5 reasons you’re bored of the gym

5 reasons you’re bored of the gym, and how to fix it.

So, you’re bored of the gym. This isn’t unusual. Maybe your new year enthusiasm’s worn off, maybe you’ve hit a plateau… or maybe you’ve just chosen a really boring workout routine and it’s finally catching up with you. The good news is, this is fixable without resorting to propping up an iPad on the cross-trainer or balancing a copy of Gone Girl at the edge of the pool so you can read it between kick-turns – because honestly, that makes you look sort of insane. Here’s how to sort it out.

1. You don’t have measurable goals

This is a big one. ‘I want to lose weight,’ is not a great goal. ‘I want to lose fat,’ is better, but ‘I want to lose X percent of body fat’ is arguably better still, because it gives you an end point – or at least, a point where you can change to a new goal. You could do one better and set yourself a physical challenge that’ll force you to get in shape – trust me, if you can get to five strict pull-ups without being able to see your abs, something’s gone very, very wrong.

2. You hate the workout you’ve picked

Nothing wrong with this. Some people love training alone and hate being yelled at by over-enthusiastic trainers – others are the opposite. Some people like slow-tempo training, others like explosive lifting or jumping around. Some people hate running – some people hate swimming. The good news is, this isn’t PE class: if there’s a certain style of exercise you don’t like, you can change it. Just make sure you’re getting your cardio and resistance training from somewhere.

3. You keep doing the same thing

Repeat anything for long enough and it’s likely to get boring. Vary up your routine by challenging yourself to learn a new skill or set a new record – maybe you want to be able to do a handstand, or run a sub-7 minute mile. Once you’ve hit that goal, pick a new one.

4. You don’t have any friends at the gym

Okay, maybe you haven’t got time to high-five everyone on the way to the smoothie station or learn all of the trainers’ names, but just having a couple of gym buddies can make the whole experience a lot more pleasant. Take the time to nod, smile or say hi to a few of the regulars – and when you need someone to spot you on the bench, you’ll have someone to grab.

5. You aren’t going hard enough

Okay, tough love time: if you’re reading Grazia on the exercise bike – unless it’s part of a well-planned recovery workout – you should be training harder. Instead of a 40-minute plod, strip your workout back to 20 minutes of 20 second sprints and 40 seconds of slower pedalling, or something similar. Get it done, and go have lunch – no boredom required.