5 Tips to get out of a work out funk

Let’s face it, staying Fit is hard work! It requires a lot of effort, dedication and mental preparation. Above all, it requires patience because it takes some time to see the results we really want. Losing motivation is really common for a lot of people. This is known as being in a funk. Which means that you go from being extremely motivated to not being motivated at all. Ultimately, being in a funk is something that could get in between you and your goals. 

We’ve all been there, one day we are full of motivation and ready to commit to a healthier lifestyle, and the next day we don't feel lilke getting out of the couch. Personally when I first started working out I was super motivated. In the beginning it went super smooth. Working out was my favorite moment of the day and nothing could get in the way of me going to the gym. If you don’t know yet, I had a knee surgery which made it a requirement to work out (you can read my personal journey here).

The fun part about this was that my left leg which is where I had my surgery was much weaker and thinner than the right one. When I started going to the gym after surgery I could barely lift any weight. Seeing how in 1 month I was able to go from pushing 5 to 15 kilos was an even bigger motivation to keep coming back. Working out made me super happy which is why I went from 5 to 6 times per week. Until I slowly started to lose my motivation. I started going to the gym fewer times a week, and going seemed more like a hassle instead of something fun like before. I even was annoyed and demotivated being to the point where I would go home soon after I had arrived.

I couldn’t understand how this was possible. Why was I feeling so demotivated when a few months back I was extremely happy and fell with motivation? In order to understand what was going on, I went and did some research about why I could be feeling this way. This is when I found out I was in a workout funk! Obviously I wanted to get out of this Funk as soon as possible, so I did some research on how to snap out of this funk and this are the tips I found:

5 TIPS TO GET OUT OF A WORK OUT FUNK

1) Mix it up

It is important to understand why you are really losing your motivation.  One of the main reasons why people get into a Funk is because they are bored with their gym routine without even realizing it! To avoid this, try to switch up your routines and make them more challenging every month. This way you will be able to actually measure your progress and the gym won’t become a boring routine in your life. They key is to get out of your comfort zone and keep mixing it up!

2) Form habits

Exercising gets easier if you make it a habit. Think of it as brushing your teeth and how you always brush them before going to sleep at night. Going to bed is your cue to automatically brush your teeth. You should apply the same principle to exercise. So instead of saying to yourself “I am going to the gym” try to find cues that automatically trigger this behavior in your daily life. The benefits of using cues is that they help you do a certain behavior without having to put much thought into it. Not putting thought into something means that you don't have time to find excuses for not doing it!

3) Plan your schedule ahead of time

Life can get hectic and sometimes it may seem hard to find a balance between work (or school), enjoying a healthy social life, and on top of working out. Try to plan your workout schedule for the upcoming week during the weekend. I prefer to plan mine on Sunday evening so that Monday I start the week fresh.  When you plan ahead, you are more likely to stick to your schedule and get yourself to exercise.

4) Acknowledge your progress for bigger or smaller it may be

One of the main causes for losing motivation when it comes to exercise is not seeing the progress we would like to see as fast as we would like to see it. Instead of focusing on what you haven’t accomplish yet (those perfectly toned arms and abs) focus on your small accomplishments. Try to remember that big rewards will come slowly, but they will come.

Don’t focus on what you can’t do, but focus on the things you weren’t able to do before that you are able to do now. Maybe when you started going to the gym you could only lift 5 kilos and now you can lift 10. Or maybe you weren’t able to complete one workout circuit and now you can do it with no problem. Everything counts! Try to keep a positive mind and don’t give up. Feeling discouraged and in a funk because of your ‘lack of progress’ is not going to benefit you in any way and it will only make you stop out of frustration.

5) Make it a pleasant ride

Remember that to be fit and healthy is not a punishment. This means, that you don’t have to do anything you don’t enjoy doing. If you don’t like going to the gym, you don’t have to. Instead, try exercising outdoors or joining a fun fitness class. You also don’t have to always choose to eat a salad over a pizza.  Doing these things won’t make you happy and you won’t be able to keep doing what doesn’t make you happy for long. Which eventually will lead you to be in a funk and give up on your journey completely. So remember, do it YOUR way!

I hope these tips help you to get out or avoid a future workout funk just as they helped me. Remember that the key is to keep up a positive mindset and  consistency. Do you have any other tips? Let me know in the comments. The more the merrier!