“I’m tired! It’s too cold outside!”
Six tips to help you stay on track with your fitness goals.
By Sarah Price
What is your inspiration or motivation for working out? How do you stay on track and accountable for your workouts? These are questions we should ponder as the holidays approach, the rain starts to pour, and the temperatures begin to drop. It’s easy to talk yourself out of exercising. Even when you have the best intentions to work out, excuses are so easy to find. Try these tips to stay on course:
- Do it for YOU! Research shows those who are externally motivated—that is, working out to look good for their class reunion—are less likely to stick with it. Those that are internally motivated or inspired—a drive that comes from within—are more likely to adhere to their fitness plan.
Goal: Find what inspires YOU.
- Change it up. Mixing up your fitness routine will have your body saying “WHAT!?” You don’t have to re-invent the wheel. Simply switch around your current workout, try a different exercise, or take a new group exercise class. Chances are you’ll activate muscles that you may not have worked in a long time.
Goal: Invigorate different muscles.
- Find a workout partner or group. Numerous studies show that having a workout partner helps to keep you accountable and on track with your fitness goals. This is also true for group exercise classes. When your brain tells you to sit on the couch instead of hitting the gym, you’re more likely to get up and go as opposed to disappointing your friend who is waiting for you at the gym!
Goal: Meet a friend at the gym.
- Get used to it. Working out should be as much a part of your routine as brushing your teeth or eating breakfast. When it’s part of your schedule, you won’t even have to think about it. In a few months, fitness will be a regular feature in your day.
Goal: Make it part of your daily routine.
- Live in the present. So you missed a week at the gym and polished off a pint of ice cream over the weekend…leave the guilt in the past. You have a chance to get back into your routine today.
Goal: Keep it real!
- Track it. With the influx of wearable fitness tracking technology you’ll find it easier than ever to track your daily progress. Or keep a written fitness journal to record your weight lifting, cardio sessions, and meals.
Goal: Keep a record. The proof is in the data!
Sarah Price is the Group Exercise Director at Timberhill Athletic Club. She teaches Cycling and Group Power and is passionate about fitness.
For more information on how we can help keep you on track or to find the right group exercise class for your YOU, please contact Sarah at groupex@timberhillac.com.
Thank you for explaining how exercising in groups can help you avoid falling behind on your fitness goals since you will be compelled to avoid disappointing the people you work out with. My wife has been having trouble losing weight in preparation for our family trip this summer, and she often has trouble finding the motivation needed to exercise since she comes home from work especially late at night. Maybe she should find a group that can help her reach her fitness goals.