Now that it’s February, a lot of people may be re-thinking their New Years’s goal to “workout more.” (I talk more about New Year’s resolutions versus monthly goals in this post.) Throughout the years, I’ve tried many different workout regimens, programs, gym memberships, goals, etc. Some of them worked pretty well for me, while others didn’t. However, I think I’ve cracked the code. I’ve found something that works for me, and I have some ideas on how to find something that works for you. At the end of this post, I’ll share what I’ve been doing to create and stick with my workout routine, but first, here are some questions so you can create a workout routine that works for you.
What are your goals?
Be specific here. Do you want to lose a certain amount of weight? Do you want to tone up certain areas? Do you want to increase your heart health? These goals are specific to you and I suggest writing them down so you’re more likely to stick to them.
What will work in your schedule?
This depends on how much you work, what other activities you participate in, and where you plan to work out. If you live in an area without a gym, or there isn’t one close by, you’ll have to decide if you want to spend the time driving to and from the gym or if it would make more sense in your busy life to work out at home. Also, what time of day will you work out? I know most fitness people say to workout first thing in the morning, but I’ve tried that and it doesn’t work for me. I just won’t get out of bed for that. I work out in the evening and that works just fine for me! Also consider your lunch break!
What is your budget?
Exercising can get expensive if you let it. Between a gym membership, gas to drive to the gym, workout clothes, yoga balls, mats, weights, etc. the price of being fit can get out of hand quickly. I’ve chosen the cheap way. I don’t pay for a membership or online subscription (like Beachbody), I already have a few equipment items, and I workout in either old clothes or just . sports bra and pants!
How will you keep track of your exercise?
This is important for consistency and motivation. You may want to consider a Fitbit or some other product like that. These automatically track workouts (or you can manually log them) and keep track of your trends over time. If you’re a bullet journal person, that is a great way to track workouts. There are so many cute bullet journal ideas on Pinterest for tracking exercise.
How will you stay motivated?
Lots of people find that taking “before” and “during” pictures help motivate them when they can see what exercise is actually doing to their body. If that works for you, great! You’ll also want someone to keep you accountable. Even if you don’t work out with them, knowing someone is counting on you is very motivating. I like to workout alone, but I like to tell my boyfriend that I’ve worked out. Now that I’ve written a blog post about it, I’m even more accountable!
What I’m doing
As I’ve mentioned before, I workout alone in my living room. I don’t wear fancy workout clothes or pay for any programs or equipment. What has worked for me has been free YouTube workout videos like this one! I choose short workouts that get me sweating and make me feel like I’ve accomplished something when I’m done. I love finding trainers that make YouTube workout videos and series and I’ll do them a few times. Once I have a routine down, I’ll mute the sound on YouTube and play my own music out loud. It’s really that simple for me!I have a Fitbit Alta that tracks my workouts and I’ve set myself a goal of working out 5 days a week. I’ve written this goal down in my planner and I’ve told people my goal.
I started this routine in the beginning of December 2018 and I’ve been able to workout at least 4 days a week, usually 5. It’s something I can do year-round and I can change it up anytime by picking a new video.
Finding what works for you may take some time, and you may not find what works perfectly for you at first. As long as you are dedicated to your fitness and health, I believe you can keep going!
Help others by commenting your workout routine so we can all try different things and see what works for us! Now, go workout!
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