"The grind don't stop!"

"No days off!"

"Keep moving forward!"

If you frequent a gym or are surrounded by any 'gym bros' you've probably heard someone say something like this. The 'grind til you die' mentality is pretty synonymous with fitness and gym culture. 

But is this really a healthy option?

We've got the research to back that yes, rest is indeed a good thing! You don't have to feel like you're burning the candle at both ends to make progress.

This is great because a majority of us just want to exercise for ourselves, not for something to prove. We all know how beneficial movement is for our minds AND bodies. This is why its so devastating when we have those moments where we feel a lack of motivation creeping in...Burnout. 

The dreaded burnout phase. There are a lot of different causes, and it's different for everyone. It can happen to all of us, even those that have been working out for years. But you can combat it! Here are some ways to avoid the dreaded burnout and enjoy lifelong exercise.  

Switch Up Your Routine 

Adding variety to our lives can help us avoid that burned out feeling. Try mixing up your exercise routine. It could be performing different forms of exercise on different days of the week or having a specific exercise block that changes every 3 months. This relieves boredom and gives our bodies different stimuli, so we continue making progress and physiological adaptations throughout our life. Another perk to switching up that exercise routine often is that it decreases your risk of injury when you regularly train your body in different capacities. 

Find a Community 

Whether it’s a group fitness class, a team of CrossFitters, or a Facebook running group, find like-minded people to help hold you accountable and make exercise more enjoyable. Research has shown us how crucial a support system or community is to multiple facets of our health and healing. Having a group of people that you enjoy being around gives exercise a social connection component and makes it fun!

Set Goals

If you are a goal-oriented person like myself, setting small or large goals to reach can be a fun way to keep us motivated. It could be a step count goal, a weightlifting goal, a new 5k PR, or anything else that drives you to succeed. It gives exercise little end points to look forward to and small (or big) wins to celebrate along the way. This encourages us to stay focused and avoid the mindless/daunting routine of regular exercise. 

Fun Activities 

Movement doesn’t always have to be super structured. Incorporate different types of activities into your life that you really enjoy and keep you moving. This could be checking out the various walking trails around Wichita, signing up for a recreational adult league, or going to play pickleball with your spouse at the nearest park. 

Burnout can be tricky. If you're in this spot, chances are you're struggling to find the motivation to change anything and get out of it. If you have been feeling burned out and need helping breaking that cycle– don’t hesitate to reach out. We'd love to help you find your way back to finding the balance and joy of exercise again!