Dec 29, 2026
Getting bored with your exercise routine or pushing too hard are surefire ways to end up in workout burnout. Learn how to avoid it with these tips.
Has your workout motivation taken a sudden nosedive? Do you find yourself just going through the motions of your workout routine—or skipping it altogether? If so, you may be facing workout burnout. This is a common struggle that leaves you both physically and mentally fatigued.
But don't worry—recognizing workout burnout is the first step toward getting back on track. Besides a drop in motivation, other signs of burnout may include:
- Muscle soreness and fatigue that just won’t quit
- Tiredness that lingers long after a workout
- Sluggishness during workouts
- Weight loss or weight gain
- Changes in your mood or sleep patterns
- Getting sick or injured more often
- High blood pressure and/or high resting heart rate
How to beat workout burnout
Here are 4 tips to help bring that spark back to your workout—and to help prevent future burnout:
1. Don’t push too hard. While you need to push yourself to achieve your fitness goals, pushing yourself too hard can lead to burnout. You should feel excited about your goals, not anxious. And your workout routine should make you feel invigorated, not exhausted.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your workouts, take a step back. Rest and reassess your routine. Break those big, hard-to-reach fitness goals into small, reachable steps. Then work toward each step steadily, noting and celebrating the progress you make along the way.
2. Maintain workout-life balance. If you’re putting your workouts before all else, you may need to strike a better balance. Working out too often, too long, or too hard can lead to overtraining syndrome and burnout. Rest and recovery between workouts is vital. Without it, you’ll start hurting your body instead of helping it. Fatigue, overuse injuries, sleep problems, mood swings, and a drop in motivation are common signs of overtraining.
If this sounds like you, take some time rest and recover. Then work with a certified personal trainer to tailor a program for you—and stick with it. If you find you can’t say “no” to overtraining, consider working with a therapist, such as a sports psychologist, to help you regain some balance.
Learn more about getting too much exercise.
3. Mix it up and have some fun. If you think working out is boring, you’re more likely to burn out. But it doesn’t have to be a chore! Find an activity you love (or at least one you like). That might be something traditional like running or weight lifting. Or it can be any activity that gets you moving. Try dance, skating, rock climbing, hiking, kayaking, or team sports. Also, you can change up your fitness routine now and then to keep it interesting and fun.
4. Connect with your “why.” What’s the real reason you work out? Try to think beyond why “you should” get fit. What do you truly want to achieve from your fitness routine? Perhaps it’s to get stronger, to improve your heart health, or to lose weight. Or maybe you want to have more energy or you’re training for an event. Pinpoint the reasons that matter to you and keep them in mind. They’ll also help shape your workout routine.
Your best bet is to prevent burnout before it happens. But if you find your motivation tanking or your healthy habits slipping, take an honest look at your routine. Then try these tips to see if they don’t just pull you up from the ashes of burnout.
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References
American Council on Exercise. (2016). 8 signs you need to give your training a rest. http://www.acefitness.org/acefit/healthy-living-article/60/5859/8-signs-you-need-to-give-your-training-a-rest/
Brenner, J. S., Watson, A., & Council On Sports Medicine and Fitness (2024). Overuse injuries, overtraining, and burnout in young athletes. Pediatrics, 153(2), Article e2023065129. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2023-065129
Cleveland Clinic. (2024, January 25). Workout motivation: Do’s and don’ts to help you actually stick to your new exercise routine. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-get-motivated-to-workout
Cunningham, S. (2025, March 31). Rest and recovery are critical for athletes of all ages from students to pros to older adults. UCHealth. https://www.uchealth.org/today/rest-and-recovery-for-athletes-physiological-psychological-well-being/
Groenewal, P. H., Putrino, D., & Norman, M. R. (2021). Burnout and motivation in sport. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 44(3), 359–372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2021.04.008
MedlinePlus. (2024, September 4). Are you getting too much exercise? U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000807.htm
This article was written by Keleigh Somes, edited by Jason Nielsen, and clinically reviewed by Jaynie Bjornaraa, PhD, MPH, PT, LAT, ATC, CSCS, CSPS, on October 14, 2025.
