It might be a new year, a new month, or a Monday. Maybe your high school reunion, best friend’s wedding, or a dream beach vacation is just around the corner. You’re motivated and ready to stick with a new fitness routine. Maybe you joined a gym, started Couch to 5k, or found a new walking partner in your neighborhood. You’re off to an amazing start!
Everything is great. Until…
- your child gets sick
- you get sick
- you have to travel for work
- the weather gets cold
- your car breaks down
- you are too tired to wake up
- you are too tired to work out in the afternoon
- insert any other barrier here
The first step to becoming fit is to begin an fitness routine. Most people know that, most people can even DO that. But, sticking to it is the difficult part. Sometimes all you need are a few tips to keep up the good work and commit to it.
Photo: Richfromthefuture/flickr
Tips for sticking with your fitness routine
- Exercise at the same time every day. Research shows that people who exercise in the morning are the most apt to stick to their routine, but there are plenty of people who are successful evening exercisers. Find what works for you and stick to it.
- Write it in your calendar. You wouldn’t miss a dentist appointment or a meeting with your boss without rescheduling it. Prioritize your workouts the same way. If something happens that requires you to need to reschedule, DO IT! Pencil in another time or day to get your fitness activity completed
- Get creative! One day, you had planned to walk with a friend but you are under a tornado watch. You look at your calendar and there is no other day this week you can exercise. Now what? Run up and down the stairs in your house, do an exercise DVD, find a fitness activity on YouTube, or take your kids roller skating, and join in on the fun. Fitness doesn’t always have to be routine
- Find joy in fitness beyond a number on the scale. If you’ve been exercising for four weeks and don’t see the results you’re expecting the next time you weigh yourself, you might feel less-than-motivated to continue. Just realize, however, that exercise is good for more than weight loss. It reduces stress, boosts mood, staves off depression, improves self-esteem, and helps strengthen your bones.
- Set realistic expectations. Goal setting is an awesome tool to stay motivated. But, if you set one to exercise seven days a week for 60 minutes, you might not be successful. For the first few weeks, make it easy on yourself. You’re more likely to be successful with that approach. Once you start seeing the benefits of exercise, those workout sessions will be much easier to plan and complete!
Bonus point: Get an accountability partner. Find someone to meet you to exercise or to call you to make sure you are up. Having family members on board is extremely helpful, too!
Are you ready to start? Tell us how your first workout went!
Photo: Richfromthefuture/flickr
