How to Stay Motivated at the Gym

At one time or another, every athlete struggles with motivation. Pulling on your gear, travelling to the gym and grinding through a tough workout just doesn’t feel as exciting as it once did. 

If you’re struggling with gym motivation, you’re not alone. According to one UK survey, over a fifth of people said lack of motivation was a top reason for avoiding gym sessions.  

The good news? There are tons of ways to find your fitness motivation again. In this playbook, you’ll learn how to find motivation to exercise when you’re in a training rut. 

What’s the blocker?

Before you think about how to keep motivated to exercise, it’s useful to figure out why you’ve lost the spark. 

When did you start feeling this way about training? Has something changed? 

There are tons of reasons people lose motivation at the gym, including:

• Boredom: You’re following the same routines each time you train. 
• Lack of progress: You’ve hit a training plateau and aren’t getting any fitter, faster or stronger.
• Lack of structure: You’re going aimlessly from one station to the next, without any obvious direction. 
• You don’t like the environment: Maybe your gym plays bad music, it’s too bright, busy, or there’s something about the vibe in the space that you don’t enjoy. 
• It’s hard to get to: Travelling to the gym takes as much time as you spend there. 

If you can find the specific reason that you’ve lost motivation, you can try and find a solution to that. 

10 gym motivation ideas that work

At Under Armour, most of us are gym goers. We asked around team members at UA HQ for real-world ideas for exercise and motivation that actually work. 

1. Habit is more important than motivation

This might sound counterintuitive, but hear us out. Plenty of research supports the idea that habits trump motivation when it comes to sticking to long term goals. 

Motivation is good - it inspires you to start. But it’s also fickle and can fade. 

On the other hand, habit is much stronger. If going to the gym is just a part of your routine that you don’t need to think about, it’s far more likely you’ll keep going - even on days when you’re not full of energy. 

How to do it

Make going to the gym a habit. Research suggests that habits tend to take about two months to form - but it can take more or less time. Set yourself a goal to consistently go to the gym three times a week for the next two months. Once that time is up, you will (hopefully) have formed a habit that sticks for the long term. 

2. Find your ‘why’

While it’s true that habit is more important than motivation, it is still important to think about why you’re going to the gym. You can use this to remind yourself of your reasons - especially on days when it’s not so appealing. 

How to do it

Think about your real reasons for wanting to get fit. For most people, there’s more than one thing that comes into it, and your reasons might change over time and at different life stages. Here are some examples: 

• Long term health: It’s well-established that regular physical activity improves your overall health, reduces your risk of disease and increases your chances of living longer.
• Self confidence: You want to prove to yourself you can set a goal, then push past it.  
• Mental health: Regular exercise is well-known for its mental health benefits - be that stress, anxiety or depression.
• Family reasons: You want to be able to pick up your kids (or grandkids) or play with them without getting out of breath.

3. Introduce some variety

If you just do the same routine each time you hit the gym, you’re going to get burnt out. By mixing things up and trying new kinds of training, you might just find that excitement again. 

How to do it

There are tons of kinds of gym training and fitness programmes you can do. Here are just some examples:

• Try doing functional training that builds you strength and mobility for everyday life
• Get into plyometrics - workouts that focus on jumping
• Do some high intensity interval training (HIIT)
• Try mastering different kinds of machines or movements
• Become a pro at bodyweight exercises

You might like: How to master the bench press

4. Make it more social

Training with other people adds an element of competition, motivation and fun to your sessions, which can make going to the gym more appealing. If you train with a buddy, they can work as your ‘spotter’, to ensure you’ve got good form. And gym classes with groups of people offer more structure, and you can feed off the energy that comes with a bunch of people training hard. 

How to do it

Most gyms will offer a range of classes (from HIIT to circuits to indoor cycling) - see what’s on this week and sign up to sessions that appeal to you. If you have a friend (or romantic partner) who you know is reliable and can train at the same time as you, why not ask if they want to hit the gym together?

5. Train in different places

Sometimes, it’s the gym itself that is the blocker to your motivation. If you live far from a gym, then the time it takes to get there and back can be seriously offputting. Or there might be something about the vibe in a specific gym that just doesn’t feel good to you. 

The solution? Train somewhere different. 

How to do it

The gym definitely isn’t the only place you can train. Here are some alternative ways of doing it:

• Set up a home gym: Invest in some essential equipment (dummbells, a kettle bell, and maybe a bench if you have space) and you can actually train most of the muscles you’d work in a regular gym. 
• Go to outdoor gyms: In many parks you can find outdoor gyms that include pull up bars, chest press, leg press and similar equipment. 
• Join outdoor classes: Individual PTs, military-style bootcamps and other outdoor fitness clubs will help work you just as hard as a regular gym session. 

