Working out is easy, but working out regularly is much more challenging. While we might all enjoy an intense workout every once in a while, trying to maintain that level of motivation isn’t realistic for most of us. Life inevitably gets in the way, be that in the form of rainy weather, laziness, or a family dinner.
The Guardian compiled a list of tips and suggestions from experts and readers that can help you be more consistent with your workouts, finding that sweet spot that fits in with your lifestyle. Here are 10 of our favorites.
Start off slow
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If you want to workout regularly but have never done so in your life, you can’t jump straight into a marathon. If you’re trying to lose weight and decide to go on a diet and workout every day without rest then odds are you’ll probably get bored within the week. Getting in shape, and maintaining that is a laborious task that will take time, so start off slow, once or twice a week, and increase periodically.
Make it a habit
The Guardian says that you can’t rely on willpower for long term workouts. Instead, you should focus on why you’re working out. “How can I benefit today? How do I feel when I move? How do I feel after I move?”
Keep it short and effective
Well structured workouts are much more effective than spending an hour in the gym looking at your phone. If you don’t know what to do in the gym, there are apps that can help you out and that can adapt to your time constraints.
Add resistance and balance to training
Resistance training and building up muscle is important in the long run, since we start to lose our muscle mass over the age of 30. Add push ups and body weight exercises to your workouts and you’ll see much better results than simply sticking to cardio routines.
Work out from home
You can workout from anywhere, even from a tight space in your living room. Squats, presses and lunges are some of the exercises you can experiment with that tone your body and don’t demand a lot of equipment and space.
Try out different things
If you can’t get motivated to run or to stick with a workout regime, don’t stress over it. It’s never too late to try again and to keep working out until you develop a habit and stick with it. You don’t have to love it, just know that you’ll feel much better after and that you’re doing something that’s good for you.
Have an end goal
It’s important to remind yourself that you’re working towards a goal. and that that can be achieved with everything you do throughout your day. “Try to make physical activity hit as many meaningful targets as you can,” says The Guardian.
Reward yourself
Do something you like if you go to the gym, like eating a yummy snack or ordering coffee from your favorite place. It’s nice to reward yourself when you achieved something, and working out is no different.
Keep your alarm far from your bed
If you’re the type of person who’s very sleepy and have a tight schedule, keep your alarm far away from your bed, forcing you to get up and turn it off.
Follow the four day rule
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The four day rule can be applied to any fitness routine and it’s pretty simple. Don’t allow more than four days to pass between workout sessions. If you have a busy couple of days coming up, then make sure to schedule in your workouts beforehand so you can get your workouts in and not feel guilty afterwards.
