “I don’t.”

I have plenty of days when my energy is low, my heart just isn’t in it, and it’d be easier to start my evening Netflix viewing a little early. 

But the reason I show up anyway is because I don’t rely on motivation. 

Instead, I rely on discipline and my understanding of the importance of consistency. 

Stop and take a moment to think of all of the things we do as adults that we probably aren’t ever motivated to do: teeth cleaning at the dentists, routine oil changes, taxes, scrubbing the toilets.

And then think of some of the things that we typically enjoy doing but can still feel overwhelming sometimes: washing your hair, completing your skincare routine, calling a loved one, going for a walk, meeting someone for coffee, reading a book. 

When you are overly stressed and your mind is overstimulated, motivation to do just about anything goes out the window. 

But you know what we still do during these times? We still shower. We still brush our teeth. We still eat and sleep (eventually). 

Why? 

Because we have to do these things to take care of ourselves. 

PSA: Exercise is an imperative part of taking care of ourselves. However, it’s easy to put it off and wait for “when you’re motivated” and “when you have extra time” because the consequences aren’t always as immediate as when your breath stinks from not brushing your teeth or when your check engine light goes on from skipping an oil change or a government official shows up to arrest you for skipping out on your taxes.

No, the consequences of little to no exercise can take time to show up, but when they do, they can be detrimental. 

The good news is lifting weights 30-60 minutes a week decreases your chance of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes by 20% (and 150 minutes a week is even better). 

One of my favorite fitness professionals frequently says, “Stop treating your body like you can trade it in when it breaks.” 

Which is why it’s so important to rely more on discipline than motivation. The same discipline that brings you to maintain good hygiene and go to work to pay the bills and keep your car running smoothly. 

If you’re nodding along in agreement but still wondering, “How?” I hear you. Learning what you “should” be doing isn’t the hard part. Actually envisioning how to implement it is the challenge as all of your obligations and obstacles start to flood your mind.

That's where I come in.

Work with me, and we’ll take time to narrow down your “big picture” goal. From there, we’ll break that goal down into basic, simple steps that you can start to implement into your day to help you get there. It’s not at all a taxing, overwhelming, flip-a-switch-and-change-everything-overnight process. Instead, it’s steady, progressive, sustainable, and rewarding.

But don’t take it from me. Take it from my amazing, hardworking clients! Click here to read what they have to say about their coaching experiences!

And click here to schedule a complimentary consultation. Together, we’ll figure out how to make exercise a nonnegotiable part of your weekly routine.