5 ways to stick to your workout routine

Exercise shouldn’t seem like a chore or something that you unwillingly have to check off your to-do list. It should be an activity that fits into your day-to-day routine, and that you feel comfortable performing on a daily basis. But all too often it’s easy to get distracted, and even easier to give up, if you’re not getting the results you expected as fast as you hoped for. There will always be some excuse that gets in the way of your workout routines, so it’s best to come up with a strategy that will help you stick to them. Here are five ways to make exercise a priority.

Start slow

It’s easy to get excited when starting a new fitness routine, and you may want to try everything at once, whether it’s jogging, cycling, or gym workouts. But when it comes to your new exercise program, you might want to start slowly. That way you can ease yourself into it and get the hang of things before you start moving on to more demanding exercises. Perhaps you could try heading out for a jog or a walk with a friend. This helps you to continue with your routine because you won’t see it as something you have to do, but rather something you want to do.

Set reasonable goals

Many people want to lose weight or get in shape fast, so much so that they elevate their workout tempo drastically, believing that this will produce quick results. But going from zero to 100 is never going to work - you’ll most likely end up burning yourself out before long. Instead of forcing yourself to wake up at the crack of dawn and go for a two-mile run every day, try setting realistic goals that span weeks, or even months. Come up with reasonable goals so you won’t be disappointed or feel guilty when you don’t achieve something that’s unrealistic.

Specify certain days and times

Plan your workout in advance at a certain time each day, so it becomes a part of your schedule. If you know you have your yoga session at 6pm on Wednesday, or have made plans to take an evening run, stick with it. Planning your workouts ahead of time allows you to have something to look forward to, and helps you to develop an exercise habit. You can use tools such as post-it notes to help you remember your schedule, or even have a friend call you in case you’re procrastinating and need an extra push.

Switch routines

Not everyone likes doing the same thing over and over again, and the same applies to exercising. If you perform the same workout routine in the gym for weeks on end, you’ll probably start to get bored. Change routines every few weeks to keep things fresh - you could sign up for an aerobics class, or even take your workout outside the gym. Now’s the time to try new things to keep your workouts exciting.

Stay focused

When you hit a fitness plateau and are on the verge of giving up, remember that a healthy lifestyle takes time to build, and is not something you can achieve without working hard. It’s fine to take a day or two off when you feel stressed out, but it’s important to fight through the long days and busy schedules, and stay focused on your fitness goals.

If you want to have a healthy lifestyle, you’ll need to have an effective exercise program. Get in touch with our fitness experts, we’re sure we can help.