How To Stay Motivated Throughout Your Workouts And Life

I Was Heading To The Gym But…

Even fitness buffs can have an off day. Here’s how to stay motivated, no matter what life throws at you.

There are many things that come up during the day that can distract you from your workout. You’re too tired, too hungry, too stressed, or just don’t have the time. Maybe you’re bored with your workout or progressing too slowly. Your favorite class is too overflowing with people or your favorite fitness machine is down for repairs. Your injured or sick in one way or another.

If you would have asked me 10 years ago that he was going to operate and own a fitness center in Long Beach I would have said ‘that’s crazy.. no way.’ I was always motivated through sports in one way or another and I loved the variety in which I could participate in most any sport. At one time in high school I was playing club soccer, Ice hockey, and rowing all in the same year. I had always dreamed about being paid to work out and compensated in one form or another. I graduated from UC Berkeley with a Communications major and minor in business hoping that I would write in a magazine or newspaper for a sports page. Funny how things turn out 🙂 When I moved home from the U.S. National Rowing Team In 2005 I was ‘burned out’ of the same fitness routine I had been doing for the last 15 plus years in rowing. I started teaching indoor cycling classes in order to change my routine and get myself back to a fitness regiment in order to be honest with my workouts. I had always trained on my own but I found that when training with a group there was an amazing feeling of high energy and consistency while exercising. Not only does it keep you honest with your workout but the sense of the group workout adds an effective high energy fat burning workout you won’t find anywhere else!

The American Council on Exercise calls these “fitness saboteurs,” and whether these annoyances are big or little, they can easily prevent a well-intentioned exerciser from getting a workout in.

Here are some excuses people use when trying to talk themselves out of a workout…

Stress: There’s so much going on that the last thing you can do is fit in a workout. Do it anyway! Studies have shown that exercise is as powerful or more powerful than any kind of medication or therapy to mitigate stress. Even if it’s a half-hour walk or quick run, the stress-lowering power of a workout is worth taking a little bit of time out of your day. Since the beginning of Roworx I have been training and teaching classes on a regular basis and doing more and more whenever I can find the time. I love staying in contact with my members, telling them stories of my own experiences in the rowing and cycling world, as well as taking a little stress out while rowing very hard on the rowing machine. Exercise combined with great nutrition on a daily basis will lower stress and keep you healthy in so many ways!

No time/competing commitments: Most of us are time-crunched but exercise is too important to your health and well-being not to make time for it. Schedule your workout sessions into your week and add incentives to support that commitment, like paying for an exercise class or making a date with a friend to take a Roworx class who is unlikely to blow it off. You can also utilize A FREE LOGBOOK OFFERED ONLINE at the Concept 2 website in order to record your rowing and skiing workouts, track your total meters and compare your times with other athletes from around the world. You can also participate in the many individual and team challenges we run throughout the year. Exercise is about the cheapest thing you can do for your health and well-being overall, and it extends not only the length of your life, but the quality of life as well. In my opinion not having enough time is the #1 excuse of all time! If you don’t spend the time now working out then you will have a higher risk of spending the rest of your life unhealthy on medication in a hospital.

You’re too tired: Some days you may be eager to head straight to the gym after work; other days you can’t wait to get home and plop on the couch with a beer and the TV. Find a time when your energy is highest. If it’s not after work, be a morning exerciser. Schedule it at a different point in the workday, like lunch, and bring your gear with you. Or try an activity that you feel you can accomplish even when you are tired. Or try working out anyway, even if it’s for a short time. You’ll most likely feel better once you get started and much more energized after you finish. In my opinion you should try to always work out and train in the morning before you go to work because when you come home after work you just want to tend to go home and relax.

You’re frustrated with your results (not getting any faster/fitter/thinner, etc.): It’s time to change your routine!Roworx offers Indoor Rowing, Cycling, Bootcamp, and Zumba in order to offer variety to get you excited and back to the gym more to meet your fitness goals sooner without the burnout! You may not be exercising hard enough, or your body has adapted to your routine. You’ve got to stress the body in a different ways while constantly challenging your body to work different muscles all the time. When you offer a variety of classes to your workout routine you tend to train harder and burn more calories during those exercises. Consider trying out new classes at Roworx for a few sessions to reprogram what you’re doing. Try challenging yourself in ways you haven’t done before and you must make strong attempts to change your nutrition and eating habits. Adding a proper healthy diet and programming good nutrition on a daily basis is the key to burning fat and losing those unwanted pounds. However, the word ‘Diet’ does not mean not to eat. Diet simply means watching what you eat and how often. Read the labels of everything you buy and avoid any kind of sugar and bread! Eating more fruits, vegetables, and berries will help you fill up faster without eating all the  processed and or fried foods that have all those empty calories. Click Here To Find The Easiest Way To Get some More Fruits, Veggies, And Berries In Your Diet Everyday 🙂

