Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and scolded yourself for not taking better care of your personal health and fitness? You love the idea of gaining strength and having more energy. But you just can’t seem to get motivated to exercise.
“Stop making excuses,” you say. “Get off your lazy behind and get to the gym.”
Here’s where I insert a hundred emojis of the girl raising her hand. You know the one: 🙋
Yep, that was me in my 20’s and most of my clients today. I used to say those very words to myself all the time. But I still couldn’t seem to get motivated to exercise consistently, until I found an exercise program I loved.
I had an ever-harder time motivating myself to go to the gym, just to lift weights. Even worse, I hated going to the gym alone. So I started teaching group fitness classes and personal training in my mid 20’s. I fell in love with the community we created through my group fitness classes and the connection I created with my one-on-one clients. I experienced and witnessed first-hand the power of community and connection for transformation, reaching goals and up-leveling our lives.
In fact, it was one of the reasons I started Mo-Mentum Fitness in Huntington Beach in the first place. I craved a community of like-minded people who wanted to have fun and lift each other up.
✨ I wanted to be surrounded by people like this every day. ✨
That’s what our dear friend, Karen Klem, was craving — a community. And she discovered the community she found at Mo-Mentum Fitness was what she needed to keep herself motivated to keep working out.
We’re thrilled to announce Karen as our October Superhero of the Month. She found strength in the community here at Mo-Mentum. And in turn, she’s been such a strength to us!
It’s been ten years since Mo-Mentum Fitness opened its big red doors. And today, Karen Klem’s answers to her Superhero of the Month questions remind me of my original aspirations. I wanted to:
- Create a health-centered and results-driven business
- Build an atmosphere that fosters inspiration and strength
- Cultivate a community of bright, fun, uplifting people who motivated me
So if you’ve been wondering how to get motivated to exercise or go to the gym, you’re in the right place. And as we discuss ways to level-up our motivation, let’s dive into Karen’s story.
Start With Your “Why”
Karen started personal training with me at Mo-Mentum Fitness in the summer of 2020. Since her doctor had only recently cleared her to exercise after her knee surgery, we started slowly.
We focused on improving her movement patterns, such as:
- Squatting with her hips and not her knees (which is what most people do and why their knees hurt when they squat. BUT if you can’t squat how are you going to get out of a chair, in and out of a car and sit on the pot?)
- Lunging so that she used her glutes and hamstrings instead of her knee joint.
- Strengthening her posterior (the backside of her) shoulders so she could continue picking up heavy things and working out without destroying her shoulders.
It only took a few sessions for Karen to feel confident enough to join our group fitness classes. And since the day she started, Karen hasn’t looked back.
Karen had a BIG “WHY.” She wanted to be the fun Auntie and be a positive force in her five nieces’ lives.
Maybe this idea resonates with you, too. Are there people in your life who you want to consistently show up for? To be a positive force in the lives of the people you love most, being vibrantly healthy is non-negotiable.
Karen wasn’t willing to negotiate away her health. She jumped in with two feet and consistently leaned into working hard. It’s been incredible to be a part of her journey. And it’s been so gratifying to support Karen as she overcomes obstacles and keeps moving towards her “why.”
But I get it. Committing to regular exercise is hard! You know exercise is essential to being healthy and vibrant, but you continue to put it off.
In this next section, let’s talk about how to keep yourself motivated even when you’re not feeling like it.
There Are Always Days When You’re Just Not Feeling It.
In my twenty eight years of personal training, I’ve discovered that joining a gym to simply lose weight isn’t a big enough “why” to keep you moving forward on the difficult days. And I guarantee there will be days when you just don’t feel like exercising.
Do any of these excuses sound familiar?
- You’re too tired
- You’re too busy
- Someone else needs your time today
- You’re feeling too stressed
Note to self: don’t worry if you’ve skipped your date at the gym for any of these reasons. We’ve all been there. 🫶
In fact, there’s another excuse for not exercising that’s super common — when you feel like you have to solve a problem at home or work before you can even start to exercise.
