Ever gotten a sudden burst of motivation to work out that only lasts a week? Or created a whole workout plan for yourself only to lose that motivation a few days later? If this is you, I feel you — that was me, too.
There was a time in my life when I hated working out. Just the thought of it was dreadful. But every once in a while, I would get the sudden desire to start doing it again. I would make a plan for each day in hopes of motivating myself more, only to give up days later.
Now, working out is one of my favorite things to do. How is that so, you ask? Well, it wasn’t easy, but I found a couple of ways to make myself stick to a routine. So, if you’re trying to workout consistently, here are some tips.
- Don’t push yourself too much, especially if you haven’t worked out in a long time or at all. Create a realistic workout plan. Starting off too difficult often makes you lose motivation and could also lead to bad self-esteem. Start small, then gradually increase intensity.
- Stop convincing yourself that you don’t have time to workout. It doesn’t matter how busy your schedule is — you could take 10 minutes out of your day to take a walk around campus. Even if it’s only a small amount, any exercise is enough to get you started.
- Try multiple activities to find one that you love. When I was building my workout schedule, I experimented with multiple different activities.I found that the ones I loved the most were Pilates and yoga. After I started doing them more, I started looking forward to my workouts.
- Find ways to make exercising more fun. You could work out with friends or family, create an epic playlist to work out to, or watch your favorite show while working out. Try switching up the setting where you work out by taking a walk in the park or doing yoga on the quad — anything to get yourself excited to work out.
- Don’t expect results in a few days. If you’re working out to get a fit figure, it takes a lot of time and consistency.
- It’s okay to take a break. When you first start working out, it can be tough. I was getting all sorts of aches and pains when I first started, and I often denied myself rest days because I felt like I always had to work out at the highest intensity. Please remember to take a break. Your body needs to reset. Once you’re feeling better, you can get back to it.
Sticking to a workout routine can be difficult, but if you follow some of these tips, you may find that you’re able to work out more consistently. Remember that exercising has a lot of great benefits — it’s great for heart health, helps with anxiety and depression, and can give you a boost of confidence.
And if you’re feeling discouraged, just remember that you’re not alone. I went through the same thing, and chances are a lot of your peers have, too. I was able to get into a consistent workout routine even when I was lacking all motivation, so I know you can, too! You can do it!
