Don’t want to work out? Try These 3 Life-changing Hacks

We all have days when we don’t feel like working out for a variety of reasons. Maybe we didn’t get enough sleep the night before, maybe we’re tired from a party yesterday, or maybe we just don’t have the motivation. However, we shouldn’t beat ourselves up if we don’t want to work out.

So, on days when exercise sounds stressful and hard, what should we do? Here are 3 tips and a life-changing hack you can try when you don’t want to work out. Remember, even the most motivated person or fitness influencer has days when they do not want to exercise. It’s normal, it’s human, and it’s not something to stress about.

Don’t Want to Work Out? 3 Tips to Motivate You

Some days feel slow and tiring. Sometimes, you need a softer day to get through it. However, you have an exercise routine planned, you have the time to fit it into your schedule, you just don’t want to do it. Here’s what you can do to help out with your lack of motivation.

Keep reading to learn a bonus life-changing hack as well!

1. Do the Workout with Less Intensity

You can still show and get moving when you’re feeling low energy by doing this. Decrease the intensity of the workout overall. If you are doing resistance training, lower the amount of weight, or if you are doing bodyweight workouts, choose variations of exercises that are easier. Doing a cardio run to work out? Run at a slower speed and pace yourself.

2. Do a Shorter Workout

Here is another option to do if you are feeling unmotivated to work out. If you usually plan to do 40 minutes, reduce the time to 30 or even 20 minutes. Some form of exercise daily is better than doing nothing at all. Some studies have even found that daily exercise is just as beneficial as long workouts are done 3 times a week.

3. Do a Different Workout

This is a good option if you are just feeling bored about your workout, or if you want something different from your exercise. If you just need to move your muscles, do some yoga instead of walking or if you want to work out without noticing you are, try some dance classes and have fun while you move.

Swap out one workout for another to still gain the benefits of daily exercise without stressing yourself out.

A Life-Changing Hack to Workout

All in all, however, we should want to work out. There are tips to tricking yourself into liking exercise, but movement should be something you want to do. 

A good question to consider is how to want to work out. We as humans are designed to move, grip, run, stretch, hang, swing, etc. Movement should feel good and it should be something we want to do. So, if you constantly don’t want to exercise, a life-changing hack is to try to find out the reason why.

Maybe it’s your diet. You might be deficient in important nutrients or minerals. Make sure you are getting enough protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

Look at your sleep. Not getting enough sleep can impact your mental health and overall strength during the day. Try out good sleep habits, check out tips to reduce insomnia, and make sure to rest.

Try out a different workout. Exercise can be fun if find movement you enjoy. If you don’t like to run, try swimming, try dancing, try HIIT cardio. Change up the type of movement you do to not get bored and find something you actually like.

Another thing you can do is try out a  different set of goals. If you started a fitness journey with the goal of changing your appearance, you might experience body dysmorphia, lack of motivation, and anxiety. Focus on feeling better, being stronger, and having health instead of looks and the aesthetic will follow.

The Takeaway

There will be days when you don’t want to work out. This is normal for everyone and even the most fitness person to ever fitness experiences slow, unmotivated days.

We can lower the intensity, duration, and type of workout to get through it though. If we show up, we are teaching our minds discipline, determination, and endurance. Plus, you should experience some happiness chemicals for working out, which can also help build a fitness habit you want to maintain.

If you have a lot of days where you don’t want to work out, there might be an underlying problem, such as lack of sleep or a nutrient deficiency. 

Remember that health tends to start from within, meaning your body needs good building blocks to thrive. Eat a nutritious diet, take care of mental health, get enough rest at night, and watch how wellness starts falling into place. A fitness journey that is about enjoying the sights, not the destination.

Never forget about gut health too! A balanced gut leads to better muscle growth, improved mental health, increased energy, a boosted metabolism, and an improved immune system. Learn everything you need to know about gut microbiota today for free here!