We all know that we need to exercise on a regular basis to stay healthy. I’ll give you a bye if your career involves baling hay, logging, or playing professional basketball. But for anyone else, it’s a necessity. And as a full time Mom, I know this is important, mostly for my own mental health.
There are a lot of ways to get started, but here are my personal tips for starting or continuing a successful work out regimen (ugh, I hate that word!).
1. Prioritize
If you want work out regularly, it has to be a high priority. Whether that means working out on lunch, foregoing sleep to wake up early, saying no to excess commitments, or finding a place with childcare, you have to make it happen. It’s not something that happens naturally for most people, and if it does to you, I don’t want to hear about it because I’m jealous.
2. Find a Class or Group
It’s not always easy to start a new class or group, but it definitely helps with accountability. Once you’ve gotten to know a few people in a class, they notice when you are absent. And they will usually call you out. In front of everyone. For me, fear of public humiliation is always a good reason to make it to class! Another benefit – groups can make the most grueling work out easier. Or maybe it just seems easier because you have someone to complain with. Either way, it helps! If you belong to a gym, they probably have a group exercise schedule. Pick one up and join in!
This is Nancy, the running coach at the Tampa YMCA. She is amazing at motivating, cheering you on, AND managing to make you forget the crazy grueling workout she's putting you through in the process. It's impressive. The whole Land Shark team has made me much more enthusiastic about running than I've ever been before and I've only been running with them about 6 weeks.
3. Have a Schedule
If you have a weekly plan set up, even if you miss a day, you would be more likely to stick to the rest of the schedule. I have a couple set classes I like to hit, but the rest are usually dictated by what we have going on that particular week. Instead of flying by the seat of my pants, I make sure to check the calendar on Sunday and see what classes fit in to keep myself honest.
4. Change it Up
f you are bored with your workout, you are less likely to go! So try something new. I just tried a cardio kickboxing class and I felt like an idiot, but I can definitely guarantee I’ll go back. It was a challenge to keep up with, but fun! Another bonus to this one – when you are concentrating hard on what you are doing you are less likely to be worried about how long you have left to go. Try a new class or do something new alone: Zumba, running, weight lifting, yoga, spinning, Insanity, cross country skiing (not available in southern states), rollerblading… I think you get my point.
5. Take it Slow
Don’t start your routine saying you are going to work out 3 hours a day, 6 days a week. That is a recipe for failure. You don’t want to set unrealistic expectations and then be mad when you can’t follow through because you chose to bench 300 lbs and are now so sore you can’t move. Or worse, injure yourself and have to take a 2 week break after one session. Start slow. 1 day on, 2 days off. After a couple weeks, go to every other day and work up to your ideal schedule.
6. Be Flexible
I’m not going to lie, I’m terrible at this one! I like to get my work out in as planned and tend to write it off if it doesn’t happen on schedule. However, I am improving my flexibility when something conflicts with my planned workout. I’m getting better at finding later classes to attend later or doing a video at home if Max is sick and we can’t go to the Y. I don’t think I’ll ever be good at being flexible, but I’ll keep trying!
This is by no means the end all, be all of a fitness plan, but it’s a good place to start. Don’t give up, it takes awhile to get to the point where exercise is ingrained in your life, but you can do it!
Do any of you have a tried and true routine you swear by or tips to share?
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