I know I’m not alone in admitting that one of my New Years’ resolutions for 2022 was to work out more. I also have a feeling that I’m not the only one who has been struggling to stay consistent with that resolution. Throughout January, my bursts of workout motivation would come in waves and then subside. That being said, this past month I have significantly improved my consistency. While I am by no means an expert on working out, these are a few things that have helped me maintain a fairly consistent, and fun, workout routine.
- Ease into it
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My most important advice is to ease into it. Once I decide that I am going to take on a new goal, I always get a huge surge of motivation and energy. I automatically jump in off the deep end and set unrealistic goals and expectations for myself. This leads to me getting frustrated when I don’t reach my expectations and I end up losing my gym motivation. Simply going easy on yourself when you are starting something new, and setting reasonable goals, makes progress much more attainable.
- Make it fun
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TikTok and Instagram always show influencers with tiny waists and six-packs describing their “quick and easy” workout routines that are guaranteed to show results. Rather than falling into those traps and doing some random workout that you might not even enjoy, I recommend finding what type of workout you like and sticking with that. Whether it’s walking outside, lifting weights, or jogging—find what makes you feel good and keep doing it (regardless of what anyone else is doing).
- hype Playlist
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Now, I know everyone knows this, but you need a great workout playlist. An amazing workout playlist with motivating songs can get me through any hard workout. I am someone who struggles to find new music, so when building my playlist I sought the help of my friends. Some of my current, personal favorites on my list are: “3 Nights” by Dominic Fike, “No Scrubs” by TLC, and “Oh My God” by Adele. I know that these songs are a bit random, but they never fail to keep my energy up.
- Schedule it in
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My last recommendation is simple: schedule your workout in. Whether you use a physical planner, reminders on your phone, or Google Calendar, put your workout in your schedule. Having something written down makes it much more likely that it will happen. Not to mention it is incredibly satisfying to cross it off your to-do list for the day. I recommend sitting down with your planner at the beginning of the week and adding in your workouts so that it is all set.
I hope some of these tips helped you like they helped me! Working out can be such an important part of both mental and physical health. Finding ways to make it fun and practical with busy schedules is very difficult, but doable.