Suffering from Gym Boredom?

Joining a gym is the easy step. Maintaining a steady routine is an entirely different story. You know the drill. New Years comes along, new expectations are set, and you join a gym to change your life. Weeks later, the drive and commitment takes a nosedive and here come the excuses. The primary complaint: not enough time.

But deep down we all know it is the worst excuse out there given that exercise improves almost every aspect of your life (sharpness of mind, energy level, mood, sex drive, among others). So by not making it a priority, you are directly hurting all of those other areas in your life.

Let’s be honest, time is not the primary issue. The root of your problem is gym motivation declines from boredom. It happens to all of us as you go through the daily grind. Is this any different than being invited to a party by a bunch of boring people and then blowing them off?

I have found you can easily boost your gym motivation through these easy steps:

1. Begin with the end in mind. What do you really want to get out of this? Don't just generalize your goals and say "I want to be healthy". Pinpoint what really got you thinking "I need to join a gym" in the first place. Is it to increase energy, build muscle to impress, or become a triathlete? Find your calling to get you focused.

2. Find one time and stick to it. This dictates everything! You’re stating this as a priority and scheduling other things around it rather than scheduling the gym around something else. Experts say you should go during your "peak" or most energetic times, but since some of us can't get up from our desk and leave work at 2 pm, just commit to a daily time and your body will adjust.

3. Limit your time at the gym. What? Limit my time, what is this guy talking about? Yes, the best way to motivation is to provide light at the end of the tunnel and give yourself a time constraint. This will force you to plan your workout and make every second count. You can always opt to stay longer if you’re in the zone.

4. Mix things up. Falling victim to routine, we feel obligated to do certain exercises over and over. Mix it up, not just to reduce boredom, but also to challenge yourself and develop new muscle groups. Actively seek out new exercises to do by browsing the workout magazines or checking out what other people are doing. Spring on tips from the personal trainer workouts is a pastime favorite of mine.

5. Plan & Set goals. Getting back to the end in mind, you need to set short and long-term goals or you'll have nothing to work towards (and don’t just say I’ll do as much as I can for each set…that’s a total copout). It's ok to not meet your goals…at least you’ll be pissed about that and it’ll light a fire in you during the workout.

6. Wake your body up. If you’re tired, you need to battle this with caffeine/energy drinks 15 minutes before. Get a sweat going (light jog/bike or stretch) to warm yourself up.

7. Make a workout mix. A good workout mix is a must. If you have an IPOD, I strongly recommend making separate playlists, one for weights and another for cardio. Create a large database of songs so they don’t get played out right away. And if the gym is playing good music, then turn yours off for a while.

8. Look around. Every gym has 1 or 2 people who are out there grinding it out every day like champs. One gym I went to had a few rehabbing from accidents or surgeries. How can you not be inspired by these people?

9. Join a class. This is the easy way out and probably most effective plan! You don’t have to organize your workout and the energy of the class will keep you focused.