But guess what? The opposite is almost always true.
When you step away from the stresses of life to exercise, you’re allowing yourself to:
- Give your brain a break
- Do something for your overall well-being
- Come home (or back to work) with answers to your problems you couldn’t solve before
- See the blessings you have in your life
Still wondering how to get motivated to exercise when you keep hearing excuses on repeat in your head?
Pssst. Here’s the secret — stop waiting for the “right time.” Because unfortunately, the right time never comes.
However, with a little grit, you can improve your motivation to exercise. The next time you’re just not feeling it, try some of these ideas:
- Visualize your transformation: Close your eyes and imagine how great you’re going to feel after your workout. Picture yourself energized, satisfied, and feeling more ready to take on your day.
2. Slow and steady wins the race: If a full workout is overwhelming, commit to just five minutes. Chances are, once you start, you’ll want to keep going!
3. Reward yourself: Play your favorite song during your workout or treat yourself to your favorite protein shake afterward. Even better, follow Karen’s example and cultivate some friendships along the way.
Hopefully, you’ll find these suggestions are just what your motivation was craving.
So the next time you’re just not feeling like exercising, remind yourself you’re only human. Next, try pushing yourself. Even if it’s baby steps at first. You got this!
Okay, so you’re aware of your excuses and finally feel ready to tackle them. Now let’s dive into how finding your community helps you stay motivated to keep up your hard work.
Community Is Key to Transformation
There is no perfect path to up-leveling your health. In fact, your health and fitness journey — like Karen’s — will be filled with ups, downs, setbacks, and major successes.
👉 ALL of these things are necessary for lifelong transformation.👈
This is why surrounding yourself with a community of people is so important. Your community will benefit you in a number of ways, such as:
- Helping you know you’re not the only one who struggles
- Cheering you on when you can’t do it yourself
- Showing you there are others who are on a similar journey
It’s human to assume your obstacles in life are unique to you. But guess where this leads? Straight into the arms of loneliness, that’s where.
The truth is, while you and your obstacles are unique and beautiful, it always feels better to know there are other people also struggling and succeeding with similar obstacles.
This leads to an interesting concept called the Circle of Genius. Let’s talk about how the people in your community contribute to your success.
Consider Carefully Your Circle Of Genius
Your Circle of Genius is the group of people you CHOOSE to surround yourself with. Your Circle of Genius includes two groups:
- People who are on the same path as you: However, even though you’re on the same path, those in your circle of genius may be ahead or behind you. The point is that you’re all reaching and working toward the same goal.
- People who challenge and cheer you on.
The word “and” here is very important. The members of your circle of Genius not only raise the bar of excellence — which in turn keeps you aiming for high-quality goals — but they also inspire and encourage you along the way.
To emphasize how influential those with whom you associate are to your success, Jim Rohn said the following:
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
Karen has surrounded herself at Mo-Mentum Fitness with people who are working as hard as she is on their health and fitness. Some of these people are a little further ahead in their fitness and wellness journey. While some are new to the journey.
But they all support each other, no matter where they are on the path to a healthy lifestyle. 🫶
This is one reason why joining the supportive fitness community at Mo-Mentum Fitness is so essential to improving your health. Instead of treading your path alone, you get to:
- Learn from the people who are further down the path who have wisdom and insight to share.
- Find joy in helping people who are new on the journey.
- Help each other raise the bar of excellence.
- Keep growing and improving in a fun, positive atmosphere.
Success Requires a Tribe — a Mo-Tribe
At Mo-Mentum Fitness, we call our community our tribe. Our Mo-Tribe.
And to create productive new habits, having a coach and a tribe to nudge you to do the difficult things can make all the difference. Like exercising when you don’t feel like it. 😏
Your coaches and your tribe help you move past the narrative your brain is telling you. You probably know this narrative all too well:
“You’re too tired to exercise, wait until tomorrow when you aren’t so tired.”