6. Plan your training

A common reason people lose gym motivation is that they find they’re training aimlessly. This means it’s harder to see progress or feel like you’re achieving anything. 

How to do it

Before your next gym session, sit down and work out some specific fitness goals (this could be anything - lifting a certain weight, adding muscle or running a certain distance on the treadmill). Next, work out a plan to achieve that goal. As you gradually build towards that goal, your training sessions will feel more purposeful. 

7. Reward yourself 

You train hard - and you deserve a reward. Giving yourself a ‘gift’ for your efforts can be super motivating and encourage you to keep pushing to the next level. In fact, several studies have shown that reward-type incentives can motivate people to exercise more. 

How to do it

Your reward should feel ‘earned’, once you’ve hit a specific goal. That could be:

• Building up to run your first 10k on a treadmill
• Doing three gym sessions a week for a month
• Working up to lift a specific weight

The reward itself should also be something that enhances your training. Ideas for rewards could be things like:

• A healthy, high-protein meal at a favourite restaurant
• A new pair of gym shoes
• Performancewear that enhances your training - be that tops, bottoms or tracksuits
• A new water bottle, gym bag or sweat band
• New headphones to listen to your training music

8. Train with a PT

At most gyms, there will be multiple personal trainers who can guide you on achieving your specific fitness goals. If you struggle with fitness motivation or want help getting back into the gym after a break, a PT can help you design a personalised plan. 

How to do it

Check the notice board at your gym or simply ask at the desk. You can also check online and on social media for independent PTs near you, who’ll offer training and support in local parks. 

9. Build it into your routine

As we discussed above, you’re more likely to go to the gym if it’s a habit. And this is even easier if you build your gym sessions into your daily routine. 

How to do it

This is all about making training a part of everyday life. Here are some ways to do it:

• Block out time in your diary: Make it so you have specific times each week that are dedicated to the gym - Monday evening, Saturday morning or whenever. Don’t book anything else in your diary, but always keep this time free for training. 
• Set your gym gear out the night before: If you struggle with gym motivation, it’s helpful to pack your gym bag with your training shoes and performancewear the night before and leave it by the front door. You’ll be way more likely to go if it’s packed and ready. 
• Fit it around work/uni: Rather than travelling from home to the gym (let’s be honest, getting off the couch is hard!), fit it around the rest of your life. If you’re already out the house, it’s far easier to motivate yourself to go before or after work/study, or on your lunch break. 

10. Just start the process of getting ready

If you’re sitting at home feeling like you should go to the gym but can’t quite do it, just start getting ready. 

Tons of psychological research shows that when people just begin doing the first steps of an activity (known as ‘task initiation’), they start building momentum and are much more likely to complete it. 

How to do it 

Stop telling yourself that you must go to the gym - this feels like too big a task. Instead, simply focus on the small first steps of getting ready - which is way more achievable. This is as simple as putting on your gym socks or packing your bag. Once you’ve got the ball rolling, the rest will follow. 

How do you get motivated to work out?

It is totally normal to struggle with gym motivation from time to time. But by trying some of our fitness motivation techniques, you can find that spark you need for getting back into the gym. 

Gym motivation FAQs

How do I get motivated to work out? 

The best way to get motivated to work out is to find your ‘why’. What’s the true reason you want to get fit and train? This can be your guiding star, and help you remember the reason you’re doing this. But remember that motivation can fade. Try and turn working out into a habit - that way it’s much more likely you’ll keep doing it. 

How do I stay motivated at the gym long-term? 

To stay motivated at the gym long term, we recommend setting specific goals that you can work towards over time. This means your training is structured and directed towards a specific outcome. But we’d also advise adding in some variety and new challenges, trying different kinds of training. Classes, in particular, are a great way of doing this. 

What should I do if I lose motivation?

Don’t beat yourself up if you lose gym motivation - even professional athletes struggle with this from time to time. Start by giving yourself a break - perhaps a week without going to the gym. But spend that time thinking and planning. Work out your true motivations for exercise. Then set yourself goals for what you want to achieve.  

How do I get back into working out after time off? 

If you’ve had a few months off training, getting back into working out can feel difficult. One option is to work out with a PT or join fitness classes. This can give you a motivating and inspiring way to start training again, kick starting your routine. 

Is it normal to have days with no motivation? 

Yes, it is totally normal to have days where you’re not motivated to go to the gym. And it’s OK to skip a day if you’re just not feeling it. However, if you notice you’re struggling with motivation over a longer period of time, it’s valuable to take a fresh look at your training plan, goals, and reasons for exercise - and maybe mix things up with a new kind of workout.