A lack of motivation for training and exercise nearly always leads to a subsequent slump in training, and can unfortunately affect us all, no matter how strong or focused we are. Whether you are a future Olympic athlete or a casual gym goer, we all have good days and bad days, and we all have common things that lead to us losing motivation. If we all accept that these slumps occur then we can be aware of the signs and deal with them when they happen.

To really understand how to get over a lack of sports motivation, it is necessary to fully understand what causes these slumps in the first place. Although not extensive, this list gives some of the reasons for a lack of motivation. Feel free to leave a comment at the end of this post to let us know any other reasons you can think of that might cause a lack of motivation. Why not tell us about your methods of overcoming training slumps. How do you get back to the gym when you really don’t feel like it?

Fatigue

Fatigue is a major cause of lack of motivation. If you have trained hard for a number of days and then wake up early to go for a morning run, and your body is really stiff and achy, it is very difficult to get motivated. If the body is full of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) then it is probably already fatigued and possibly on the verge of over-training if intense sessions continue.

Over-tiredness

People often try to stick to their training programme even if they have had a very long day at work or worse still have been out for a night, come back in the early hours and woken up with a hang over. Believe it or not, this is not a good idea,  the body is full of toxins and needs rest to recuperate. By forcing it to work when it is in dire need of fuel and rest does not help fitness gains, it just puts pressure on the heart and can lead to injury.

Over-training

If your training is very intense for a sustained period of time, especially if rest days are ignored, then over-training related fatigue will set in. If this occurs the body and mind will demand rest, this can often be by causing injury or illness. A serious consequence of over-training is the lowering of the immune system, eventually meaning the body will fall to the flu or perhaps worse. Additionally when the body is over trained it is susceptible to injuries, be it a torn muscle, or an over use injury such as patella tendinitis.

Repetitive training

Repeating the same session or exercising the same muscle group, session after session (with the aim of seeing vast improvements in this area) means that the body is never allowed to rest and repair those areas. Effectively this causes over-training type issues within those muscle groups consistently exercised, which can ultimately lead to injury.

Illness and/or injury

Illness or injury can result in lack of motivation, and so they should. It is not wise to train when ill, the body is busy fighting off infection, and by training it is put under further stress which is bad for the heart. Injury can be slightly different, injury dependent of course. For example a pulled hamstring will mean no lower limb activity, but an upper body session could take place (as long as carrying heavy weights around the gym does not further injure the hamstring. Be sensible with exercise selection).

Furthermore, whenever an injury or illness occurs it is worth trying to figure out why. Is it because the body is run down from over-training, or because training has taken place when overtired? Sometimes illness or injury is a sign that things need to change.

Environment

It seems obvious, but is often taken for granted that a change in climate or environment will have an adverse effect on motivation and training. Obviously, certain environments can effect the body and can decrease performance; this is true for very hot or very cold. You should always try to acclimatise to an environment for a few days prior to any hard training. People often find motivation is lacking in the winter when it is cold and raining as opposed to summer when the good weather is inspirational and makes people want to get out and exercise. In winter, try to focus on the goal at the end and self motivate beyond that days training. Concentrate on that elation you feel following a session knowing you have trained hard, even if that elation is only because the session is over for another day.

Diet

I am one who believes that “Food is just fuel”, a car cannot go anywhere if it has no petrol, the body will also come to a stop without fuel. If you are struggling for motivation ensure you have eaten well, and are not lacking some energy. Training when energy is depleted is both bad for the heart and body, but can also lead to injury. Remember, certain environments which for example may be very hot, suppresses the appetite, so it may be necessary to work really hard on getting the calories in.

Reaching a plateau

At some point or another most people find that they reach a point where no more improvements can be made. If the goal/goals have been reached then this is not a problem, and “maintenance” PT can now be performed. However, if the goal is still someway off, and yet a plateau has been hit, motivation can take a real dive. If nothing obvious is causing this plateau; i.e. over-training, diet, illness or rest days needed, then the best method of overcoming this is to change the regime and vary your sessions.

Psychological factors

There are too many psychological factors that could influence your training to list here. If a motivational problem exists, or even a plateau continues despite trying a number of different approaches, then a psychological problem may be to blame. It is important to self study and be self critical. Is there something in your life taking your focus away from your training. Common causes are family problems at home or a love interest, a break up, all of which can lead to a lack of focus and drive. It is important to consider what the true goal is of the physical training. It may be that the family or love interest should be put above the fitness priority wise.

Conclusion

Once you have admitted that you have a lack of motivation for one of the reasons above, it is up to you to do something about it. Whatever the reason for it, there are common and easy methods of combating it. If the problem is not injury, illness or overtraining based (which obviously require a rest week or a holiday), then a great method is to find a training partner, a group fitness class, or even a personal trainer. Someone who will get you motivated, make you work hard for that hour you are training and make you forget about your problems. On the other hand you may be in a situation where you can only train on your own.  It is important to set yourself a new goal or use specific circuits (like 10 down to 1s or dice circuits) that have to be completed to stop you saying “that’ll do” after half an hour. These types of circuits will be explained in an article coming soon, so keep checking in at www.commandoconditioning.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Whatever your reason for lack of motivation, accept it, analyse it and do something about it…it is up to you. Let us know if you’ve experienced a training slump. How do you overcome the voice inside that tells you not to train?

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