Photo by Anastase Maragos on Unsplash
Are you struggling to stay committed to your workout schedule? Do you often find yourself motivated for a short period, and then going without exercise for a stretch of time?
Do you frequently think “I don’t have time to exercise today”? If you do, know that you’re not alone. Every day, millions of people deal with their version of at least one of these questions. However, chances are you probably feel bad every time you refuse to exercise.
If you’re dealing with this, we get it. Every once in a while, you can slip off the wagon. And that’s okay. But doing it for prolonged periods is where the real issue lies. For many people looking to get in shape, one of the biggest challenges they have to deal with is consistency. In this post, we’ll share the tips that have helped us overcome this barrier.
Keep It Real Simple
One of the reasons why people are resistant to the idea of a workout session is the complexity of exercises that their mentors or role models recommend. So, let’s eliminate those complexities and make it very simple by creating an easy workout routine.
Whenever you need to exercise, just pick one thing and do it. You may have heard that you often need a combination of compound exercises, for instance, to lose weight or gain muscle. Here’s the thing though: if those exercises feel like a lot, chances are you won’t go through with it.
So, start with a simple routine. It could be brisk walking, jogging, or weight lifting… just pick one exercise and do it for the day. After you’ve built the discipline, you can then combine workouts.
Set a Time and Just Do it
A timetable can be a trigger. Train yourself to just “get on with it” when the alarm goes off or when it’s time. Make that deal with yourself. For example, tell yourself that once it’s 4 pm, it’s workout time.
Think about it this way, if you already have an appointment booked with your skincare specialist by 4 pm through a dermatology app, are you likely to bail or stick to that commitment? Chances are you’ll go through with the appointment.
The same applies to your other important appointments. Get yourself to the point where your workout sessions are just as important. Doing this eliminates most of the resistance in your head and gets you to just take action. This
Queue Up Your Workout Track List
A big hack for us here is playing favorite workout tracks. This automatically gets you in the mood for your exercise.
Or, you can just start playing some of the workout videos on this site or Youtube. Watching videos of people doing their workouts makes you want to just join them. It’s called a trigger. Use this to your advantage all the time.
Use the 5-Minute Rule
Listen, contrary to what you may think, you don’t have to do anything. So, if you don’t feel like working out, just tell yourself that it’s alright to not do it. But then, strike a deal with yourself to only workout for 5 minutes.
And if you’re not feeling it once the timer goes off, give yourself permission to quit. Most times, you’ll find that once you start, you’ll want to see it through to the end. It’s just human nature.