Overtraining: You want to exercise but you’re simply achy and can’t move. Other symptoms are lethargy, injury, crankiness, lack of motivation, restless, depressed, and unable to sleep at night. It’s classic burnout from overdoing it, and the only remedy is to back off and take a few days to rest the body. Substitute yoga, Pilates, or meditation for a few days a week if doing nothing isn’t an option for you. Simply try and take a few days off and try to relax.

Unexpected obstacles: There are multiple pieces of fitness equipment at your gym, and none are available. Or you were looking forward to a swim and the pool has been shut down. Take this as an opportunity to try something you’ve never tried. Can’t bike? Go for a run or use the recumbent bike. Can’t swim? Try an Indoor Rowing Class on the Concept 2 Rowing Machine  or try the BRAND NEW SKI ERG which actually both compliment the same muscles used in swimming. You can also try a specialized Roworx Bootcamp and regain confidence within yourself with more strength training and stretching. It’s always good to try new and different exercises in order to strengthen and support your core and balance your body’s strength.

Not in the mood: Commit to a short workout and see what happens. You’ll usually end up staying longer and feeling better when you’re done. This is when a class or exercising with friends comes in handy; they’ll make it more fun and you’ll be less likely to give in and quit. Working out at Roworx is exciting and fun. The hour flies by while I combine my unique rowing and athletic stories of my father (John Nunn) and my own athletic experience to make things interesting and exciting!

You’re sick: If it’s just a mild cold and you feel like working out, go ahead but dial things down a bit to avoid an overstressed body. My father, John Nunn, use to tell me growing up that when working out during a mild cold that it could actually help you get over the symptoms sooner while raising your body temperature and sweating out toxins in the body. However, if you’re exhausted and feeling pretty bad, you’re doing more damage to your immune system if you don’t call it off for the day. If you decide to work out make sure to give the machine an extra-thorough wiping with towel and spray to clean off your germs.

You’re injured: If your doc says it’s OK, or if it is just a mild strain or ache, use this as a chance to try other machines or routines that will avoid stressing the injury but will provide a good workout. Indoor rowing on the Concept 2 rowing machinecycling on the NEW EVO indoor bicycle, or using the Concept 2 ski erg are amazing and very effective substitutes for injured runners. If strength training and stretching are recommended for healing, get into Roworx which offers over 40 + Specialized Group Personal Training Classes a week and get to work. The EVO bike and Concept 2 Rowing Machine are also gentler on sensitive joints. There’s such a variety of machines and exercises that you can often work around the injury. Get guidelines to working with your injury from a physical therapist or Certified Roworx Trainer!

You’re starving: Always carry Juice Plus Complete Protein and Juice Plus Capsules in your workout bag. Or, take a quick trip to the market and grab some bananas or granola bars and a bottle of water should keep you going for at least an hour and on throughout the day.

Need a little extra motivation to put in the meters? Roworx And Concept 2 Are Here To Help! Here are a few things that we know work to help people stay motivated.

Keep a logbook.

Monitoring your progress gives you a tangible record of what you’ve rowed so you can see improvement over time. You can keep a written log or try setting up an Online Logbook! Pick a regular workout time each day/week. It makes it easier to stay on track and helps to create a regular routine. Consider competing in an indoor rowing race. The distance is usually 2000 meters and anyone can participate.

Row with friends.

There’s nothing like exercising with friends or a group for camaraderie with Roworx and sense of a shared goal. If you don’t have access to a support group in your area, try joining a group online with the Affiliation Standings.

Row for incentives.

Try rowing for the Million Meter Club or Online Challenges

 

 

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Jack Nunn

Jack Nunn is the head trainer and owner of Roworx. Jack is a former national team rower who has competed in more than 100 triathlons, including 9 full Ironmans. He has created a system of rowing that prepares the whole body for both competition and fitness longevity.

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