Month: June 2025

Getting Back on Track: What To Do When You Hit A Workout Slump

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Let’s be honest: we’ve all been there.

You start strong. The motivation is high, the gym clothes are laid out, your playlist is fire, and the momentum is pulling you forward. Then one missed workout turns into a couple. Then it’s a week. Then two. And before you know it, you’re in a full-on slump. The treadmill becomes a clothes hanger, the running shoes turn into everyday shoes and the workout clothes turn into yard work attire.

If you have a treadmill and it looks like this you have more going on than just a workout slump. I’m not sure exactly what any of these ‘clothes’ are but AI seems to think this is what it looks like if you use your treadmill to throw your clothes on.

That fire you felt? Gone cold. And here comes the voice in your head:
“This always happens.”
“You can never stick to anything.”
“Why even try again?”

Sound familiar?

You’ve hit a slump. It’s not failure. It’s not proof that you’re lazy. It’s just part of the process.

But here’s the key: you don’t have to stay there. You can use it. You learn can from it. And you start again — differently.

Let’s talk about how.

Step 1: Ditch the Shame

First things first: enough with the guilt.

Frustration and fatigue are a normal part of life. Sometimes everything is clicking and easy and at times everything seems like a lot of work for little reward. These ebbs and flows are normal but you can learn from the ‘low’ times to propel you to action.

Shame keeps you stuck. It creates a negative habit loop: you feel bad for missing workouts, so you avoid starting again, which makes you feel worse. It’s a trap — and the way out is self-compassion and resetting that feedback loop.  

Instead of saying, “I’ve let myself go,” say, “I’ve been through a tough patch, and I’m ready to get back to me.” 

It’s important to also realize that you’re not starting over from scratch. You’re starting from a a position of experience. You already know more than you did the last time. And that’s power you can use to increase your chances of success.

Step 2: Lower the Bar to Rebuild the Habit

One of the biggest mistakes I used to make — and I see this with a lot of people — is trying to come back full throttle. Like, “I haven’t worked out in three weeks, so I need to crush it today.”

That thinking will burn you out faster than a 90-minute bootcamp which will only increase the intensity of the negative loop in your mind and make it harder to get back at it. 

Here’s a different approach:  Lower the expectation bar low enough that you can get over it without much effort,

  • 10 minutes of movement every day for a week.
  • One set of bodyweight exercises for 3 days.
  • A walk instead of a run. 

The goal isn’t to be impressive. It’s to be consistent. Because consistency is what builds a habit and confidence. And confidence is what builds momentum.  

Step 3: Focus on Identity, Not Intensity

This is something I say all the time on Used to Guy: don’t just chase results — chase identity.

When you’re in a slump, your brain wants you to believe you’re back to square one. But you’re not. You’ve been the kind of person who works out. That identity is still there. It just needs a little dusting off.

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to prove to yourself, day by day, that you’re still that person.

So even if you do 5 minutes of movement, log it. Count it. Celebrate it. Because that’s a vote for the kind of person you’re becoming.

Step 4: Mix It Up to Break the Monotony

Here’s a common but under-recognized reason people fall off track: they’re bored.

Same workout. Same playlist. Same gym. Same route. And the brain, being the pleasure-seeking machine it is, starts tuning out. That’s when the slump starts creeping in.

So here’s your permission: shake it up.

Try something new. Different doesn’t mean you’re not serious — it means you’re smart enough to keep it fresh.

  • If you usually lift, getting outside and walking or running.
  • If you run, swap it for biking, swimming, or hiking.
  • Try an outdoor bootcamp instead of the gym.
  • Switch to bodyweight circuits at home for a week.
  • Grab a friend and do something fun and low-pressure like playing tennis or pickleball.

Sometimes reigniting your motivation isn’t about discipline — it’s about rediscovery.
You might even realize that what burned you out wasn’t you — it was your routine.

I’ve had moments where changing just one variable — like working out at a different time of day, or switching up my playlist — completely changed my energy.

Don’t be afraid to pivot. Movement should evolve with your life.

Step 5: Reconnect to Your Why

One of the best ways to get unstuck is to remember what you’re really working toward — and why it matters.

