How to Stay Motivated at the Gym

Hey, sometimes it's hard to stay motivated at the gym. Even when we're at our peak, or need to hit a few workout goals, many of us are faced with both long hours at work and demands from the family.

CrossFit exercises present us with a way to stay in shape over the long haul. Lunges, box jumps, and air squats give us the best opportunity to keep our bodies-and our minds-up to speed. Still, it can be difficult to stay on par with these exercises. We've compiled three ways to stay motivated during your time at the gym.

1. Break Out the Music

We all love our music. Hardened CrossFitters wisely make gym playlists, with hits from the Rocky film series and Now! featuring prominently near the ears of many.

Music is proven to help us when we're under duress at the gym; one survey found that music in fact boosts our performance, allowing us to zoom out of our realities and focus on the intensity of our workouts. So before you hit the gym, download your favorite songs into an iPod or iPhone, secure headphones that won't fall off while you're exercising intently, and throw yourself into your favorite CrossFit exercise.

Just make sure you're tuning at the right decibels or you may just be tuning out of sound permanently later in life. Research signals that persistently loud music, especially those we blare in our aerobics classes, can damage your ear drums if left resonating for up to an hour or more.

2. Stay Away From Mirrors

We've all fallen off the track with our personal fitness regimen at some point. A study from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development found that most Americans pack on about a pound during the holiday period that covers Thanksgiving and Christmas-with results suggesting that that one extra pound can encourage obesity later in life.

All the more reason to stay away from mirrors if you're getting your body and health back on track. Another study found that participants reportedly felt weaker when squeezing a weight in front of a mirror. Who would disagree? No one likes to see themself struggling while they work off their extra fat.

If you encounter a mirror and it slams your motivation, find a place at the gym without reflective surfaces. If you can't, focus on something else-an idea or something (or someone) that irritates you.

3. Drink Water Regularly

Don't underestimate the power of dehydration when you work out. Research by the organization IDEA found that even 2 percent of a dehydrated state can rob a person of her endurance abilities during a workout.

Take these tips to heart: Drink at least two to three glasses of water before you try your abilities at the gym. Make sure to pause your workout every 20 minutes to rehydrate. And if you begin to feel dizzy, make sure to stop your exercise immediately, especially if you're on the treadmill or some other machine.