Last Updated on January 26, 2017 by Michael Brockbank
One of the biggest problems people have when trying to get fit is boredom. Sure, you’ll come out of the gate strong and work hard for a few months. Unfortunately many will get bored of the routine and begin to slack. At least I did. In 2014, I lost 30 pounds in three months. Then, Halloween hit and I’ve gained it all back since then. It’s part of why I developed this site. Anyway, let’s discover ways we can avoid boredom at get in shape together.
What Can Be Done to Keep Focused on Exercise and Health?
Not everyone has a motivational problem such as myself. If you found ways to keep motivated, then you are more focused than I. Over the last few months, these are things I’ve found to be quite useful to help keep me motivated to continue working out.
1. Mixing It Up
Don’t do the same routine over and over again. While it may be great for the first few weeks, it’s possible to get bored of the exercise. I’ve seen many people collect exercise DVDs only for them to sit and attract dust after the first couple of months.
Devise a workout plan that can keep you fit while giving you other activities to do. This is why I love Exercise.com. You can find a large number of exercises to work out virtually any muscle group ranging from basic to insane expert levels. The point is you don’t want to feel like your in a rut with the same routine every day.
2. Shift Your Focus
Throughout the week, focus on working a different part of your body. For example, use Mondays to work on your core while Tuesdays can be centered around shoulders and arm strengthening. For myself, I lift weights every other day while putting effort into core and cardio on the off days.
Even my cardio will change periodically. For example, I’ll burn a ton of calories on a Monday by walking several miles. Then, on Wednesday, I might play the Xbox Kinect or some other intense physical activity. When you get stuck in a rut, you can easily become bored and lose interest.
Find activities that work the same muscles but are different. Swimming will work the same muscles as walking.
3. Compete With Others
One of the reasons why I like Exercise.com is because of the point system. It shows you how you compare against others who use the website. As of this post, I am working my way to being in the top 800. You could always use the buddy system and do some friendly competition of who can do the most time or reps for any given exercise.
Competition has a way of focusing the mind in order to reach a certain objective. This is all about the “one-up” mindset. It’s like saying, “Oh yeah?” to your little brother who is trying to out-pace you in Fitbit. I also have to maintain my undefeated streak against the kids in Kinect Sports games.
4. Join City Sports Leagues
You can get a decent workout if you join city sports leagues. Even joining a bowling league can be enough to mix up your routine. Remember, getting into shape is all about physical activity – in any form. This way, you can do workouts throughout the week that are centered around helping you play.
For example, the arms and lower back are important for bowling. It’s no different than when a professional athlete trains to improve his or her game. If you want to be a champion, you need to feel like one. Most people do not get bored of winning. And no, this was a poorly created Donald Trump joke.
5. Break Personal Records
I know I might sound like a broken record here, but again I use Exercise.com to track my exercise prowess. Since the system records and saves every exercise I enter, I can try to beat personal bests. I can look at the website and see that two minutes and three seconds is my best for sustaining a plank.
Try to push yourself to do more and beat your own records. It gives you something to focus on for the week and will enhance your self-esteem and confidence. It’s OK to feel pride in yourself when improving what your body can do.
6. Do Something You Enjoy
The activities you enjoy are the ones less likely to be forgotten. I really enjoy bike riding. Unfortunately, I have to wait until the weather gets better and I have to fix my tires. You need to find something you like to do. Find a physical hobby that can help you keep focused on exercise.
Basketball in the park, skateboarding, cycling and other activities can be greatly beneficial to helping you keep fit. Enjoy your workouts, don’t view them as chores. The reason why many people get bored with fitness is because it no longer seems fun. As a result, many will quit.
7. Create a Motivation List
Make a list of viable reasons you want to get into shape and hang it on your wall. For me, it’s to realize my superhero complex. Yes, I would love to look like a comic book hero that my children can be proud of. This is aside from the fact that I don’t know if I am physically capable of keeping my children safe in a worst-case scenario.
I need to be in better shape if I want to be able to protect my family. Find what motivates you and put it out in the open. It’s best if you’re honest with yourself. No one else needs to see this list, but you know deep inside why you need to be in better shape.
Avoid being Bored of Fitness
It can be difficult to keep with a set routine, especially if you view it as mundane. Get more out of the experience by finding ways to keep yourself from getting bored. These are only suggestions that have helped me keep focused. Hopefully, you can find something in here that can help you.
What helps keep you from getting bored of your workouts?
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