For me, fitness was never just about weight. If you recall I waited a full year before beginning to go back to running after committing to my weight loss plan.  When all was said and done my return to exercise was about identity repair. It was about being someone who follows through, someone who values their body and their mind. It helped me feel in control when life felt chaotic. It gave me proof — physical proof — that I could change.

What’s your deeper why?

  • More energy to play with your kids?
  • Breaking a family pattern of poor health?
  • Feeling proud when you look in the mirror?
  • Managing anxiety without numbing out?

Commit your purpose to paper. Put it somewhere you’ll see every day. And on the hard days, let that “why” be louder than the excuses.  Mine ‘Keep Moving Forward’ is the title of my blog and tattooed on the inside of my left arm.  It reminds me every day that no matter what comes at me in that day, or in life, all I have to do is put one foot in front of the other and press on.  

Step 6: Use the Slump as a Signal, Not a Sentence

Slumps are feedback. They’re trying to tell you something.

Maybe you were doing too much. Maybe you were bored. Maybe life got hectic and movement took a back seat — and that’s okay.

Instead of judging it, listen to it.

Then adjust:

  • If your schedule changed, maybe your workout window needs to change, too.
  • If you burned out, maybe your recovery game needs to improve.
  • If you hated every second of what you were doing… maybe it’s time for something that lights you up again.

Slumps can become turning points — if you let them.

Final Thoughts: The Comeback Always Starts Small

Hitting a slump doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’re alive. No one is “on” all the time. No one trains at 100% forever. What matters is what you do next.

So take a breath. Let go of the guilt. Take one small step. Then another.

Not because you hate where you are — but because you believe in where you’re going.

And if you need to hear it today:
You haven’t lost it. You just paused. And you’re allowed to restart as many times as you need.

Because you don’t have to be who you used to be to build a life you’re proud of.
You just need to keep showing up.

And Keep Moving Forward.

Beyond Willpower: The Simple Neuroscience of Habit Change

/ UsedToGuy / 1 Comment

Let’s get one thing straight: you probably don’t have a willpower problem.
You’re not lazy.
You’re not broken.
You’re not doomed to repeat the same cycle of “start strong, burn out, repeat.”

What you many of us have is a habit loop problem—and that’s good news. Because habits? They’re not about motivation. They’re about systems and processes. And those can be rebuilt.

Illustration depicting the brain's role in behavior change, highlighting the transition from struggle to strategy with arrows indicating progress.


In this post, we’re diving into a key reason habits either stick or fall apart—and how understanding the brain’s role in behavior change can finally shift your transformation from a struggle to a strategy.


There is a lot of research out there on habits loops. Below are some links for further reading beyond this post:

Psychology Today
Neuroscience Foundation

If you want to really go deep on this concept check out: Atomic Habits by James Clear

🌀 The Habit Loop: Cue → Routine → Reward

Let’s talk about how your brain works on autopilot. It’s been well documented that habits have a three part loop. This pattern is pretty standard across both ‘good’ habits (e.g. exercise) and ‘bad’ habits (e.g. overeating or addiction)

Every habit—good or bad—follows this three-part loop:

A diagram illustrating 'The Habit Loop', featuring three key components: Cue, Routine, and Reward, organized in a circular format with arrows indicating their relationships.
  1. Cue: A trigger. Something that tells your brain, “Hey, it’s time to do that thing.”
  2. Routine: The action or behavior itself.
  3. Reward: The payoff that tells your brain, “Let’s do this again next time.”

Example:

  • Cue: You feel stressed.
  • Routine: You reach for a cookie.
  • Reward: Your brain gets a little dopamine hit. Stress temporarily fades.

The loop forms. Do it enough times, and your brain automates it. You stop thinking. You just do.

Your Brain Is Trying to Be Efficient—Not Helpful

Here’s the kicker: The human brain loves habits. Habits save energy. Habits save time. But a habit if the habit helps you reach your goals. It just wants efficiency.

That’s why you can want to change, know you should change, even plan to change—and still default back to old patterns.

Motivation is a spark. But neuroscience is the fuel system.

Rewiring the Loop

Want to change a habit? Don’t rely on brute force. Focus on creating a better loop.

