Do you find that you struggle to stick with a daily exercise routine? Well, you’re not alone. Most women struggle to make exercise a daily part of their lives because of their busy schedules! The only way to truly see any kind of progress from the workouts you are incorporating into your life is to make sure that exercise is a part of your DAILY routine. So we’ve come up with some really helpful tips to get you into the habit of exercising on a daily basis so that you can start reaching your goals!
1. SET A TIME. Start by deciding whether you will be more successful with morning workouts or evening workouts. If you know your always dead tired after a full work day then try exercising in the morning. If you prefer evening workouts then try not to head home and relax before getting your workout in. Go straight from work to workout.
2. SEND YOURSELF A REMINDER. As women we are extremely busy. Sometimes we wake up much more motivated then we find ourselves feeling later in the day. When your feeling motivated, set a reminder to workout. Maybe you’re setting a reminder to wake up, or maybe your setting a reminder for after work. When you receive your reminder, do it immediately!
3. START SMALL. Doing too much right in the beginning can quickly lead to burn-out. Everyone feels super motivated when they start a new routine but make sure you know yourself and what you are able to stick with. Set reasonable expectations for yourself, ones you know you can meet! Start small and build your endurance from there.
4. PROGRESS AFTER. Once you feel like your getting accustomed to working out daily then you can start to increase the intensity and duration of your workouts! Try to wait at least two weeks before doing this!
5. MAKE IT ENJOYABLE. Make sure the exercises or routine you choose is one that you enjoy. You will never stick with any kind of a routine if you hate every minute of it! If you don’t like running then walk! If you don’t like strictly strength based exercises, try HIIT!
6. PREPARE YOUR GEAR. Try to think ahead in regards to getting ready for your daily routine. If your going to workout in the morning then set out your workout clothes the night before. If you choose an evening routine then pack your workout clothes and take them with you. This will make the transition into your workout much easier!
7. JUST DO IT. Coined from Nike but a great phase. Don’t think about any of the “why not” reasons, just focus on getting there and doing it. Once you get there, the battle is over.
8. ALLOW YOURSELF A REST DAY. It’s ok to rest, in fact it’s vital for your body and your muscles to have a day to repair. You will find you have more success in your workouts if you allow your body time for recovery. Allow yourself to have that rest day, just make sure you get right back into your routine the next day.
9. DON’T SKIP A DAY. It’s easy to say “No problem I’ve been really consistent all week” and take a Friday off, but that will make forming a habit that much harder. Decide what your rest day is ahead of time and don’t allow yourself to break routine.