Most people start a new training routine on a wave of energy. You've booked your first few classes and told a friend about it, and the first week feels easy because you want to be there. Then work runs late on a wet Tuesday and the couch looks a lot more appealing than the 6:00 PM class you'd planned.
That dip is normal, and people who have trained for years still get it. Motivation is a feeling, and it rises and falls with how you slept and what else is going on in your week. If your plan depends on feeling motivated, it will stall the first time that feeling drops.
The good news is that you don't need to feel fired up to train well. You need a routine that carries you through the flat days.
Motivation gets you started, habit keeps you going
Motivation is useful for getting started. It's the reason you look up the timetable or fill in a form. What keeps people training for months and years is something less exciting. It's a habit, where turning up has become part of how your week runs.
A habit doesn't ask how you feel. Brushing your teeth is a good example. You don't wait to be inspired. It's simply what happens after breakfast. Training can get to the same place, where Monday evening means a class the same way Monday morning means work.
How long does a habit take to form?
You may have heard that it takes 21 days to build a habit. The research doesn't back that up. A well-known study from University College London, led by Phillippa Lally, followed 96 people as they tried to make a new daily behaviour automatic. On average it took 66 days for the behaviour to feel automatic, and the range ran from 18 days to 254 days depending on the person and the habit.
Two things from that study are worth holding on to:
- It takes longer than you think. Two months is a fair estimate for something to start feeling automatic, so don't judge yourself at week three.
- Missing one day didn't derail people. The researchers found that a single missed opportunity didn't materially affect habit formation. What mattered was getting back to it.
So if you skip a class because your kid is sick, that's fine. The routine survives one gap. It's a long string of gaps that wears it down.
Make the decision once, not every day
One of the most draining parts of exercise is deciding whether to do it. If you wake up each day and ask yourself "Am I going today?", you're giving your tired brain a daily chance to say no.
A better approach is to make the decision in advance and then stop debating it. Pick your classes for the week on Sunday night and treat them like appointments. MPower runs sessions Monday to Saturday, from 6:00 AM classes before work through to evening sessions at 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM. There's also a 9:30 AM option on some days. Most people can find two or three classes that fit around work and family.
Some practical ways to lock it in:
- Put your classes in your phone calendar with a reminder the night before.
- Pack your bag and leave it by the door or in the car.
- Tie training to something that already happens, such as "after I drop the kids at school, I go to the 9:30 AM class."
- Choose the same days each week for the first couple of months so the pattern can settle in.
None of these steps rely on willpower. They lower the effort it takes to get out the door, which matters most on the days your energy is low.
Lower the bar on hard days
When motivation drops, many people think the only options are a full-effort session or nothing. There's a third option that works better than both. Go anyway, and give yourself permission to take it easier.
Every MPower class is coach-led. Our trainers offer modifications or extra challenge depending on the day you're having. If you've slept badly, tell your coach and work at a steadier pace. Your Myzone heart rate monitor measures your effort against your own heart rate zones, so a lighter session still registers as real work.
A lot of people find that once they've warmed up, they feel better than expected and end up working harder than they planned. Even when that doesn't happen, you've kept the habit alive, and that's the win that matters over a year.
Use the people around you
Training alone relies entirely on your own drive. Group training spreads the load. When the trainers know your name and the person on the next bag expects to see you on Thursday, skipping becomes a little harder and showing up becomes a little easier.
You don't need to make a big deal of it. Saying "see you Wednesday" at the end of class is a small commitment, and small commitments to other people tend to stick better than private promises to yourself.
Track what you do, not just how you feel
Feelings are unreliable as a measure of progress. You can have a great week of training and still feel flat on Friday. That's why it helps to keep a simple record of what you've done.
This can be as basic as ticking off each class on a calendar. Over a few weeks, the row of ticks becomes its own reason to keep going because you don't want to break it. If you use Myzone, you can look back over your sessions and see that you've kept turning up even when your mood said otherwise.
When motivation drops for a longer stretch
Everyone has seasons where training slides. Work gets busy or someone in the family needs extra care. When that happens, scale back rather than stop. One class a week keeps the habit ticking over until life settles down. Our classes page suggests that if you only make one class a week, BBB is a good choice because it covers skill and strength work along with cardio in one session.
Sometimes a long drop in motivation comes with low mood or a loss of interest in things you usually enjoy. If that sounds familiar, it may be more than a training slump. Have a chat with your GP. Exercise can be a helpful part of looking after your mental health, but it isn't a replacement for proper support. If you're ever in crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, any time of day or night.
Getting started without waiting to feel ready
Waiting until you feel motivated is one of the most common reasons people put off starting. You don't need to feel ready. You need a first class booked and a plan for the second.
MPower is currently offering a limited number of new members their first 2 weeks of unlimited Box Build & Burn classes free. You also get a pair of boxing gloves to keep and a free Myzone heart rate monitor, with a $0 joining fee. Two weeks is enough time to try each format and find the times that suit you. It's also long enough to start building the routine that will carry you when motivation takes a day off. Claim your 2 weeks free and we'll be in touch to book your first class.
