It’s that time of the year when everyone is interested in starting fitness. That is awesome! Any time more people are interested in getting healthier is a good thing. However, remember that fitness is a lifestyle. It’s not something we start in January and then forget by February. Whether you are reading this in January or this pops up for you later on in the year, your fitness journey can start today! Remember that since fitness and healthy living is a lifestyle, if you “fall off” it’s ok! Life comes with many ups and downs. Eventually pick yourself back up again and get back into it!
I’m hoping that some of these tips below will really give you some tangible, EASY ways to stay motivated to get your movement on.
Find A Workout You Love
Sometimes I feel like there’s this pressure to love a workout that your friends or your favorite “influencers” love. I think it’s great to try it out just to see but if you’ve tried it a few times and you still don’t love it, maybe it’s not your thing and that’s ok! It’s important to experiment a lot and find what works for you. When I first got started in fitness I used Classpass a lot and it was so crucial to my development in learning about my body. I quickly learned I didn’t have an affinity for barre. While it’s a great workout and definitely tones your body, it wasn’t necessarily the most fun workout and I need fun. Working out should be fun!
P.S. I’ve since tried barre again after not initially loving it and I now enjoy it on my low impact days. So just a tip, go back to workouts that you thought you didn’t like before, you never know if it’ll speak to your body at a different time!
Track Your Workouts – Remember Your Why
I created this free fitness tracker for you so you can write down exactly what your workouts are each day, how much water intake you consume in a day, and the most important parts of this tracker – reminding yourself of your GOALS and your WHY.
I find that when I lose focus on what my goals are or what my purpose is for working out, I lose motivation more easily. When I say know your why, I want you to dig deep. Do you say to yourself you want to lose 5 pounds? What is it really though about those pounds that is so important? Maybe the deeper reason is to feel stronger or to feel more confident. That is your why. Pounds and numbers fluctuate so much and they truly do not prove the worth to the work you actually put in. What IS important though is that feeling of knowing you can push through, even if you didn’t think you could. Capturing the deeper meaning behind why you started an endeavor is important to longer lasting success.
To receive your own tracker, simply input your information below and a download link will appear in your email inbox so you can receive your very own Moving Well tracker!
What’s also really important is to write down your feelings! Sometimes we forget how much of a mind-body connection there truly is to our physical health. If you’re feeling down but you went to go workout, document: Did you feel better? Did you get more energy? Write those types of feelings down on this tracker so that you can be aware of how fitness plays into your emotional health.
Accountability
Having friends to keep you on track is important to keep you honest with yourself. If you tend to make excuses on passing up your scheduled workouts, you are less likely to flake on a friend. If you schedule a workout time with a girlfriend, they can make you accountable to show up for yourself (and for them!). If you don’t happen to have a friend that is local to you that can really go workout with you, consider making an Instagram or social media friend! There are so many groups and Instagrammers out there now that can help you stay on track! Let someone know, virtual or in real life, of your goals and what your workout schedule is and someone will be able to remind you to go 🙂
Lay Out Your Gym Clothes
Out of sight, out of mind is what people say, and it’s so true! If all my workout gear were tucked neatly away in my closet, there’s less of a chance that I’ll make the effort to go use it, especially if I’m lukewarm about going in the first place. If I feel determined to workout, even just visually seeing my workout clothes, out in my living room or somewhere that is easily viewable to me will make it that much easier for me to grab it and put it on!
Create a habit
Habits, like brushing your teeth, having your coffee/tea in the morning, etc. are all second nature to us. By setting aside a specific time of each day for your daily workout, this will help keep you on track. Chances are you have to wake up at around the same time every weekday, maybe you can consider waking up 30 minutes prior and getting in an at home workout before you start your day. Or maybe you’re more of a night person, try signing up for a specific class that’s offered each night after work (most gyms have the same nightly schedule).
I hope these tips helped you! If you have any of your own, please feel free to share them in the comments!
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