Tips to Help You Stick to your Fitness Routine

The beginning of 2015 is well underway which means that many of our well-intentioned resolutions have been overlooked by now. In years gone by, I vowed to get moving more and had every intention of setting up a fitness routine that I’d stick to but somehow life got in the way and I felt like I never had time to get out there and exercise.

All of that changed just over a year ago when I made a change in the way I thought about my fitness and exercise routine. I did a WACK of research, chatted with friends and even roped in the personal trainers at my gym, Headwaters Racquet Club to give me tips which helped me along the way.

Tips for Sticking to a Fitness Routine

Plan It Out!

Sit down, look at the gym class schedule or the activity you want to attend and see how it fits into your life schedule. Know what your fitness/health goals are and choose the activity which makes sense based upon your current physical shape and the time you have available. Exercise should be FUN, if you’re dreading an upcoming session then change it up and find something that you actually enjoy.

Make a Schedule and Stick to It!

Like anything in life, working out is something which could get overlooked if you’re moving fast through your day. Open your calendar and make an appointment each day where you’ll dedicate time to getting moving! Begin to think about this time as essential, much the same way you wouldn’t cancel a doctor’s appointment, make sure you value it and don’t cancel it.

Make Life Simpler!

This is a great tip from Sarah Koeslag who is a personal trainer at my gym, Headwaters Racquet Club. Sarah points up that we shouldn’t overwhelm ourselves with big changes. Have an ultimate goal but don’t expect it to happen right away. Set smaller goals with shorter time frames, achieve it and of course celebrate it! Don’t choose too many things to change in life at once, by taking it in small chunks you’re much more likely to set a positive new habit for the longterm.

Track Everything!

This tip comes from Jared Martin who is also a personal trainer at Headwaters Racquet Club. If you write down your workout workout routine (exercise, weight, sets, reps) you’ll have something to refer to each time you go back to the gym to track your progress. This goes for your cardio as well, by recording it all you create an internal competition that motivates you on days when you’d rather be lazing on the couch.

Find a Workout Buddy!

The head trainer at Headwaters Racquet Club, Tallon Martin is a firm believer in having a training partner or gym buddy. Having a friend to go through the aches and pains of exercise is a great way to make time go by a little faster and make it fun! They also motivate you when you’re slacking and can give encouragement if necessary. Having a partner will motivate you and perhaps even challenge you to exceed what you think are your limits.

Working out is meant to be something you enjoy…while there are days when it’s the LAST thing we want to do, just get up and get moving and in the end you’ll feel better and be glad you did! If you have a tip, I’d love to hear it!