Life is full of ebbs and flows, ups and downs. I sure as hell don’t wake up every morning brimming with positivity and motivation. I have a ritual that I perform every morning to start my day in an attempt to get me in the right mind set. There are a small number of people who can jump out of bed in the morning, bang their heads against the wall a few times and attack the day with reckless abandon. But most of us are not like that. So the question becomes, how can we best function on those days when we have little drive and just surviving the day becomes a moral victory in and of itself ?

Here are some tips and tricks that I use with myself and my clients to squeeze out what we can when we just aren’t feeling it:

Push through it – Tell yourself, “I will just hop on the bike, start peddling and see how it goes.” Most of the time I find my lack of motivation is more mental than physical. Once I get moving, I start to feel better mentally and the rest takes care of itself. Build on these small victories and carry the momentum into your training session and you’ll be productive throughout the rest of your day.

Make a few changes – Sometimes the planned workout doesn’t sound terribly appealing no matter how hard you try to convince yourself otherwise. On those days, switch things up. Pick a new exercise that you have always wanted to try. Check out one of the group classes at your gym, or perhaps lower the weight on all of your regular exercises, perform more reps and focus on super slow negatives at the bottom.

Reward yourself – After I’ve performed a really challenging workout with a lot of volume, I make it a point to refuel with a big re-feed afterwards. On those days I will make plans to meet a friend at one of my favourite restaurants. It provides me with the motivation to get the workout done and it gives me something to look forward to later on.

Get a workout partner – If every day is a struggle to drag your butt into the gym, then you definitely want to think about getting a workout partner. Make a point of finding someone who has similar goals. When you surround yourself with like-minded people, it improves your chances of success dramatically.

Take the day off – Sometimes it just isn’t your day. Missing a workout is not the end of the world—it might even help you. The gym should never feel like a chore. Two or three times a year I take an entire week off to recharge mentally and physically. I focus on getting more sleep, catching up on other things and if I am really itching to move around, I will go for a long walk and listen to some music or a podcast.