How To Get More Excited About Hitting The Gym

Lee Do Hyun

Going to the gym or getting any form of exercise for that matter is one of the best ways to stay healthy and fit. However getting yourself motivated to actually go can sometimes be a challenge. You don’t always want to do it even if you’ve been cooped up inside all day long. For many of us, going to the gym is something that we do in January and February right after making New Year’s resolutions. But some people will struggle to stick with it consistently for one reason or another. The trick is to find ways to get yourself pumped before the gym so that you can continue to lose fat and build muscle long term.

Make It Social
You don’t always have to workout by yourself. In fact, training with a friend or partner may increase workout enjoyment and keep you both motivated and accountable. Studies show that when you make exercise a social event, people experience less stress and are more likely to continue exercising long-term. if you're someone who enjoys social interactions, you might want to get yourself a gym buddy.

Use Extrinsic Rewards
Depending on your personality, you can also try using extrinsic rewards. Though it may be the case for some, most people do not feel an intrinsic motivation to work out in that it’s not an activity that they enjoy in and of itself. However when they attach some sort of external benefit to training, it becomes more enjoyable.How you do this is very much up to you. You might reward your gym session during the day with a glass of wine in the evening. You could also make your rewards bigger. For instance, if you train so that you can run a half marathon in less than two hours, you might book yourself a lavish vacation. This is a form of self-kindness.

Drink Some Beet Juice
It might sound like little strange but drinking beet juice before a workout session can make it more productive. Rich in iron, magnesium, folate and antioxidant properties, it can improve athletic performance, control blood pressure, and increase blood flow. Studies have shown that beets also improve endurance, allowing you to push further than you otherwise could. You don’t need much either. Just a shot or two before your workout should do the trick.

Put On Your Headphones
Music is a powerful motivator in general and especially at the gym. Listening to music during activity has work-enhancing and psychological effects. Listening to music during exercise elevates your energy and can both delay fatigue and lessen the subjective perception of fatigue. It can increase physical capacity, improve energy efficiency as well as improve moods. 

Prime Your Body To Enjoy Working Out
Failure to prime the body is one of the big reasons why some people fall off a conventional exercise program. They see it as a painful chore instead of something of value. The trick is to prime the body to get excited about exercise. The best way to do this is to be gentle with yourself and follow a regular routine. For instance, you might go for a pilates class in the morning or a jog in the evening. Once you create a regimen, your body will naturally attempt to follow it, even on days where you don't necessarily feel like it.

Change Into Your Fitness Clothes
There’s an odd connection between dressing like you're rocking at the gym and actually rocking at the gym. This is a psychological phenomenon called “enclothed cognition,” which suggests that the clothing a person wears can trigger mental changes that positively affect their performance. So the simple act of just getting into your activewear can actually alter your mindset and motivate you to hit the gym.

This is a contributed post.

2 comments

Jackie Harrison said...

I have a small home gym which I use pretty much every other day. I stop heading to the gym due to covid-19 so this had been the best decision for me. I do miss the social aspect of it.

R's Rue said...

Great tips. Thank you.