When it comes to getting fit, staying fit, and feeling good, it’s really easy to feel overwhelmed and under motivated. Whether you plan on heading to the gym, going for run, or popping in a DVD, in order to make any workout actually “work”, time must be scheduled for it, consistently, throughout the week. Simple right? Not exactly.
For most Americans, even though exercise has been proven to reduce the risk of many diseases, adding another obligation or stressful activity to the everyday mix, is just not in the cards. You really need to make your workout into something you love. Not something you dread.
4 WAYS TO STAY FIT, ON TRACK, AND MOTIVATED
So how do you learn to love a workout? How do you stay active, without feeling overworked? Here are a few tips to keep you on track and make your workouts work for you, rather than against you.
1. FIND YOUR FIT
Being fit is not a “One Size Fits All”. For some, being fit looks like body building, aiming for 2% body fat and 98% muscle. For others, being fit looks more like long and lean, enjoying early morning runs or bike rides. Some may set out every Saturday on a adventure, hiking 30 miles, with no real plan or set body weight; just feeling healthy and fulfilled. And yet, some of us, like to mix it up with a little lifting, a little cardio, yard work, volleyball, swimming, or tennis in the afternoon.
When it comes to being active and finding a way to stay fit, the options are nearly endless. But if you aren’t instinctively drawn to any one activity, or athletically inclined, finding your “fit” may be a little more challenging than it is for those who are. That doesn’t mean its impossible, it just might look a little different.
We all have legs, and those legs were meant for walking! Starting there is a great springboard into getting yourself ready for more involves types of activities. Walking at a brisk pace will improve strength, agility, stamina, and for many, leads into jogging, and for some, even running.
2. FIND YOUR FLEXIBILITY
When it comes to staying on track with working out routine is key. A routine does not necessarily mean scheduling in the same time, everyday, to workout which can certainly be effective, but can also lead to stagnation and exhaustion. If you have to be at work at 8:30 am Monday-Friday, and schedule your workout for 6am every morning before work, your bound for boredom.
Your best bet is to take a couple of those days, and throw in an evening workout or off day. Vary that time in the morning with an hour of reading, extra shut-eye, or personal development. Be flexible, yet consistent. This will prevent that early morning dread and burn out from setting in. We all need a little spontaneity, as well as time to grow ourselves outside of work. family, and fitness. Be sure to make that a part of your routine, and you’ll’ feel more fulfilled and well rounded.
3. FIND YOUR FREEDOM
Cut yourself some slack. If you are tired, feeling overworked, or stressed one day, take a break. Don’t feel guilty about it. Don’t put yourself in a fitness prison. It’s amazing how skipping one day of working out or indulging in a cheat meal, actually has the potential to sway our brains and bodies into giving up. Just pick yourselves up (put the pizza down) and get on with it. The next day, run a little harder, play a little tougher, lift a little heavier, and push yourself. Life is long. Life is hard. And telling yourself yourself that you will never have cake, eat pizza, or skip a workout, is not only unrealistic. It’s boring. And grounds for self destruction.
4. FIND YOUR FRUSTRATION
This is key. In order to find a workout you really love, you need to figure out what you really hate. Pin-pointing the source of frustration when it comes to your daily sweat, and eliminating it, will considerably reduce the amount of stress surrounding your workouts. If getting up early to hit the pavement before work is just becoming too exhausting, and you find yourself dreading getting out of bed because of it, then change your schedule. Try changing your workout, don’t just stop. Find the thing that is holding you back from really giving your all, and replace it with something that encourages you.
There are so many ways to be active throughout the day, have fun, and feel really good about. You just need to figure out what works for you, and get out there and do it!