You've probably heard it all. 'I'm too drained,' 'It's freezing outside,' 'The gym is miles away,' 'My couch misses me.' Yeah, we've all concocted reasons and excuses for skipping our workouts, particularly when the mood just isn't in its place.

"Why so low, Motivation?" you might ask. This happens quite often, and it's normal. As Amanda Capritto, an ACE-certified personal trainer and nutrition coach at Trainer Academy in Miami, Florida, puts it, "I seldom rely on motivation alone and the truth is, I'm not always excited to hit the gym." Surprising? Well, not so much when you think about it.

Instead of sitting around waiting for a motivation strike like it’s some kind of divine intervention, high performers identify actions that resonate with their values. Then, they turn these actions into daily routines. As New York-based certified mental performance consultant, Greg Chertok, states, "Imagine how disappointing we'd all be as humans if we only did the right thing when we felt like it.”

This isn't to say motivation is pointless. It's just that you shouldn't throw in the towel if you're not feeling a blast of enthusiasm before every workout. Studies suggest that being motivated for the right reasons makes a huge difference. Intrinsically wishing to exercise simply to enjoy it - not for some distant pipedream like 'summer body goals' - can be integral for maintaining a lifelong fitness routine.

So, if there are days when the thrill to get your sweat on seems to have evaporated, worry not. We've got some prof-approved tactics to help you turn the blahs into 'bring it ons' and keep you hitting your health and fitness goals.