“What is the secret to exercising regularly and consistently? I know exercise is good for me, and I feel great when I exercise regularly. However, I get tired and bored after a while. Day by day, I find myself drifting away from a life of regular physical activity. What can I do to stay motivated? How do I stop this yo-yo dance of going back and forth with exercise? How do I avoid exercise burnout”? If the above questions resonate with you, I have some good news for you! You are not alone! In the United States, about half of adults perform the recommended amount of aerobic activity. Furthermore, only about one in 5 adults perform the recommended amount of both aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises.
Increasing physical activity globally can prevent up to 5 million deaths a year. However, around 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men are not physically active enough to stay healthy worldwide. People who do not engage in regular physical activity have a 20% to 30% increased risk of death compared to people who do. For the numerous health benefits of having a healthy lifestyle and how to become more physically active, please check out “Exercise, A Path to Better Health for Women over 40.”
12 ways to avoid exercise burnout
So, you have started exercising, and you are getting the full benefits of being physically active. But you still have these questions: How do I maintain a lifestyle of regular physical activity? How do I commit to this healthy lifestyle change long term? What can I do to avoid exercise burnout? I have even more excellent news for you! There are proven ways to avoid exercise burnout. These 12 ways to avoid exercise burnout will get you on your way to becoming a consistent and regular exerciser.
1) Spice things up and be open to new ideas
When you are new to exercising, you can do the same thing over and over and not get bored. However, sooner or later, you will get bored. To avoid boredom, find new ways to make your exercise routine more interesting. For example, add variations like seated or floor/mat workouts.
Also, many people think of exercise as running or walking and lifting weights. But that is as far from the truth as it gets. Like every other field, the world of fitness is fast evolving. Exercise progression helps you avoid boredom. There are numerous exercise modalities and combinations that will keep you engaged for a long time. Furthermore, different apps and exercise equipment are available to keep you moving forward. The thing is, you wouldn’t know how amazing these gadgets are if you didn’t try them.
2) Work out with friends
Make exercise a social event. Humans are social beings and will gravitate towards social gatherings. Adding this element of fun to exercise makes it more gratifying and less inundating. Join a group class with friends, meet new friends, have fun, and make it a party!
3) Celebrate your wins
So, you start running, and at first, find it challenging to run a mile. After a while, you can run a mile effortlessly. What do you do next? A) Look at everyone around you running 5 miles and strategize how you will get to that level. B) Celebrate the fact that you have progressed from not running to now running a mile. The correct answer is B. Take time to celebrate your accomplishments. This celebration is an exceptional reward for your brain. Once rewarded, your brain produces neurotransmitters that increase your focus and motivation. After celebrating your wins, you can then look forward to your successive wins and subsequent celebrations.
4) Journal
Oftentimes, we tend to overlook our progress. Journaling is a great way to evaluate your progress and keep you motivated. Write down how you feel before and after exercising. In addition, write down where you are and where you are planning to go. Then follow your progress by reviewing your journal. Journaling gives you added motivation to keep moving forward.
5) Have a good sense of humor
Don’t take yourself too seriously. Many people will not try some exercises because they do not want to look silly or think they will fail. So, here are 2 of my favorite sayings “Silliness burns fat” and “failure burns fat.” The intent of exercising for health is not to win an Olympic Gold medal. So, even if you look silly or you fail at completing the exercise, you have accomplished the purpose of exercising.
A good sense of humor will help you stick with exercise in the long run. Don’t beat yourself up if you always turn right when everyone else in an exercise class turns left. Will others laugh at you? Maybe. But here is another way to view this. If you make yourself and others laugh, you have succeeded in promoting class participation. Research shows that humor enhances participation and increases motivation. Humor also helps you to perform better and decreases the level of stress hormones, such as cortisol.
6) Identify your motivation
As with everything else, knowing your motivation helps you to accomplish your purpose. What is your inspiration? Do you want to stay healthy to spend quality time with your family? Do you want a body you can rock in that high school reunion that is coming up? Whatever your motivation is, it is yours, and it is valid. Own your motivation! If you have a model you aspire to, post their picture where you can see it or follow them on social media. Keeping your motivation visible will provide you with an added incentive.
7) Link exercise to something you enjoy
Plan to do something you enjoy during or after exercising. Exercise to your favorite music, or drink a cup of coffee or a healthy smoothie after exercising. Or take a relaxing bath or anything else that gives you pleasure. Rewarding yourself this way stimulates positive emotions in your brain. Soon, your brain will start equating exercise with pleasure. And since humans gravitate towards pleasure, you will eventually be motivated to exercise because it is now a pleasurable event.
8) Be flexible
Don’t get frustrated if you don’t finish all your planned exercises. Remember, something is better than nothing. And it is not about finishing; it’s about doing! I have some exercise programs that are three months long, and I have been stuck at month one for at least ten years now. At first, I would try to make it past month one. But now, I don’t try anymore because I realized I don’t really need 90 days of those exercise programs to obtain the benefits that I want.
9) Have the right mindset
Having the right mindset is the number 1 foundation for success. Don’t start exercising thinking it’s a punishment. Instead, view exercising as something fantastic that you are doing for yourself and your family and friends. If you struggle with having the right mindset to exercise, please check out “Change Your Mindset towards Exercise.”
10) Rest and recover
Recovery is almost as important as exercising itself! Too much of anything, including exercise, is not good for you. Exercising without resting can indeed cause burnout. Insert rest days into your exercise program and find time to recover from the stress of exercising. At least one day a week should be a rest day. If you absolutely have to do something on your rest days, try stretching or meditation exercises.
11) Do what you love doing
Doing exercises that you enjoy is a big one if you want to avoid exercise burnout! Find a physical activity you love doing and just do it! You don’t have to do a particular form of exercise because everyone else is doing it. For example, as much as I love to exercise, I have given up on some exercises, such as running. I admire runners a lot, but I don’t like running, so I don’t run!
12) Set attainable goals
When your expectations are too high, you beat yourself up trying to attain those almost impossible goals. Failure to achieve your goals leads to frustration, which, in turn, leads to burnout. The key is to start with small goals, then keep reaching higher from there.
Final thoughts
As with everything else that requires commitment, e.g., relationships, work, growth, etc., committing to a healthy lifestyle is not a walk in the park. No matter how regularly you exercise, we all need the motivation to avoid exercise burnout. Even advanced exercisers and Olympian athletes need encouragement from time to time. So, have you experienced exercise burnout? How do you avoid exercise burnout? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Yours in health and fitness,
Doctor Abi
