Exercising seems to be one of the easiest habits to break. When I miss one workout it is so easy to miss the next one. Several months ago I missed an entire month of working out and had a very hard time getting back at it. I have come up with several “rules” that help me to keep up with my workout routine. These rules help to ensure that I will not destroy the workout habits I have developed.
Maybe my rules will work for you.
Rule One: Find a workout that works for you
I am not an “Anytime Fitness” kind of girl. I am not a “Coach Potato to 5K” kind of girl. I have tried so many different workouts. It took a while for me to find one that works for me. I really enjoy my Curves circuit workouts. I also really enjoy my Jillian Michaels workouts at home and at Curves. These work for me, so they are the workouts that I choose to do. If you do not like your workout it will be easy to find excuses to not workout. To have the most success you need to find a workout that works for you that you enjoy doing.
Rule Two: Plan Workout Times
Each week I look at my schedule and plan my workouts. I plan which days I will workout at the gym and which days I will work out at home. I then stick to the plan I have made. I have noticed that if I do not pre-plan my workout times I tend to skip working out. I try to workout at the same time every day so that I am consistent. Recently my gym changed its hours so I am having to rework my schedule. It is a pain, and I have missed several workouts, but I will find a new schedule that works for me.
Rule Three: Have an Accountability Partner
I have several accountability partners. Some of them I see on a weekly basis at the gym, others I chat with on Facebook, and others I see occasionally in person. I have asked these people to question me about my workout habits. I have asked them to confront me if they do not see me working out. I have told them to call me out if they see me eating unhealthy foods. I want them to hold me accountable for my fitness. In turn I hold also hold these people accountable for their fitness goals.
Rule Four: Ease Back Into It.
If for some reason I can not workout for a period of time I do not just jump right back into it at full steam. I have done this before and payed the consequences with sore and pulled muscles. Over doing it will cause aches and pains in places you forgot you had. These aches and pains will more than likely cause you to miss a few workouts as you recover. So if I have to miss a few workouts I make sure to ease myself back into the routine in order to prevent injuries which will result in more lost workout time.
Rule Five: Just Suck it up and Do It.
No excuses, just get up, and work out. Its not always fun, but it is necessary if I want to reach my goals. In the past I would not exercise if I had a headache or felt a little ill. I have noticed that working out will relieve the headaches and make general not feeling good go away. Of course if I am really sick I don’t work out. Being really sick is different than just not feeling well.
Sometimes I have a busy schedule and feel like I don’t have time to work out. What I have found is that if I just suck it up and work out I have a clear mind and get other task done more effectively and quickly.
Do you have rules that help you stay on track?