Activity is nothing less than the stuff of life. Regular exercise keeps us feeling younger, elevates our mood, and boosts our immune system. But occasionally, anyone can find themselves in a rut. How can you reinvigorate a workout routine that no longer excites you? We have five ideas to try:
Mix Up that Playlist
Try Spotify or Apple Music to get pre-created playlists or ask a friend to send you theirs. Sometimes, a brand new heart-thumping track is precisely what you need to make your workout feel fresh. Experiment with a new genre—you might be surprised at what motivates you.
Some publishers even offer motivational music with the VoiceOver narration of a coach. Check out “Motivational Runs” by Paralympic Gold Medalist, Blake Leeper, for a start.
Set Tiny, Short-term Goals
Training is only so motivating without a goal. A race that’s far off, or a goal like “get swole” might be too vague to keep you mentally present day after day. Instead, try small goals that you can meet in just a single workout or a single week. Here are some ideas:
- Get to a specific heart rate three times in every workout. If it’s a lifting day, this means you’ll need to throw in some cardio into our circuit.
- Slow down and stretch for a full ten minutes after each workout.
- Try one new machine or one new exercise each day.
- If you’re really stuck in a rut, drop the pressure and just challenge yourself to be active for a set amount of time each day that week. Backing off your intensity might be exactly what you need to rediscover your enthusiasm.
- Set a timer and try to complete your entire workout in less time. Not only will you work a bit harder, but you’ll also finish sooner.
Tiny goals can be even more effective with little rewards thrown in. Treating yourself to a new tank, a yoga class, a rest day, a book, or even a nap are all low-budget options that can help motivate you to get that “perfect week” on your tracker.
New Threads
We know a thing or two about workout clothes—especially how motivating they can be when they make you feel amazing.
If you’ve been wearing the same sad gray hoodie you inherited from that college roommate, it’s time to up your game.
While new clothes can be motivating on their own merit, deciding what to buy for your sport of choice is half the fun. Researching fitness influencers on Instagram can inspire not just your outfit selection, but your exercise routine. And buying from an Independent Rep is like having a personal shopper to help you select the perfect outfit for your shape, tastes, and sport.
Buying new workout clothes is rarely just about the clothing–it’s about taking the time to figure out what you want and investing in your continued self-improvement. And that feels pretty darn good.
Mix In Intervals
Doing anything at the same pace for an hour can be mind-numbing. Even if you’re not trying to increase your speed, intervals can be great boredom-buster and add a fresh challenge to your workout. Outdoors, landmarks can make good interval challenges—3 house-widths of effort, then six houses of recovery. Indoors, use the music to set the interval pace—high efforts through the choruses and lower efforts through the rest of the song.
If you want to get silly, you can use other people’s behaviors to set the intervals—every time you see that guy over in the free weights taking another selfie, sprint thirty seconds.
Make it Fun-forward
Too often we fall into the trap of exercise for the sake of exercise. If this sounds familiar, it’s time to make your workouts more fun-forward. Focus more on what pleases you and less on your Strava results with these ideas:
- Invite a friend: even if they’re not on your skill level. Teaching someone else your sport can reignite your love for it.
- Keep it seasonal: make time for a healthy dose of swimming, skiing, or whatever is “in season,” so your workouts always feel varied—just like your diet.
- Multi-task: If you’re contemplating ditching your workout to catch some couch time, compromise by streaming your favorite show while you hit the bike or treadmill. Will it be your best workout ever? Of course not, but it will be miles better than skipping it altogether.
- Change of venue: Anyone would get tired of biking the same 6-mile loop around their neighborhood. Treat yourself by carving out time to drive a few minutes away for a fresh route each week.
Activity is one of Zyia’s founding pillars, and embracing it is at the core of everything we do. We hope this article has inspired you to keep moving, and we hope you’ll share your efforts with us by joining our Summer to Shine Challenge. All you have to do it post on Instagram, tag @Zyiaactive, and use the hashtag #ActivityZyia. We’ll be giving out amazing prizes each Friday, live in our Facebook group. See you there!