Three Tips to Love Your Fitness Routine and Love the Outcome

By now, in the depths of February, those best laid plans for a fitness routine overhaul and getting your workouts on track for the year, can easily hit a road bump or two. The reason? Almost all instructors and fitness trainers say the same thing: consistency. Whatever your workout goals or favorite fitness classes you won’t ever get the results or the reward you’re looking for without a commitment to consistent workouts and a well-planned weekly routine between everything else you have going on. Easy to say, but tough to do when we’re all busy. So as you double down on staying healthy and active this winter, consider these quick tips to showing your routine and your workouts a little love. 

Don’t let hard to reach goals kill your commitment

Over-reaching with goals – “I’m going to run a four minute mile on the treadmill by summer” or “I’m going to go to the gym every day this month” can be the quickest way to fall of the wagon and fail with any kind out of workout calendar or routine. We can all be impatient, so when we don’t see a faster, better time on every run, the lack of short term gratification takes hold. Or when work gets in the way of that every day gym promise, it’s easy to throw in the towel and go less and less. Experts say setting very specific target goals combined with some flexibility in how you achieve them can keep you on track far more effectively. Say “I will go to the gym three times this week but it doesn’t matter which days” or “if I miss my class because I don’t have a babysitter, I’ll do an on-demand class at home instead.”

Find the best times for your workout whenever makes sense

Too many of us think a committed workout routine is the same time every day. But that is difficult to maintain and gets boring very quickly. Build flexibility into the types of workout and be creative with the times of day. Monday mornings are tough for everyone so load up on a walk, run or HIIT class at the weekend and take Monday as a rest day to recharge for the week ahead. Mornings are typically the best time to work out – your body burns fat better in the earlier hours studies show, and you’ll feel more energized and alert for your day, but if lunchtimes work better that’s fine too. Most fitness content providers should have a variety of :30 and :45 minute classes that can be squeezed into a lunch hour away from your desk without running to the gym. 

Cross train for consistency

Committed workouts aren’t about the same thing every day either. In fact, experts agree cross training is the best form of weekly workouts. A weight lifter will work legs and arms different days to provide focused training and time for other muscle groups to recover. Make a schedule for your week that includes 2-3 calorie burning classes that increase your heart rate and improve your cardiovascular fitness, a couple of resistance based or weight training sessions to tone muscle and however much stretch, wind down and relaxation exercises your body needs. If you can’t get to the club, it’s ten below outside or the traffic is crazy, mix it up. Live in studio classes or streamed from your instructor are bot great options. An on-demand class, set of focused exercises and stretch will keep you toned too. It’s about staying flexible with your plans to stay fit overall. 

We’re all different when it comes to fitness needs, focus and work out passions, but the one common denominator is keeping at it. Vary your work outs, when and how you work out , write it down, enter it in your calendar and set reminders. Do that and you’ll be in love with your much improved routine before you know it.