How do you handle demotivation?

[LionAlpha]

Hey everyone.

Something that's been on my mind recently is demotivation in training. Not in general, but certain aspects of training; for example, I used to love running as a form of cardio alongside my strength training. Both in terms of building endurance as well as burning fat. Specifically, I would alternate the program day (strength programs) with the running day.

However, for the last month, I have fully lost interest in doing cardio. I stick to my strength programs as always, but I am completely demotivated to do my cardio workout, as I was used to.

How do you handle such demotivation? What do you do?​

 

[TheLibrarian]

when it does not spark joy, or its not the right mood / right time, or if it does not feel right in general atm, than it is not the thing you should pursue.

In those cases, forcing is the wrong way, the wrong approach. Its better to drop it, change it or just stick to stuff that feels not forced or that sparks at least joy in doing it. Like your strength training.

There are a view things you can ask yourself beforehand: for example: do you run silently? If yes, maybe listening to music while running would be a great thing to start with and maybe will have a motivation-boost. Or add a game, like zombie run. In that cases running is not the only focus than.

Or maybe you find a substitue for running entirely? For example a more intense warm-up routine and adding stuff like jumping rope, or shadow boxing? Also cardio, but Maybe that approach would be an alternative way for you?

Eitherway: your question was of a more personal matter: what do you do? well, I would drop it and either search for a substitute or do something else entirely whichs sparks joy in that moment. Sometimes I return to my old habits, sometimes not because I found something new on that way. Fitness is a journey, and its not only one road we are walking on if that makes sense to you

 

[Nitrous828]

I have to agree with @TheLibrarian on this, if your not into running anymore, maybe switch to cycling or some other cardio activity that ignites your spark again, sometimes its a seasonal thing, for example I feel more energized to do more cardio's in the summer time when days are longer, and feel less enthusiastic about it in winter when its cold and days are much shorter, you might ditch it for a while and then when spring hits you might feel like doing it again... so don't beat yourself over it, oh and if your doing the cardio so you can burn fat, to be honest I lost all my fat doing zero cardio, I just did strength training calisthenics at home and followed a plant based diet for a few months, so if its fat burning that you are concerned about maybe focus more on your diet and meal plans, good luck!

 

[Fremen]

When something becomes a burden I let it go.
Training is something I choose to do, I have to like it not just "do me well", so when I no longer like a workout, it no longer gives me satisfaction, I change it without regrets and move on to something else.
For me the important thing is to continue training and changing is a fundamental part of not losing motivation

 

[LionAlpha]

when it does not spark joy, or its not the right mood / right time, or if it does not feel right in general atm, than it is not the thing you should pursue.

In those cases, forcing is the wrong way, the wrong approach. Its better to drop it, change it or just stick to stuff that feels not forced or that sparks at least joy in doing it. Like your strength training.

There are a view things you can ask yourself beforehand: for example: do you run silently? If yes, maybe listening to music while running would be a great thing to start with and maybe will have a motivation-boost. Or add a game, like zombie run. In that cases running is not the only focus than.

Or maybe you find a substitue for running entirely? For example a more intense warm-up routine and adding stuff like jumping rope, or shadow boxing? Also cardio, but Maybe that approach would be an alternative way for you?

Eitherway: your question was of a more personal matter: what do you do? well, I would drop it and either search for a substitute or do something else entirely whichs sparks joy in that moment. Sometimes I return to my old habits, sometimes not because I found something new on that way. Fitness is a journey, and its not only one road we are walking on if that makes sense to you

Thank you for this! And I believe that's the more accurate statement: to let it go until it resparks my joy. I might replace it with something else irrelevant to cardio, like flexibility training.

 

[LionAlpha]

I have to agree with @TheLibrarian on this, if your not into running anymore, maybe switch to cycling or some other cardio activity that ignites your spark again, sometimes its a seasonal thing, for example I feel more energized to do more cardio's in the summer time when days are longer, and feel less enthusiastic about it in winter when its cold and days are much shorter, you might ditch it for a while and then when spring hits you might feel like doing it again... so don't beat yourself over it, oh and if your doing the cardio so you can burn fat, to be honest I lost all my fat doing zero cardio, I just did strength training calisthenics at home and followed a plant based diet for a few months, so if its fat burning that you are concerned about maybe focus more on your diet and meal plans, good luck!

I was thinking that jumping rope would be a good choice if I felt like doing cardio, but not running specifically. Also, I liked cardio not just for the fat-burning aspect but for the endurance part of it as well. It feels good knowing that you give a boost to strengthening your heart and lungs.

 

[LionAlpha]

When something becomes a burden I let it go.
Training is something I choose to do, I have to like it not just "do me well", so when I no longer like a workout, it no longer gives me satisfaction, I change it without regrets and move on to something else.
For me the important thing is to continue training and changing is a fundamental part of not losing motivation

True fact. We should always listen to our bodies.