Lost Motivation to Work Out in Your 40s?

Because the things that used to carry you, energy, routine and seeing progress, often shift in your 40s, and willpower was never built to fill that gap. In our experience, motivation tends to come back after you start moving again: a plan you don't have to think about, workouts that build, enough food, and someone checking in.

You didn't lose your drive.

You lost the things that used to fuel it.

Those can be rebuilt.

Why did I lose my motivation to work out?

If you used to be the woman who trained before work, and now you'd rather stay under the covers, you're in very good company.

I hear some version of this on calls every single week.

Here's who usually says it:

The early riser who hit a wall. Mornings were always her time. Now the alarm goes off and she negotiates.
The woman who feels weaker. Workouts that used to feel good feel harder than they did a year ago.
The one doing it alone. No plan, nobody expecting her, just a good intention and a busy calendar.
The one who knows exactly what to do. And still can't make herself do it. (More on that in do I need a coach if I already know what to do.)

None of these women got lazy.

Something changed, and the old way of staying motivated stopped working.

Is it perimenopause, or is it me?

Probably a bit of both, and none of it is a character flaw.

A lot of the women we coach notice that their energy, sleep and recovery feel different in their 40s. Add a full-time job, kids, aging parents and a to-do list that never ends.

When workouts feel harder and the results stop showing up, it makes sense that you'd stop wanting to do them.

Here's the thing.

Low energy can look exactly like low motivation. And in our experience, a lot of it comes from running on empty. Too little food, too little sleep, too much coffee. If that sounds familiar, read why you're tired all the time, even when you sleep.

If broken sleep from little ones is part of the story, here's how we coach around nights like that.

What if it's more than motivation?

We coach. We don't diagnose.

If the flat feeling has spread past your workouts, if your mood is low and isn't lifting, or if it's been weeks and it's getting in the way of your sleep and your days, please talk to your doctor.

That conversation matters, and coaching doesn't replace it.

Training, food and sleep can help either way. Your doctor gets the first word.

Why doesn't willpower fix it?

Can we please stop pretending motivation is something you're supposed to just find?

Motivation goes up and down. It always has. When you were younger, a lot of other things were carrying you without you noticing.

Here's what tends to drain it in your 40s:

Random workouts. A class here, a video there. Chris calls it the "vomit of exercise." Your body gets so many mixed messages that it has no idea where you want it to go, so you never see much change.
Nobody's expecting you. Skip a week and nobody notices.
No progress you can see. If you're not writing down what you lift, you can't see yourself getting stronger.
All or nothing. Miss Monday, and the whole week feels ruined.

Willpower can't fix any of those.

Structure can.

What actually gets you training again?

Usually it's the small, boring things that bring the spark back.

Here's what we build in:

A plan you don't have to think about. You press play. The follow-along video workouts are about 50 minutes, 5 a week in the Reset: 3 strength and 2 conditioning, and one of those is optional.
Workouts that change as you go. The program moves into a new block of workouts partway through, so it doesn't go stale.
Progress you can see. You write down your weights and reps, then beat them next time. Seeing yourself get stronger is one of the best motivators there is.
Room for a short day. Can't do the full workout? Do part of it. A shorter workout still counts.
Someone in your corner. A coach who checks in every two weeks and is there between check-ins. Chris asks every woman for one thing: "All we want from you is communication."

A lot of the women we coach like to train first thing, so it's done before the day gets a vote.

That's not a rule.

It's just one less negotiation.

What if I lose steam halfway through?

Expect it.

That's not a pessimistic thing to say. It's how we plan.

In the Reset, we know the newness wears off. Around week 6, the finish line isn't close yet and the early excitement is long gone. So we plan for it, with a check-in on what you're tracking and a fresh push for the last stretch.

Week 3 is the other one. Here's how to stick with it past week 3.

When you know the dip is coming, it stops feeling like failure.

It's just week 6.

Why does training matter so much right now?

Because in your 40s, strength training does a lot of the heavy lifting for how your body looks and feels.

Most women come to us wanting to lose weight. What they actually want to lose is fat.

That means keeping and building muscle while you lose fat. In our experience, the women who keep training are the ones whose body composition keeps changing, and whose energy comes back first.

We've helped 1,000+ women lose 10 to 20 lbs of fat in 8 weeks.

Plenty of them told us on their first call that they'd lost their spark for training.

Will I ever enjoy it again?

In our experience, yes.

For a lot of the women we coach, the enjoyment comes back once they can feel themselves getting stronger. The first time you pick up a heavier dumbbell. The first week you don't skip. The morning you realize you're looking forward to it.

It doesn't have to come back first.

It usually comes back after you start.

Ready to get your spark back?

You don't need more willpower.

You need a plan that does some of the work for you, and someone who notices when you go quiet.

Start with the short video on our homepage at fortyfwd.com. It walks through why your body stopped responding after 40 and the method we use to change that.

If it sounds like you, apply for a call with Chris.

He reads every application himself. On the call, he'll ask what your training used to look like and what changed, and tell you straight whether the program is the right fit. If it is, he walks you through the investment then, once you both know it's a fit.

The woman who couldn't wait to train is still in there.

Let's go find her.

Frequently asked questions

Why have I lost my motivation to work out in my 40s?

A lot of the women we coach notice their energy, sleep and recovery change in their 40s, and willpower was never built to fill that gap. Structure, a plan that builds and someone checking in tend to bring it back.

Is losing motivation to exercise a sign of perimenopause?

It can go along with it, and a lot of the women we coach notice it in their 40s. If your mood is low, isn't lifting or is affecting your sleep and your days, please talk to your doctor.

How do I get motivated to work out again?

Start before you feel ready. A simple plan, a shorter workout on busy days, writing down what you lift and a coach who checks in every two weeks usually bring the motivation back after you start.

Can I still lose weight if I don't feel like working out?

Yes, if you keep showing up in some form. A shorter workout still counts, and in our experience, consistent strength training with enough food is what changes your body composition over time.

What if I lose motivation halfway through a program?

Expect it, and tell your coach. In the Reset, we plan for the mid-program dip with a check-in on what you're tracking and a fresh push for the last stretch.

I used to love working out. Why have I lost all my motivation in my 40s?