Falling in love with exercise and a healthy lifestyle can be challenging for many. Whether you are struggling to achieve a fitness milestone you set months ago or too ‘busy’ to exercise, sticking to a fitness regimen can be a trying journey.
If you have an unstable and rocky relationship with exercise, we have seven tips that’ll help you rebound and run for the hills. So, let’s get started!
1. Re-Align Your Fitness Goals
If you are looking at exercising as a quick fix for owning a fabulous and slim body or boosting your stamina, you need to change that perspective. It takes time (12 weeks or more) to burn enough calories to get in shape.
Not setting realistic fitness goals can land you dissatisfied about your workout sessions, causing you to give up soon. Re-align your goals. Focus on becoming a regular exerciser first. For instance, if you were a couch potato or a sedentary person who has started exercising 3-4 times a week, that’s a commendable achievement. Weight loss will then be a bonus!
Once you have achieved this goal, you can focus on your diet and push yourself to work out more often. This way, you are adopting exercise at a pace you are comfortable with. However, if you get too comfortable with your workouts, it’s time to get out of the comfort zone and try a new form of exercise that challenges your capabilities.
2. Choose a Workout That Fits in Your Schedule
Paucity of time and not seeing results are probably the most common reasons why people don’t exercise. However, there are way too many reasons why you should change course.
The best and most effective of workouts don’t necessarily take a lot of time. Take HIIT, for instance. High-intensity interval training a great option for busy people. It involves alternating between intense and easy (resting) moves within a short interval of time.
A typical HIIT session takes 10-30 minutes but burns more calories than steady-state cardio. Further, HIIT is a consistent fat burner; it burns calories for up to 48 hours after finishing your exercises.
Hence, being time-efficient and an effective form of exercise, HIIT can be easily incorporated into your regular schedule. In fact, according to this infographic by Rubcorp, HIIT was among the top fitness trends in 2020. Also, people who tried this form of workout found it enjoyable and easy-to-accommodate in their busy schedules.
If you want to know more about HIIT, I’d highly recommend checking out the complete infographic that highlights the history of this type of workout and its effectiveness.
3. Tap Your Network
Social networks have a powerful influence on us. It can be a strong motivator to encourage physical activity and healthy behaviors.
Strengthen your relationship with fellow gym members and local contacts to learn new ways of exercising, share goals, and motivate each other to stay on track.
Besides, you can take advantage of external motivators like your dog, spouse, friends, and personal trainer who can help you create a ‘workout’ mindset.
4. Get a Professional on the Job
Exercising is a skill that is mastered with time, effort, and education. If you’ve never set foot in a gym or taken a virtual fitness class, you’ll be totally clueless of its benefits and worse, injure yourself. This will most likely discourage you from exercising in the future.
Hiring a qualified instructor is a great way to get familiar with the process and build an efficacious workout regimen. This will give you confidence and reduce the anxiety associated with using a gym equipment or performing a specific exercise.
5. Pick Your Favorites
Remember all the fun sports activities you did as a kid? Jump rope, climbing trees, trekking uphill, tetherball, and four-square! Well, it’s time to get it all back. Grab your headphones and mask and relive those moments. Go bouncing on the trampoline, take a dance lesson, and get active by cycling or surfing.
Fitness doesn’t necessarily have to be confines within the gym walls. Each of the activities shared above can burn more calories than you can imagine. However, remember to set goals for each of these activities.
For instance, if you plan to trek uphill, set a goal for the distance you will cover that day. Celebrate on achieving the goal. Such small wins will motivate you to keep active and moving!
Though cardio and strength training are important, the key is to do what you love and enjoy. So, work on what makes you happy – that’s the goal anyway!
6. Gear Up Like a Pro
At times, shopping for the right fitness clothing, gear, and accessories can lift up spirits like nothing else. Go out and gift yourself a cute pair of tights or running shoes. It will make you feel great about yourself and offer extra motivation for working out on a regular basis.
You can also treat yourself to a new fitness gear on completing a particular milestone. So, after a week or 10 days of consistent exercising, you could probably visit a sports goods store and buy something to perk you up and stay on track.
7. Remember to Get Adequate Rest
Don’t punish your body with endless days of training and workout sessions. To perform better (and love your workouts!) you need to give you muscles a day’s rest. This will help them recover from any strain they may have experience during training.
Recovery means you can with take a day off or indulge in mild exercises, stretching, or an easy walk after an intense strength-training session.
Also, get enough sleep. Numerous studies have shown that the pituitary gland releases the HGH or the Human Growth Hormone when the body is resting or in sleep. This hormone is responsible for muscle repair, enhancing physical performance, and promoting healthy metabolism.
Further, low HGH levels are associated with weight gain and higher risk of diseases. Therefore, exercise coupled with quality sleep is ideal for improving HGH levels, building lean body mass, and losing weight.
Falling in love with fitness can be tough for some. However, it isn’t impossible! You just need to ease up a bit, rethink your fitness goals, and add a hint of fun to it. Use the tips and tricks shared above to enjoy your exercise sessions and stay fit and active always.
Infographic source: Rubcorp