A lot of time is spent talking about how to get motivated to start your journey at the gym, but not quite as much time is spent discussing how to STAY motivated. And it makes sense – it’s easy to get fired up and excited when something is new, but how do you stay motivated when the newness wears off and the reality of what it takes to make lasting lifestyle change creeps in? Here are five sure-fire ways to stay motivated in the gym.

1. HOW TO
STAY
MOTIVATED
AT THE
GYM
for when keeping-going is
as hard as getting started

2. A lot of time is spent talking about
how to get motivated to start your
journey at the gym, but not quite
as much time is spent discussing
how to STAY motivated. And it
makes sense – it’s easy to get fired
up and excited when something is
new, but how do you stay
motivated when the newness
wears off and the reality of what it
takes to make lasting lifestyle
change creeps in?
Here are 5 sure-fire tips for
staying motivated at the gym.

3. Revise your goals
and reward
yourself.
Now that you’re a regular at the
gym, you’ve probably learned a
few things. Mainly, that you don’t
get results overnight – fitness is
something that you have to work
at, and then keep working at.
Setting short term goals that are
specific (like, in 30 days I want to
be able to run for 30 minutes on
the treadmill without stopping or
bench press 100 pounds by
March) gives you something
attainable to work on in the short
term while helping you fulfill
your bigger goals at the same
time.

4. Revise your goals
and reward
yourself.
And the best way to make this
strategy work is to decide on how
you’ll reward yourself when you
reach the goal. Maybe you’ll cash
in your Elevate Reward Points in
our Rewards Store, or maybe
you’ll buy a new pair of jeans or
treat yourself to a movie.
Whatever you decide on as your
reward, make sure you keep your
promise to yourself once you
reach your short-term goals!

5. The scale can be a very
deceiving indication of what
benefits you’re getting from
your gym time. If you’re losing
fat, but replacing it with muscle
(which takes up less physical
space on your body, pound-for-
pound) you might not see those
changes reflected on the scale.
Other great measurements are
before-during-and after
pictures. Seeing a photo of
yourself at the beginning of your
journey can be very motivating
when it comes to keeping you
moving.
Use
measurements
to track your
less visible
progress.

6. Body fat is also a great measurement
to track if your goal is weight loss.
Elevate Fitness offers a 3D body
scan that will give you a computer-
generated 3d image of your body
(even better than a photo, since you
can’t choose flattering angles and
filters to hide the truth) and
hundreds of measurements including
body fat percentage, weight,
circumference measurements and
more. Best of all – a scan takes less
than 5 minutes and it’s a great way to
check in and make sure you’re
moving in the right direction –
nothing is as motivating as seeing
your success!
Use
measurements
to track your
less visible
progress.

7. Change it up.
Doing the same workout day
after day can ruin your
motivation and excitement levels
faster than anything else. So
change up your routine – if you
spend a lot of time doing cardio
exercise, learn how to do some
strength training or vice versa.
Always find yourself using the
same machines? Challenge
yourself to try that one that you
could never picture yourself
using. Of course, this means
doing the appropriate research
to make sure you don’t hurt
yourself.

8. Change it up.
Don’t feel like researching? Make
it easier on yourself and try a
new group fitness class.
Immediately you’ve varied your
workout and done so in a way
that’s safe and effective and
comes with built-in motivation
and coaching (if you’ve never
been encouraged by a group
fitness instructor 55 minutes into
the hardest 60 minutes class of
your life, then you don’t know
what you’re physically capable
of).

9. Change it up.
Your gym membership
doesn’t include classes? Talk
to a membership coordinator
and explain your situation and
tell them you’d like to try out
the classes. Usually, they’ll let
you, after all – if you end up
loving them (and you will)
you’ll upgrade to a class
membership, right?
Your gym doesn't offer
classes? Find a new gym.

10. Remember when you were just
getting started and how easy it
was to motivate yourself to go
to the gym? How excited you
got to try a new workout or
learn something new about
fitness? Recapture that magic
by recruiting someone in your
life to come to the gym with
you. When you mentor a
beginner, you’ll get to
experience that newbie fitness
bliss all over again, but through
their eyes this time.
Mentor a
beginner.

11. And even better, get you a
gym that rewards you for
bringing new members in
(at Elevate Fitness you get
500 Rewards Points that
can be used in our Rewards
Store toward anything from
Elevate merchandise to
apparel to travel to concert
tickets!).
Mentor a
beginner.

12. Meet with a
trainer. Now, we’re assuming you’re a
good gym-goer and you took
advantage of your new member
orientation session and met with
a trainer when you were getting
started, right? RIGHT? (If you
didn’t – advance to the front desk
immediately – do not pass go
and do not collect $200 – and tell
them you didn’t get to schedule
that when you joined, but you’d
like to now!) So you already know
at least one of the trainers in your
gym.

13. Meet with a
trainer.
Often time, trainers are required to do
a certain number of complimentary
sessions per month. It never hurts to
ask if they can do a complimentary
follow-up to your consultation. After
all, you’re bound to have questions for
a trainer now that you didn’t when you
were brand new to the gym. Plus,
nobody becomes a personal trainer
because they’re expecting to get rich
and famous (think about it – how many
rich and famous personal trainers can
you think of? And before you get all
excited because you thought of one,
how many rich and famous chefs can
you think of – more, right?) they do it
because they love it and they want to
help people – don’t be shy about
asking for the help they got into this
business to provide.

14. not a member
of a gym yet?
try ELEVATE
for FREE!
visit
elevatesyracuse.com