Have you ever been in the midst of your fitness program and just don’t feel like moving today? Ever feel like you just don’t have the energy to keep going, or you need a break from it? Well, you are certainly not alone. Feeling “stuck in a rut” or “hitting a plateau” is very common in fitness programs, so don’t despair. Motivation levels rise and fall when we engage in our physical and mental activities. Generally, motivation is high in the beginning because the program is new, we have goals in place and are excited about getting started. Then somewhere in the middle of the program, we get tired, unmotivated, bored or just can’t seem to summon the energy to continue. The weather is cold and our bodies just want to go into hibernation mode. This is when many people, generally around this time of year, give up and say it’s just not worth the energy to continue. There are ways around this feeling of de-motivation, so if you are on the verge of giving up, please continue reading. I may be able to offer you some ideas to keep you moving through the difficult parts of your program. Motivation can come from either internal or external sources. Internal motivation comes from inside the person and is that feeling of control we have over an event or outcome. We participate in the activity for the love of doing it and the feeling we get from the accomplishment. People who are internally motivated to exercise do it because they love the feeling they get from a good workout.