It happens to all of us ladies every now and again. You just finished work, you have your gym bag packed and you’re ready to head to your local fitness center. But there’s something missing – that would be your motivation. And after a long day’s work, the thought of vegging out on the couch with Netflix sounds just so appealing. So what can you do to regain your motivation to exercise when you lack even a smidgen of enthusiasm? Here are few ideas to help.

Bring a friend

Sometimes the easiest way to infuse enthusiasm into any activity is to bring along friends. Whether you’re going shopping, to the movies or out to dinner, how much more enjoyable are these activities when you have one of your besties with you? Of course it’s almost always better. And the same goes for exercise.

To maximize your motivation on a longer term basis, see if your friend wants to sign up with you for a two-month structured fitness program, or even a yoga or dance class. Not only will this be an enjoyable activity you can share together, but you’ll also be sticking to your health and fitness routine, and taking care of your body in the process.

Exercise outdoors

When it comes to enjoying your fitness routine again, sometimes the only thing you need is a simple change of scenery. So take your exercise outside. While you likely won’t have machines and equipment to work with, there are plenty of bring-only-your-body exercises you can do outdoors as a temporary retreat from your health club. A few ideas are:

• Run in the park, on a nature trail or in your local neighborhood
• Bike around a nearby lake
• Practice yoga on the sand or grass
• Swim at the beach or at an outdoor pool
• Do push-ups, burpees, lunges, jump-rope, stretches, leg-lifts, squats, or dancing – all outside while you’re catching some sun

Get a trainer

If your lack of motivation drags on for more than a few days, then it may be time to consider enlisting the help of a trainer. Through encouragement and a touch of tough love, a trainer can give you the much-needed boost you need to get over any motivation hurdles you may encounter.

Best of all, a trainer can help you correct any bad habits to your form you’ve picked up while exercising on your own. Additionally, they can even help you start working muscles you’re not used to using – meaning you’ll be able to get a more complete full-body workout than ever before.