To Lift or Not To Lift: That is the question. How to find motivation to work out.

Most students already know the benefits of going to the gym but still do not go. Why? For many, trying to find motivation or not having enough time are the major reasons for not going to the gym. Trying to find time is a daunting task, especially for a college student who is constantly juggling assignments, internships, friendships and so much more. So how do you find time? Any type of working out is beneficial even if you do some calisthenics (exercises that use your own bodyweight) in your room or go walking with a friend. However, if you have the time but not the motivation, then what do you do?

Finding motivation for the gym varies for everyone. For most athletes, their sport is the biggest driving factor for why they go to the gym. However, athletes only make up a fraction of the students here at Eastern, let alone in the whole world. Trying to find motivation to work out, let alone do anything requires you to push yourself in order to try and make a change. This is the same with the gym. If you walk into the gym with no desire to push yourself to make a change for your mind and your body, then you are never going to find your motivation. But once you decide to push yourself then your motivation will follow.

Some common things that people use as motivation is to use the gym as a way of quieting their life and clearing their head. The thirty minutes to an hour that you work out is a great time to get away from your schoolwork or whatever else is causing stress in your life. Being able to just focus on something primitive that requires little thought is a great way to relieve your stress from the day.

Another common reason to find motivation for the gym is to create goals for you. These goals could be as simple as trying to lift more, sweat harder than yesterday or trying to look better for the beach.

Everyone can try to motivate themselves to go to the gym everyday, but the ones who succeed are those who truly want to make a change in their life, both physically and mentally.