This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
Don’t quit. Shift your strategy to keep up the momentum.
Dealing with soreness is inevitable when you’re just starting to work out or switching up your workout routine.
This soreness can make some feel paralyzed – moving at all is painful. Though I enjoy experiencing this type of pain, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
The pain can be so severe that you don’t feel like getting in your workout the next day, days, or weeks.
What happens when you’re not building a productive habit of staying physically active?
You build a less productive habit: Living inactive. And this is no way to live.
Working out will equate to some discomfort, but after a while, you will become used to the pain, enjoy it, and come to love the results it provides you physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.
10 Strategies To Help You Maintain Momentum:
Drink plenty of fluids, and by this, I mean water.
Stretch it out. Implement both dynamic and static stretching.
Glutamine is an excellent supplement that helps with muscle recovery.
Eat a nutrient-dense diet. Be sure to get in your fats and protein. You can be skimpy on the sugar; it’s not necessary. You need to consume nutrients to help your body recover.
Arnica is a natural herb that has been known to be helpful in muscle recovery.
Walk. Walking is one form of dynamic stretching. It helps stretch the limbs, keeps everything moving, and mitigates lactic acid buildup.
Keep an accountability partner. Take someone with you to the gym or find someone to work out with consistently. When you do this, it can help you stay motivated to keep going. Be sore and complain about the workout together. Just be sure to get it done.
This is the MOST essential recommendation – whatever you do, continue working out. It sucks to be sore, but you will get stronger as you continue working your muscles. If you stop, you’ll destroy your momentum.
Do one rep. I always recommend to someone too tired to complete an exercise to do one rep. They frequently find themselves doing more. Once you get started, the rest is a downhill effort.
Drink less. Eat out less. Focus on nurturing and loving your body. When you do these things, your body responds kindly.
It’s not about how perfect, strenuous, or elite your workout is. It’s about how consistent you are with your workouts.
Living an active lifestyle is a marathon. Not a sprint.
Someone recently asked me if I’m passionate about working out.
Nope. I enjoy it, but it’s a lifestyle for me. It has nothing to do with passion. I desire to live and be strong, healthy, and active; the results I experience from staying active are too beneficial to sacrifice.
It’s great to be passionate about working out, but you don’t need to be to live an active lifestyle.
Today I Didn’t FEEL Like Going To the Gym
But I went anyways
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.