According to a global report by the International Health Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), 21.8% of Americans are currently enrolled in a health club or studio. This underscores just how popular fitness is today.
Unfortunately, other studies by the IHRSA also found that most gyms lose 50% of their new members within six months. While there are many reasons why a person might let go of the gym, for some folks losing motivation can be the cause.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways to keep yourself motivated at the gym.
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Adopt a complementary diet plan
Though you’ll lose weight when you eat fewer calories alongside regular exercise, not just any calorie-restrictive diet plan will help you reach your fitness goals.
If you’re frustrated that you’re not getting the gym results you want, the culprit may thus lie in the foods you eat. Popular diets like keto won’t work for everyone, which is why you need a diet that is specifically aligned with your unique biology and considers your own metabolism, hormones, and gut health.
That’s why science-backed weight loss programs for men and women aim to customize their recommendations per individual. That way, they can offer truly healthy habits aligned with your lifestyle to help you lose excess weight and keep it off.
For example, they may only recommend you lose 0.5 to 1 kilogram per week while consuming a well-rounded diet, unlike other restrictive plans that can cause lower immunity and weight regain.
Choosing such a diet plan can thus help adequately nourish you, maximize your efforts at the gym, and keep you motivated to stay on track toward your fitness goals.
Along the way, you can follow some best practices recommended by bodybuilding meal plans to further enhance your gains.
Since building muscle mass is about looking lean and toned, your diet must be composed of foods rich in nutrients and packed with protein.
Also, do your best to avoid alcoholic beverages, deep-fried meals, and excess sugar.
By taking some best practices and integrating them into a diet plan that works for you, you’re more likely to see results quicker and stay motivated at the gym.
Trust the process
It’s okay to start slow and feel frustrated during the early days, but you must cultivate patience with yourself and keep going.
There will be times when you feel like you’re on fire and nothing can get in your way.
However, you also need to understand that struggles and setbacks will inevitably happen.
During these times, it’s important to regroup and get back up. Try to focus on everything you’ve achieved so far.
It may sound cliche, but attitude always makes a difference. So, the next time you feel tired and overwhelmed, remember to stop, reflect, and be patient.
If you’re still waiting for your workouts to produce results, continue trusting the process because the time needed before gains or losses happen is different for everyone.
Your progress will depend on factors like your gender, age, lifestyle, and specific training program. Surprisingly enough, progress is somewhat quicker for beginners than for those who’ve been at the gym for a while.
This may be exciting initially, but it’s also a well-known stage called “newbie gains,” wherein neural adaptations increase strength.
After this, your progress may slow down, but that’s where you work even harder. Don’t expect perfection from every gym session. Think of every day as an opportunity to improve. Remember, be kind to yourself, and trust the process.
Prioritize rest and recovery
Intense training could be taxing on anybody. That’s why you need to prioritize rest and recovery. You will achieve better results if you mix and match your workout sessions with the appropriate amount of rest between sessions.
That way, the microscopic tears your muscles incur after each workout will have time to heal and grow back stronger with increased size and mass.
In addition, proper recovery time gives you more opportunities to sleep, which helps repair your cells.
With this in mind, the gym shouldn’t be synonymous with struggling. That’s why you should avoid the mistake of giving up early. If you’re fatigued, perform relaxation exercises for rest and recovery.
This is because research shows that the human body goes through different cycles like stimulation, healing, and compensation that help you progress.
Moreover, this means you should still give yourself enough time to recuperate after training to benefit your health.
Remember, though, you need to focus on quality rather than quantity in your gym workouts. In other words, make every rep count.
Being at the gym is one of the most fulfilling experiences. Though it’s easy to lose motivation along the way, keeping the above in mind can help you be patient with yourself, keep pushing forward, and trust that results will come.
