The top 3 motivation barriers – and how to overcome them

A lack of motivation is one of the most common reasons that people struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle or exercise routine. If you can relate, you’re not alone.

The truth is, it’s tough to stay motivated. It’s not easy to move your body consistently throughout the week, or get up to do a workout on a day when you feel tired and sluggish.

Motivation can come in waves, too – so while you might have a few months where you feel energised and find getting up to workout easy, it might end with a slump that you struggle to get out of.

Everyone lacks motivation at times. What matters is how you get back up again.

We spoke to health and sport psychologists to find the most common barriers to motivation – and how you can overcome these. People’s motivation barriers will differ, depending on their work, family commitments, lifestyles, and more – but can you relate to any of these?

#1: A lack of time

“This is probably the number one reason cited in research,” says Martyn Standage, a professor of psychology and health at the University of Bath. “People don’t have enough time to exercise.”

But in reality, it isn’t one of the hardest reasons to overcome – because just 10 minutes of activity can have a positive impact on your health and mood. And we now have exercise at our fingertips more than we’ve ever had before.

So how can you tackle this barrier? “Start by trying to combine activity into your daily routine,” says Martyn. “At work, walk while you talk, get off at a bus stop earlier, go for a walk during your lunch break, cycle to work. Schedule exercise like it’s a business meeting into your day – block it out in your calendar. Even walking into town and around the shops is an activity, it’s not an exercise we think of – but it’s incorporating smaller activities into your overall day.”

If you struggle to fit it into your routine, could you wake up 15 minutes earlier and do a 10 minute YouTube workout? Could you swap 15 minutes in the evening when you’d usually watch TV or scroll on your phone for a walk, or an online workout?

How you’ll be able to fit exercise in will differ depending on your lifestyle, but reminding yourself that it could be as simple as doing something for 10 minutes might give the inspiration to squeeze it in.

#2: Boredom

You’re much less likely to workout if you’re not looking forward to it. Fact.

“We see activity decline quickly in females over males,” says Martyn, “and it’s often because people think of exercise as being like school PE or sport – or something they don’t enjoy.”

Have a look at the variety of different activities you can do – yoga, dance, swimming, cycling, gym, walking, jogging, running, barre, strength. Try them out. HIIT might not be your thing, but slow strength sessions could be.

“Fun and enjoyment is the most powerful driver of motivation,” says Martyn. Of course you won’t be motivated to go to the gym if you don’t like going to the gym in the first place.

We are social beings, so often people find more enjoyment in working out alongside others, he says, such as in a class or group run. “Having that social environment can make it more enjoyable and therefore increase motivation,” he adds.

If that’s not for you, what could you do to enhance an exercise you’re already doing – would a great playlist or a new podcast inspire you to go out for a run?

#3: Perceived lack of progress

The reasons behind your motivation to exercise can often influence how likely you are to carry on working out, day in and day out.

Motivation can be intrinsic or extrinsic, explains Laura Healey, a senior lecturer in sport and exercise psychology. Intrinsic motivation will be motivation from internal factors, such as enjoyment, satisfaction, or personal values. Extrinsic motivation comes from external rewards, such as praise, weight loss, or more tangible rewards. It’s less sustainable in the long term, she says – and therefore might impact your motivation to exercise.

“If you’re only exercising to lose weight, for example, you might struggle if you aren’t seeing any visible differences, or you might feel a lack of motivation once you’ve lost the weight and it isn’t dropping as quickly – or you’re just maintaining it,” she says.

And for others, when they don't see immediate results, they may feel discouraged and lose motivation to continue their exercise routine.

It can be helpful to think of the other motivating factors that may inspire you to move: how do you feel after you’ve moved? Do you sleep better? Do you feel more positive and energised? Do you feel more active throughout the day? Can you think clearer? Do you make healthier food choices? What are your non-scale victories?

This article was written by The Body Coach content team.