But won’t there always be relevant reasons to NOT exercise? Unfortunately, yes. And this is why joining an inclusive, positive tribe like the community at Mo-Mentum is so vital. We help you show up!
I promise you’ll NEVER regret showing up to exercise and take care of your body, mind, and spirit. But you will always regret not showing up for yourself.
Like Karen Klem, if you’re ready to level up your quality of life, contact Mo-Mentum Fitness in Huntington Beach today. Our world-class trainers are ready to help you start living your best life.
Whether your goal is to:
- Uplevel your overall health
- Live better for longer
- Increase your energy
- Boost your mood
- Simply fit into your favorite pair of jeans again
… Mo-Mentum has your back. We help you find your motivation to exercise and keep it for life.
Stop by, call us, or click here to schedule your free assessment and strategy session today.
Karen, thank you for being such a great example of the importance of community and support on your fitness journey. We love your bright spirit. Thank you for being our Mo-Mentum Fitness October Superhero of the Month!
Xoxo Amanda
KAREN’S ANSWERS:
- Describe what your life (and your health) was like before fitness.
I was in the gym a few times a week to “work out”. It helped me feel better, but I much preferred working out with a friend or in a class and I didn’t have a set routine or accountability.
- Was there ever a low point or an experience that made your priorities change?
Two particular life challenges – in 2015 when I was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer I just gave up on a lot of things and put efforts into dealing with that situation (physically & mentally). Then when Covid hit in 2020, I just wasn’t taking good care of myself.
- How did fitness come into your life (or back into your life)?
Amanda spoke at a Women’s event for my church and was inspiring — pre-Covid … Then the world sort of took a pause. Once the world started opening back up I visited Mo-Mentum and got hooked.
- What kind of results have you seen since starting a regular fitness program?
The biggest result isn’t even physical — I always joke that my gym membership is my therapy! It’s the community and accountability that keeps me coming in.
- Please talk more about the actual changes in your life. (weight loss, confidence, more endurance, less medications, increased energy, better relationships etc.)
I’ve grown stronger with weightlifting and my cardio is better. I keep striving for “healthier,” which as I age is a moving target!
- Let’s focus in on the blood work. What kind of changes have you seen there? What do these changes mean for your lifestyle, longevity, finances, etc?
My blood work continues to fluctuate, but in the last six–nine months my doctor is seeing progress in reducing my A1C, and most of my other numbers are in control. I have issues with my glucose, but hopefully the heavy lifting and nutrition focus of the Back to School 6-Week Team Challenge I’m currently doing will help with this.
- Why do you make fitness a priority in your life?
My parents died early. Mostly because of diseases from a lack of regular activity in their lives. I have five amazing nieces and I want to be around to see them succeed. And I want to continue being the “fun Auntie.”
8. These days, what makes you truly happy and feel at peace?
Exceeding my goals. Helping someone with an issue that is hurting them or causing them stress.
- How do you feel compared to 1 year ago?
It’s always about “progress” for me. I know I am stronger! I feel more capable of doing “hard things” even if I whine along the way.
10. What is your favorite thing about Mo-Mentum Fitness?
How many brownie points if I say Amanda’s singing? … It’s about feeling “Mo-Tribe” strong! They remind me I am worthy and that being “normal” is all relative to the tribe you hang out with. It’s less like “working out” and more like hanging out with friends while working up a good sweat.
11. What would you say to the person who knows they need to start exercising but is afraid to start?
It’s about one step. Finding something that isn’t really “exercise” but more FUN. When I started at Mo-Mentum I could only do about 10-15 minutes on the spin bike without just gasping for air. It was a tough reality check. But when the people around you say — WOW! You are doing fantastic!! It’s amazing. Now? Proud to say it’s still hard, BUT I miss it when I am away for too long.
12. Specifics: your age? job title? children? spouse?
I’m 60 years old
Customer Service Manager Western US & Canada for a manufacturing company
5 super duper amazing nieces
1 hard-working son
2 grandchildren
