Are you guilty of paying for a gym membership that you never use? Perhaps your workouts are starting to feel like a task to tick off your to-do list rather than something you’re passionate about doing. Regardless of which side of the fence you find yourself on, staying excited about your exercise routine can sometimes feel like an unattainable feat. Like any long-term relationship, staying in love with fitness takes a lot of work, commitment and care. Yearning to get back on the grind but struggling to find motivation? Thankfully, it’s a lot less complicated than you’d imagine to rekindle your lifelong love of fitness with the help of some trusted advice that you can count on.
Today, we share 5 tried-and-tested tips from expert professional trainers that are guaranteed to renew your passion for fitness, so read on to find out more.
1. Start Small & Start At Home
Walking into a gym and facing hundreds of exercise fanatics can seem like an overwhelming task if you’ve been out of your usual fitness routine for a decent amount of time. Many people struggle with the idea of going to a gym for a variety of reasons, some of which include feeling intimidated or self-conscious, not having time or energy, and/or not being a fan of crowds in general. If you are someone who struggles with this, the good news is that rekindling your love of fitness doesn’t have to involve stepping into a public gym if you don’t want to. In fact, we always recommend starting small by incorporating home workouts into your daily routine. There are hundreds if not thousands of home workouts available online, all of which you can enjoy and experience in the comfort of your own home.
If you want to take it up a notch, we recommend investing in some basic home fitness essentials — a simple exercise mat, skipping rope, light dumbbells, resistance bands and more. You could even get your hands on a weight plate set in Australia if you’re really looking to push past your comfort zone. At the end of the day, building your stamina and confidence is something easily achievable regardless of whether you choose to workout at home or at your local gym. Finding a routine that is comfortable and works best for your lifestyle is key to maintaining your motivation and zest for fitness in the long-term.
2. Do What You Love
Not the biggest fan of lifting weights or sweating it out on the treadmill? The good news is that there are so many ways to exercise and move your body. Whether it’s brisk walking in nature, dancing to your favourite tunes or heading out to sea on your trusty kayak, exercise comes in all shapes and forms. In fact, riding your bike for as little as 25-30 minutes a day can burn up to 240 calories, all while greatly improving your cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and flexibility. If you can find an activity that you love and which doesn’t feel like exercise, you’ve essentially won the game of life. If you’re not sure what you like, fret not – you can use this time to explore and try different things to find out what it is that you like doing.
For some inspiration, here are 17 things that don’t feel like exercise (but actually are!),
To put it simply, finding ways of moving your body which make you feel good is important when it comes to keeping active and enjoying fitness now and forevermore.
3. Stop Living In The Past
Too many of us are guilty of living in the past when it comes to our fitness journey. If you’ve ever looked at a photo of yourself from a decade ago and thought “how I wish I looked like that again”, you’re not alone. The truth is, living in the past can often be an instant motivation killer for the present. Instead, take it one step at a time and focus on winning the present moment each day. Forget about the “perfect body” you once had, and instead, appreciate your body for what it can do today. Accept that life is fluid, bodies are ever-changing with the seasons of life, and that the idea of perfection is simply that – an idea.
In a nutshell: Instead of feeling sorry for yourself and bingeing on donuts to mask the disappointment of how you’ll never be a size 6 again, place all your focus on the present moment which you can actually control. Embrace sensible eating, moving your body and living your best healthy life!
4. Consider Exercising With A Friend
As the old saying goes, happiness requires two things: a friend to laugh with and a friend to laugh at. If getting back into a regular fitness routine is something you find difficult to achieve on your own, nothing beats exercising with a friend, family member or significant other. Numerous studies have found that people are more motivated to perform when they work in a group of friends, and the same theory applies to exercise and fitness. When you work out with a friend or partner, you’re likely to:
- Feel more motivated: When you and your friend encourage one another and keep each other accountable, you’re bound to work harder and get better results;
- Be more adventurous: It’s always easier and less intimidating to try new activities, exercises and experiences with a friend; and
- Be more consistent: Saying no to a workout is infinitely more difficult when your buddy is already waiting outside your front door!
To summarise, exercising with a friend or partner is almost always more enjoyable than going the solo route. Having someone to support you on your fitness journey can make a big difference and also help with keeping you accountable.
5. Set Goals & Celebrate Your Achievements
Like anything and everything else in life, setting incremental goals is an effective way to increase motivation and to help you to create the changes you want. When it comes to renewing your love for fitness, one of the best things you can do is to carve out some time to set small, achievable goals that you can work towards. Whether it is as simple as aiming to plank for 30 seconds by the end of the month or increasing your weight plates by a kilo, these small goals quickly add up to create larger, more significant changes in your overall fitness and health.
Once you have achieved your goals, we also encourage you to reward yourself. This could mean buying that new dress or treating yourself to a day at the spa when you reach your goals. Celebrating milestones will help to keep you enthusiastic and motivated on your fitness journey, and who doesn’t love getting a reward?
Find out more about how you can set smart fitness goals here.
And there you have it — the 5 prized ingredients that are guaranteed to cook up a huge batch of motivation, inspiration and renewed love for fitness. By following these helpful tips, you’ll be well on your way to becoming the healthiest version of yourself in no time!
What do you think is the most difficult part about getting back on the fitness wagon? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
