Feeling exhausted and burned out can make it challenging to find the motivation to exercise. To gain more energy though, a healthy and appropriate amount of exercise and movement is crucial.

You need to move more to build up your energy from a cellular level, being the mitochondria.

Your mitochondria are the powerhouse the primary function of which is to generate large quantities of energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the energy-carrying molecule found in the cells of all living things. ATP captures chemical energy obtained from the breakdown of food molecules and releases it to fuel other cellular processes.

In addition to this, the basic increase of your heart rate through movement helps your body awaken and begin to feel more energised.

It’s about understanding where you are at and knowing if you are truly burned out, or if your lifestyle may be the culprit whereby healthier food choices, regular and appropriate exercise and stress management may be factors contributing to your fatigue.

Here are several things you can do to help motivate yourself:

1. Start small: When you’re feeling burnt out, the idea of exercising can be overwhelming. Instead of jumping into a full workout, start with something small, like a 10-minute walk or a few stretching exercises. You can visit my holistic Youtube channel for some great burnout-friendly and beginner-friendly routines that will easily fit into your schedule and make your body feel amazing.
2. Find a supportive community: Having a coach and like-minded community to hold you accountable can be a great motivator. You can set goals, and check in on each other’s progress. 
3. Change up your routine: If you’re feeling burnt out, it may be because your exercise routine has become monotonous. Or, if you are NOT exercising, start with something more geared towards low impact movement using your bodyweight so it is a gradual and enjoyable progression. Nothing too harsh that will shock your system. A 20 minute low impact full body routine like this would be perfect. Then, you can progress to using equipment and enjoy a variety of regimes once your baseline strength, mobility and fitness has increased.
4. Reward yourself: Acknowledging your wins is key. Set small goals for yourself and reward yourself when you achieve them. This could be something as simple as treating yourself to a favorite snack or taking a relaxing bath.
5. Focus on the benefits: Remind yourself why you started exercising in the first place. Think about how you feel after a workout, such as increased energy and improved mood.
6. Rearrange your schedule: If there are time restraints in your schedule, look closely at what you can ditch, delay or delegate. I always encourage my clients to look closely at this and be honest with their schedules and where their time is going. If there is no time for you to enjoy a healthy exercise routine, then this may very well be part of your fatigue and burnout problem. I cover this in my Fatigued to Fit Fitness Reboot Program, you can apply right here.

Remember that exercise should be enjoyable and not something that causes additional stress. By starting small, being supported and then progressing according to your health, strength and energy increase, you can find the motivation to exercise even when you’re feeling burnt out.