Do you struggle to stay consistent with your exercise? Motivation is not something that is easy to manage, some days we feel great and ready to move and others we don’t for a multitude of reasons. Building a routine that works for you and planning ahead especially when it comes to exercise can change exercise from being a chore to a habit that you look forward to every week! Here are a few tips for building your exercise routine and how to stick with it.
Consider your fitness goals and what it is that you are actually trying to achieve. Do you want to get outdoors more, have more opportunities to meet up with friends, do you want to lose some weight or build more muscle to feel stronger at work/life? Once you are clear on your ‘why’ you can start to think of some activities that will help realise these goals. If this is something you are struggling with, especially if you have a health condition to consider, get in touch with us to receive guidance and support from a professional.
Set small goals when first starting out and increase as you go. Review how your routine fits into your life and how you are responding to the change. Do you prefer morning or afternoon exercise (or a mix of both)? How many days per week is realistic for you and your lifestyle? A routine is never set in stone and neither are our lifestyles, so continue to adapt and make changes as you go for a healthy balance in exercise and life that feels good.
Choose physical activity that you enjoy to make it fun! There are so many forms of movement out there and finding what lights you up is game changing. Exercise isn’t one size fits all and it will look different for everyone. You may already be doing physical activity without even realising it in your daily routine (gardening, walking the dog, cleaning the house). The goal here is to try new things to establish a few different activities that you enjoy - even better to invite friends to come along!
Plan ahead to reduce decision making stress. Preferably done at the start of the week, write out what physical activity you plan on doing and when, then add it all to your calendar. Pre-book a session at the gym, organise a walk with a friend or reserve a morning for an ocean swim before work. Your future self will thank you for having it all organised so all you have to do now is show up.
Be consistent even when you really don’t want to. Motivation is built on consistency and discipline. By starting small goals that are achievable for your lifestyle it should be easier to be consistent, but we all have those days where we would much rather sleep in or head straight home after work. These moments are inevitable, the trick is to be conscious of these thoughts and in most cases practising delayed gratification (the act of resisting an impulse to take an immediately available reward in the hope of obtaining a more-valued reward in the future). Think about how much better that hot shower will feel after you have exercised!
Be kind to yourself. It takes time to form a habit and there will inevitably be slip ups and days of feeling unmotivated. If you skip a few sessions and are feeling overwhelmed, it’s ok to start again tomorrow or adapt your routine to better fit your current lifestyle. A little movement goes a long way and there is no need to over-do it.
Listen to your body. You know your body the most and if something doesn’t feel good then take a break, change it up or talk to a professional for advice and support.
We hope this helps you in creating an exercise routine that enables you to achieve your health and fitness goals and build a better overall quality of life. If you have any questions or would like professional support and advice in the above, especially if you have a health condition to consider, don’t hesitate to contact us
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