Step 1: Keep the Cue

Don’t try to remove the trigger—that’s almost impossible. Instead, where you can apply your focus is on changing your response.

If your cue is boredom, stress, or celebration, don’t fight the feeling. Redirect the routine.

  • Instead of scrolling social media when bored → Try a 2-minute walk
  • Instead of snacking under stress → Try redirecting your anxiety into a healthy activity or hobby. It could be as simple as doing a daily Duolingo lesson.
  • Instead of “treating yourself” with food → Try memorializing your victories by starting a gratitude journal.

Step 2: Substitute the Routine

Don’t just remove a behavior. Replace it. Create a “plug-and-play” swap.

Step 3: Hack the Reward

Here’s the wild part: your brain can’t always tell the difference between a “real” reward and an intentional one.

So make your healthy behavior feel rewarding:

  • Track a streak.
  • Say out loud, “That was a win.” Externalizing good things can help counteract negative thoughts and patterns.
  • Log it in a habit app–or if you use an app to record your food or exercise you can usually record things like this there.
  • Literally smile—yes, that lights up the reward center, too. Sometimes when I’m in the middle of a long workout when I’m not feeling awesome saying hello to someone passing by on a run–exchanging a little wave and a smile is all the motivation I need to press on. My wife think’s I’m nuts–and she’s right-because I wave to every car or person that passes me. It’s just my little way of being present in the world.

⚡️ Tiny Tweaks > Big Overhauls

Trying to change everything at once? That’s a great way to overwhelm your brain and trigger resistance.

The science shows this clearly: small, consistent tweaks win.

  • Want to work out more? Start with 5 minutes a day.
  • Want to eat better? Start by adding one healthy item to one meal a day, not removing five foods or taking on a major diet overhaul that you can’t sustain.
  • Want to walk daily? Pair it with something enjoyable—like music, a podcast, or fresh air breaks.

🧠 ADD, ADHD & the Distracted Brain

If you live with ADHD (like I do), this loop can be even more chaotic. Our dopamine system is wired differently, which makes reward and impulse control even trickier.

Here’s what helps me.

  • Use visual cues (post-its, alarms, reminders).
  • Shorten the loop: immediate reward after a small action. I’ll talk more in my next post about incremental wins in more detail. But keeping the action -> reward loop small is key to keeping things in check for me.
  • Externalize accountability—checklists, habit tracking apps, food tracking apps like Weight Watchers, or even texting a friend.

The bottom line is, even if you are wired to distraction you can find ways to gain focus by introducing we structure and novelty.

Structure helps us know what we are supposed to be doing. It make accountability easier.

Novelty, helps keep things fresh and interesting. Over the years I’ve gotten into different exercise interests, from running to biking. And I’ve found fun challenges to keep me moving with purpose.

For me, the key is not letting things get boring and not letting my commitments become stressors. It is a delicate balance for sure and something I work at every day.

Identity: The Final Habit Lock

Want habits to last? Connect them to your identity.

I’ve mentioned this in past posts but by adopting Instead of saying:

“I want to lose weight.”

Try:

“I’m the kind of person who moves daily.”
“I’m someone who keeps promises to myself.”
“I’m someone who chooses progress over perfection.”

The more you act like the person you want to become, the more your brain rewires to support that version of you. If you want to go deeper on this concept check out this post.

Weekly Challenge

Pick One Habit Loop This Week to Hack.

  1. Identify the cue (what triggers the behavior?)
  2. Swap the routine (what new action will you try?)
  3. Define the reward (how will you make it feel good?)
  4. Track it for 7 days.

Print this. Stick it to your fridge. Set reminders. Give it 1 minute of thought daily. That’s enough to start rewiring.

Final Thoughts

You’re not failing because you “can’t change.”
You’re stuck because you haven’t learned how to build habits that match how your brain actually works.

This is the part most people skip. But this is where real change starts.

You don’t need a new plan. You need a new loop—and a brain that finally believes it can win.

Ready to rebuild your loop?
Download the printable worksheet [coming soon!] or start your own habit tracker today. And if you need more support, check out the Keep Moving Forward Podcast.

Let’s rewire together and Keep Moving Forward