It happens to all of us. We make New Year’s Resolutions and sometime before the first quarter ends we fall off. Since I’ve been away so much, I didn’t have the time to follow my gym schedule. Honestly, the holidays, personal travels and family obligations are all excuses, but I’m determined to find time to get back into my routine this year. If you’ve been slacking on your fitness goals as I have, here are some ways to start exercising after years of inactivity.
Find Motivation
There are tons of places to get the motivation to start working out again. Visit fitness related blogs or vlogs online, search Pinterest, looking at old pictures or create a vision board. Use these references as guides to set realistic goals that you want to achieve.
My current motivation? My trips to Bali and Turks & Caicos later on this year. Of course, there’s more than my trips but the millennial in me wants some dope bathing suit beach and pool photos. ?
Create a Schedule
After setting your goals, start to create a schedule around your lifestyle. Do you want to work out every day or just a few times a week? Are you focusing on cardio or do you want to incorporate strength training? The more consistent you are with your schedule, the easier working out becomes. You can also log exercises in a journal or digitally with a fitness tracker to document your progress.
Prepare Your Gym Bag
Make sure all of your essentials are put in your gym bag and keep it in an area where you won’t forget it. Since I workout in the evenings, I like to keep my gym bag around the same area as my coat or handbag. Once I leave for work, it is right there with me. I can head to the gym after work instead of going home to make excuses for not going back out.
Join a Challenge
Challenges making working out fun. There are TONS of challenges to join at work, on social media or with friends that you can join or start. Popular ones include abs, squats, push-ups, running and more. Check out my Pinterest page as I share health and fitness tips and challenges.
Get a Workout Buddy
Having a gym or workout buddy isn’t necessary, but it helps to have an accountability partner when you start working out again. A gym buddy can help with your reps as well as motivate you when you’re not in the mood to workout.
Do Home Workouts
If the gym is not your thing or you want to save some money, consider working out at home. If you decide to workout at home, stick to your schedule and be consistent.
Switch it Up
Doing the same workouts will cause your body to burn less energy over time. Switching up your routine every once in a while isn’t a bad thing. If you’ve been running on the treadmill for cardio, try doing laps in the pool. Go to discount sites like Groupon to take group classes like yoga, kickboxing, Zumba class or even pole dancing.
