Is your exercise routine feeling stale?
Let’s face it, workouts can be boring, and it takes a lot to keep most people going. When you have to do them one day after the next, it can be difficult to feel motivated. There is such thing as workout burnout. Find out what it is, how it happens and what you can do to make the workout a bit easier. That way, you can spot it in yourself and overcome it before it starts holding back your weight and fitness results.
Why we have workout burnout?
We are essentially creatures of habit. Habit is like a double-edged sword. We stay in comfortable ones and we take ages to develop new good ones. When it comes to doing something that is to our benefit like eating our veggies and exercising, we are so insufferable–ah–but there are things you can do like mind tricks and rituals to make the process more interesting.
How to prevent workout burnout
To make sure your exercises never become too dull to keep doing, there are many strategies you can use. The following are just some of the great ways to avoid workout burnout and keep things fresh while remaining motivated.
Switch it up!
If you are the type of person who is a cardio fanatic, you will certainly spend a lot of boring time on a treadmill. However, you may want to learn how to change it up a bit. Force yourself to get out one day a week to run, walk or jog outside in the fresh air. This will clear your mind and give you new scenery to enjoy–you know–maybe a park or a trail that is in nature.
Give yourself a new soundtrack
You can make a different playlist to work out to. Maybe a playlist for the weekend that is different from what you listen to on the week. Or, create a different playlist for every type of workout you complete. It will be much tougher to suffer from workout burnout when you always have fresh tunes playing in your ears. Make sure to match the music to the type of exercises you’ll be doing. The more boring the moves, the better the songs need to be to make up for it!
Change your training style
If you are a weightlifter, you may want to try something new like kettlebells in the place of regular free weight dumbbells. If you are normally an aerobics person then you may want to do a Pilates class. You may also want to research what muscle groups you are interested in working on. Once you figure it out–you can find several different workouts or disciplines to make things more exciting and also receive the same results.
For example, if you are working on your waistline or abs you should maybe consider a belly dancing class. If you are working on toning and lengthening your muscles, then you should probably take a Hatha or Namaste yoga class. The whole point is to change it up.
Give yourself a day off
As much as it’s important to keep up your exercising, a day off is important, too. In fact, it’s not only great for avoiding workout burnout, but it’s also fantastic for your body. Remember that every exercise you do causes micro-tears in your muscles. These aren’t injuries that hurt you enough to stop you from doing another workout. However, they do still need to heal.
Give yourself a day off from your workouts or dedicate one day to gentle relaxing yoga. This will give your muscles the time for repair – improving your progress and performance later on – and will help to keep your mind rested so you don’t risk feeling like your workouts are becoming dull and stale.
Create a fantastic workout space
Your environment can make a big difference with regards to how fun – or totally boring – your workout will be. If you’re looking at a blank wall, you’re not likely to feel all that enthused. However, if you’re looking out at nature so you can watch trees, birds, squirrels and other little animals, you’ll find that you’re feeling more recharged and the time passes faster.
If nature’s not your jam, plunk your exercise equipment in front of a TV so you can lose yourself in some video the whole time.
If you’re doing something that you can take outside, then take it outside! You’re more than likely to feel far more stimulated and motivated if you’re outside in the daylight and breathing fresh air.
You can still get the same benefit from what you have been doing but not have the workout burnout and be successful without falling off the wagon. Making your environment conducive to an effective and entertaining workout is the goal and you may just make it a lifestyle!
