Motivation usually arises after starting
According to E. Graževičiūtė, one of the most common mistakes is waiting for the right date, mood, or a special surge of motivation.
“People often postpone the start of training until New Year’s, autumn, Monday, or the end of holidays. I always recommend not waiting for the perfect moment. If you come up with the idea – try it here and now, take advantage of the opportunity to try LEMON GYM workouts and spaces for free. Motivation usually does not appear before the workout. It grows while exercising, especially at LEMON GYM, where the environment is pleasant and allows you to feel comfortable,” says the trainer.
Therefore, the first goal does not necessarily have to be to run a certain distance, lift a specific weight, or change your body in a short time. At the beginning, it is enough just to come, get acquainted with the environment, and allow yourself to try different activities.
The desire to return is also contributed to by the experience of the sports club itself. The new generation LEMON GYM clubs have zones adapted to different needs, spaces for individual workouts, offer various equipment, group classes, and opportunities to pay more attention to recovery after training.
“Equipment is not the only important thing. People also create the club’s atmosphere. When the environment is friendly, cozy, and supportive, you naturally want to return to it,” notes E. Graževičiūtė.
Curiosity and the desire to continue the sporty journey are also helped by innovations: the constantly updated group training schedule, specialized zones for glute, abdominal, or “Hyrox” workouts, and the possibility to choose a different way of moving each time.
Not every workout has to be intense
In social networks or advertisements, sports are often portrayed as very intense, demanding a lot of effort. Seeing this, some people immediately decide: “This is not for me.”
However, a modern sports club can offer much more than just hard workouts or heavy weights. You can choose strength, endurance, mobility, flexibility, dance, functional, or slower-paced workouts. The most important thing is not to follow what is popular at the moment but to find an activity that suits the individual.
“You need to learn to enjoy the process. Movement must fit our well-being and lifestyle. Sometimes a person wants to exercise, starts, but the chosen activity does not make them happy. After a while, they give up everything. Often this means not that the person does not like sports, but that they chose an unsuitable workout for themselves,” explains the trainer.
When choosing a physical activity routine, it is also worth considering your daily rhythm. A person experiencing a lot of stress at work may not necessarily suit another very intense activity. A slower workout that helps to calm down, regain balance, and better feel the body may be more beneficial.
For others, on the contrary, after work, they want an active session during which they can unload, get rid of accumulated tension, and gain energy.
“It is important to listen to yourself and the signals sent by the body. Sports should not become another duty that we perform through gritted teeth,” emphasizes E. Graževičiūtė.
A lasting habit starts with realistic goals
When starting to exercise, it is easy to give in to enthusiasm and immediately set very ambitious goals – to visit the gym almost every day or quickly achieve visible results. However, overly high expectations often become the reason why motivation quickly fades.
“The most important thing at the beginning is not quantity but regularity. It is better to choose a training rhythm that can really be maintained than to set too much for a short time and be disappointed after a few weeks,” says E. Graževičiūtė.
A long-term habit is created by small but consistent steps. For one person, this may be a few workouts per week, for another – shorter but regular movement. The most important thing is that sports do not become another obligation but gradually become a natural part of the life rhythm.
It is worth looking for results not only in the mirror. Better mood, more energy, higher quality sleep, or growing self-confidence are also important progress.
Exercising together can be easier
For some people, changes are much easier to implement not alone. In such a case, the trainer recommends inviting a partner, friend, colleague, or family member to the sports club.
“It can become not only a workout but also quality time together. You will meet more often, support each other, and healthy competition will not let you give up so easily,” says E. Graževičiūtė.
A sports partner can help on days when there is less energy or mood. Sometimes it is enough to know that another person is waiting at the agreed time, and the decision to go to the workout becomes much easier.
Inspiration is also provided by the community. According to the trainer, a lot of support can be felt especially in group classes.
“You watch people and see how they change: they become braver, stronger, relax, start enjoying movement, and trust themselves more and more. Such real stories motivate more than perfectly staged images on social networks,” she says.
It is precisely the sense of togetherness and noticeable small changes that help experience that feeling that makes you want to return.
“I don’t have time” often means “I haven’t found the right way yet”
When asked what excuse she hears most often, E. Graževičiūtė answers without hesitation – lack of time.
“To people who say they don’t have time, I remind that LEMON GYM operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This allows you to fit sports into your schedule, not rearrange your entire schedule for sports,” reminds the trainer.
However, she emphasizes that a workout should not become another point that creates pressure. Sometimes it is enough to plan a shorter visit, choose a LEMON GYM club closer to home or work, or prepare sportswear in advance.
When it is convenient to exercise, the reasons to postpone the workout also decrease.
So that sports do not become another duty
It is no less important to avoid another extreme – burnout. It can affect not only those who exercise rarely but also very diligent people.
“Some people eventually admit they have lost pleasure and exercise only because they have to. In such a situation, it is important to stop in time and think about what could be changed,” notes E. Graževičiūtė.
Sometimes it is enough to try another workout, change the trainer, workout time, music, or the usual sequence of exercises. A conversation with like-minded people, a new goal, or permission to slow down for a while can also help.
Rest is not a step back. It is part of a sustainable sports routine.
A long-term exercise habit does not appear in one day. However, it should not start with a big goal or exhausting workout. Sometimes everything starts with a simple decision to come, move as much as you want that day, and find an activity after which you feel better.
And then comes that feeling that makes it easier to come next time.
How to make movement a regular part of everyday life?
- Start with small steps. Two realistically achievable workouts per week are more valuable than five that remain only plans.
- Choose what you like. You don’t have to exercise like others or chase the most popular workouts.
- Adapt movement to your well-being. One day an intense session may suit, another – a calmer workout or stretching exercises.
- Plan a specific time. It is easier to carry out a workout when it has a specific time in the schedule.
- Use friends and community. Support helps to keep the rhythm and makes sports a more enjoyable experience.
- Don’t be afraid to change the routine. A new workout, trainer, time, or exercises can bring back curiosity.
- Value not only the result. More energy, better mood, higher quality sleep, and growing self-confidence are also important progress.
- Leave room for rest. Regularity does not mean exercising every day.
