It has been over a month since we made our New Year resolutions.
Maybe you’ve kept up with your fitness goals…..and maybe not.
No worries, there’s still time to get back on track for a healthier year!
Here are some ways you can stay motivated.
Getting Bored? Switch It Up!
Having a gym routine is great, but going in and doing the same things day after day can get old fast. Not to mention, it can cause a plateau in weight loss and muscle gain.
If you are getting bored with your workout, check out some new ideas on Pinterest or find an app that can give you a different workout for each day. Try balancing your favorite gym exercises with a group spin or aerobics class, or add some time in the weight room for some variety!
Not Seeing Results? Don’t Give Up!
Results take time, and as much as it stinks to wait, it is worth it!
If you don’t feel that you are losing weight or toning up fast enough, try to see progress in other areas.
For instance, pay attention to your cardiovascular gains. If you aren’t breathing as hard as you once were when you go up the stairs, you have made progress.
Stick with it, and in time you will feel, and see, your body’s changes.
Losing Motivation? Refocus.
Staying motivated to work out and eat well can be hard for several reasons.
Schedules are busy, ice cream tastes better than carrots, and working out can be a chore. Not to mention it takes so long to build up endurance and strength, and even a week off of working out can make you feel like you are back at square one.
It’s exhausting really.
If you feel yourself losing your drive, sit and write down why you started working out in the first place.
Make a list of reasons you started the journey toward a better you, and get excited again. Sometimes we can lose focus when we get bogged down with everything else in our lives, but working toward a healthier you should never be placed on the back burner.
Working Out Is Hard? Find YOUR Level.
Maybe you are working out with a friend who has been hitting the gym a lot longer than you, and you are having trouble keeping up.
Maybe you don’t know exactly how hard you can push yourself.
Maybe even the thought of the gym sickens you so you feel like you need to grab a cupcake to ease your nerves.
Whatever the reason, the solution is the same. No two people are at the same exact level of fitness.
Finding what works for you, what makes you better, and what safely pushes you to the next level is how working out becomes easy.
Start light, use body weight, walk instead of run. If that is too easy, move gradually up until you feel like you are pushing yourself. Starting too heavy or running before you can walk a mile is a sure way to set yourself up for failure.
Learn what works for you and build off of it. You will get more out of your workouts and the gym won’t feel as daunting.
Food Is Just Too Good To Give Up? Don’t.
Completely giving up pleasure foods for strictly healthy foods can make anyone miserable. How can you be expected to keep on a healthy eating track when you are unhappy and unsatisfied all of the time?
The thing to do is limit the junk food, and try replacing some of your guilty pleasures for healthy foods you enjoy. We hear all the time that our body is our temple, and as cliché as that sounds it is true.
You have one body, so put mostly good foods in it, but don’t deprive yourself of a small treat for your hard work now and then.
Have a secret that helps you stay motivated? Have fitness questions to ask our Wellness Writer? Contact us via wvwc@hercampus.com