There was a point in my life where I didn’t need to be active or have a fitness routine, but that time has long gone. For me staying active is not an option, it’s a necessity. Since I’m older, my body needs to be moving and staying strong far more than it did when I was younger. Don’t get me wrong; this has been a constant struggle for me over the years. I would workout hard and get in shape, then quit for months. Then I would struggle to get back into it, and the whole cycle would repeat itself. I don’t know about you, but that is exhausting just thinking about it.
Only recently this very cycle started again (this time I only took a month off). When I got back from my Las Vegas trip, I didn’t feel like going back to the gym or running. So I decided to take a break. Now breaks are fine, if they only last a week, but any longer will make starting your workouts more difficult. It took me three weeks of running and going to my Kettlebells classes to finally get on the habit train. I will tell you, once you get over that initial hump (which is different for everyone), you will love it. You will actually look forward to your workouts.
So I’m going to share some of my secrets to getting to that beautiful place of looking forward to your workouts.
Find Your Workout
Finding the workout that works for you is important. If you’re doing something that you hate, you will give up faster. For me, I knew that I wanted to get toned (one of my goals), so using weights needed to be part of my workout. However, just going to the gym and lifting wasn’t going to motivate me enough. I’m also a bit of an introvert, so going to a class wasn’t my cup of tea. So after some trial and error, I found a kettlebells class that gives me a workout of the day (WOD) at my own pace and speed. So find the workout that is right for you.
Just Show Up
I’m not going to lie, starting out will suck (big time). And it’s going to be demotivating because it will be so hard. However, your first goal should be to show up. Yep, just show up. If you just show up and do what you can, it will create that consistent habit. Consistency is essential to establishing a good routine. Trust me; if you follow this step (no matter how difficult), you will reach your fitness goal.
Stay Focused on Your Goals
Create a goal for yourself before starting on your fitness journey. Your goals should be small and achievable. If they’re too big, then you will get discouraged. So keep those goals small. For me, it became less about weight and more about size. I wanted to be more toned (hence the kettlebells) and fit into some of the clothes in my closet.
Start Now
The time to start is now. Not on Monday or next month. So many times we give ourselves that exact excuse, but what is stopping us from starting today? The sooner you start on your fitness journey the closer you will be to meeting your goals. So what are you waiting for?
Starting is the hardest part of working out. However, it’s achievable. I would love to hear some of your thoughts and struggles with working out. Feel free to leave a comment below.
This article is not sponsored by any of the brands mentioned above. However, some of the links may contain affiliate links which may generate revenue for the site when clicked, or when a purchase occurs. The information in this post is my thoughts and preferences.
Photos by @amc_fotos
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