Motivation to exercise can be tough to find sometimes, especially if you’re tired or just can’t see the point of it all. If you’re tired and unmotivated, don’t throw in the towel just yet! Try these eight ways to get motivation to exercise when tired, and you might just find that the difference between feeling tired and inspired are as simple as your mindset!
Exercising In The Morning
Exercise In The Morning
You should try to exercise in the morning before you start your day. This way you won’t have a chance to get tired and de-motivated.
In fact, if you want to maximize your energy levels, try using exercise as a way to wake up in the morning. (1)
Make It Fun
With a buddy or partner, you’ll make sure that there’s somebody who’ll keep you accountable.
If your goal is to improve cardiorespiratory endurance and muscular fitness, then dancing is a great idea.
If you like running, running will be your preferred choice.
Make It Musical: If you can get moving to the beat of Taylor Swift or One Direction, it will make exercise more fun.
Have A Sense Of Humor About It: This goes hand in hand with the first tip—with friends around, you won’t take your workout so seriously and will enjoy yourself more. And this can help with your motivation if things don’t go 100% as planned.
Transforming Exercise Into A Game: If you can turn a boring activity into something that feels like a game, it’s much easier to stick with it long-term. Think about how popular video games are…if playing video games burned calories (quick side note—you can actually do this by using virtual reality) everyone would be in shape!
Set Goals For Yourself: When I was training for my first marathon I made sure to track my progress as I ran longer distances each week leading up to the race day. This gave me even more motivation because I didn't want to let myself down...and also helped me feel prepared for when the big day came!
Don't exercise alone
You can't use being tired as an excuse NOT to exercise anymore, because there are SO MANY ways to get energized for a workout—and most of them involve doing it with someone else.
It's no secret that working out with other people is more fun and more motivating than hitting the gym by yourself. But even if you think you're lacking in friends or family who work out, there are still plenty of group classes you can take—or new people to meet online through social networks.
Change It Up
When it comes to getting motivated, I’ve found that adding a new type of exercise to your routine can do the trick. For example, if you’re used to doing weight training and cardio, try adding in yoga or Pilates. If you’re someone who normally runs outdoors, consider hitting the pool and swimming some laps instead. Whatever activity you choose, make sure it’s something that’s different than what you usually do. The idea is to try something new so that when you come back to your usual routine, there will be something invigorating about it because it will feel different from before. (2)
To help keep things fresh as well as give yourself some structure and accountability for your workouts (which also helps with motivation), consider joining a gym or fitness studio like Crossfit or Orange Theory Fitness and following their workout programs. Not only will this ensure that you get a great workout where the exercises are laid out for you in an organized fashion, but by paying for these programs upfront each month it creates an incentive for you to go so that you get your money's worth!
Talk Yourself Out Of It
Instead of thinking about what you don’t want, try to think about what you do want. What do you really want to get out of exercising? You will feel better, you will see results, and your energy levels will increase.
Another thing that might happen is that you start noticing how your body feels if you don’t exercise regularly. You will feel sluggish and tired more easily than if you were working out.
You can also ask yourself how your body will feel if you do exercise? Energized!
Reward Yourself
Get motivated to exercise by rewarding yourself.
If you want to get toned and lean, try rewarding yourself after every other workout with a small treat, such as a nice meal or going out to see a movie. You can also give yourself bigger rewards, such as taking a vacation or buying new clothes, once you reach specific goals. You may even want to reward yourself with something as simple as self-love affirmations after each workout so that you can connect the idea that working out should make you feel great about yourself!
Find Energy Boosters
If you're a big fan of exercise, but you lack the energy to do it, try one of these six energy boosters.
Drink more water. Though it sounds simplistic, drinking water may be the best way to increase your energy. If you're dehydrated--and most people are--your body won't be able to perform optimally. Water is essential for digestion, circulation, proper functioning of your brain and heart, and removing wastes from your body. Many people think they have fatigue when they really just need more water! Be sure to drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day--more if you exercise or live in a hot climate.
Get some rest. It's not a coincidence that people get sleepy after eating a large meal! Going through the process of eating burns calories and requires energy from your body; once you've finished eating, rest allows your digestive system to concentrate on its job instead of competing with other systems for energy resources
Eat healthy foods. Candy bars and sugary snacks may provide an initial shot of energy (along with a crash shortly thereafter), but complex carbohydrates such as whole grains give your body slow-burning fuel that will keep you energized all day long without causing highs and lows in blood sugar levels
Be Flexible
To succeed at getting your workout done, you have to be flexible with everything from what you’re doing to where and when you do it.
Be flexible with your fitness routine. It might not be possible for you to get in that cardio session, or that lift at the gym after work. Explore stretching, walking, and other ways of being active that aren’t as high-energy. But don’t limit yourself.
Be flexible with your goals. You may not be able to make it to the gym for a body building strength training session every day; but maybe something else is possible? Check out online videos of Pilates classes or yoga sessions instead!
Be flexible with your time: If you can only get in 15 minutes, then focus on those 15 minutes. Don’t worry about how long it takes—just get the ab and arm workout done! Or even just 5 minutes if necessary - don't let yourself feel bad if this is all the time available today!
Be flexible with location: Do some stretches while watching television at home instead of going out on a run around town; take a walk in the park instead of swimming at the community center pool; do an ab workout lying on your living room floor rather than using weights in the basement rec room.
Learn from Other
In general, we all have a limited amount of time and energy to expend. Which means that if you have to choose between exercising and catching up on your favorite TV show, don’t choose exercise. Remember: Exercising when tired is good for you, but exercising when exhausted will just drain your energy even more. If you find yourself perpetually lethargic or low on motivation, learn from others by talking to people who are happy with their fitness levels or hearing tips from other successful fitness fanatics.
Final thoughts
So, there you have it! Nine ways to get motivated to exercise when tired. But the most important thing to remember is that it's all about finding what works for you. Experimenting with different strategies and approaches can be a fun way to spice up your workout routine—and who knows? Maybe in the process, you'll discover something new about yourself.
So go forth, brave warrior! Keep showing up for yourself and your fitness goals, even when you don't feel like it. That's how the magic happens.
Happy exercising!
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