We all want to be fit, but a lot of us don’t really enjoy the process of actually getting fit. Whether you’re new to fitness or have had a break from exercise due to illness or injury, it can be tough to know how to get started and find the motivation. If getting into a regular exercise routine was as easy as getting sucked into a binge-watch marathon on Netflix, we’d all be rushing out to the gym or the latest exercise class. The reality is that getting fit can feel hard, but it doesn’t have to be all pain and a horrid experience. Here are some of the best ways to learn to fall in love with fitness.
Do It With Friends
If you’re finding it difficult to get or stay motivated about your exercise, whether you’re struggling to find the energy for that spin class after work, or you’d rather stay in bed than get up for your early morning job, then there is an easy way to make your routine more fun. Bring a friend with you, and make exercise plans together. Find a class you will both enjoy, or arrange to meet for a jog or at the gym. Exercise with a friend is more fun, and knowing someone is waiting for you makes it much harder to duck out of a workout and find excuses to skip it. You can keep each other accountable. If you’re finding it difficult to find a friend who wants to work out with you, or who has a similar exercise schedule to you, then you could try a new exercise class to meet more people and see if you can find an exercise buddy there.
Make It About You
You shouldn’t feel constrained by someone else’s idea of what the ideal workout schedule is. Instead, focus on working out what works best for you. What makes your body and mind feel their best? Build your routine from there. The perfect routine for exercise will be specific to you, and only you can decide exactly what that looks like. Your workout routine can include anything that makes you feel good, whether that’s training for a marathon, dance classes, yoga, or walking the dog. Take ideas from others, but don’t worry if what works for you isn’t the same as what works for someone else.
Don’t Shortchange Recovery
An easy way to end up hating exercise is not giving yourself enough of a break. A break is an important part of your routine. In fact, proper rest and recovery are just as important as the workout itself. Rest is when your muscles can repair themselves and grow stronger. Rest and recovery allow you to bounce back both mentally and physically from your workout. Without proper rest, you run the risk of being injured, which is sure to kill your enjoyment of fitness. Take your rest time to make sure you can go into your next workout with energy and enthusiasm. If you struggle with the idea of doing nothing, you can choose a gentler activity to do on rest days, like a walk, some gentle yoga, or even swimming.
Vary Your Routine
Try to give yourself something to look forward to in your workout routine by adding some variety. If you’re doing the same thing all the time, then you’re bound to get bored, no matter how much you enjoyed the activity when you started out. You could try a new exercise class, train for an event, try a new workout plan or a challenge like this complete guide, or choose somewhere new to go on your run. Changing things up a bit can help you to enjoy your workouts more again.
Find A Class Or An Instructor That You Like
If most of your workouts are usually done solo, such as running alone or hitting the gym for a solo lifting session, then you might benefit from doing something new like a group class or a personal training class. Like varying your routine a little, an experience with some fresh music, a new routine, and some motivating company can bring some interest and enjoyment back into your routine. Once you have found a class that you like, you will be able to look forward to it every week. A new instructor can also be a nice break from the rest of your standard routine. It’s important to have an instructor that you like and trust, so you keep up your motivation and progress.
Be Kind To Yourself
If you find that you’re slipping up on some of your fitness or food habits that you’re trying to work on, don’t be too hard on yourself and give yourself a break. It will be much easier to get back to your regular routine of exercise and healthy eating if you allow yourself a day ‘off plan’ without carrying any guilt about it. If you don’t beat yourself up for taking a day, or even a week, off, you find it much easier to get back on track. Finding a routine that works for you is a process. As long you get back on track, you’re still making progress.
Don’t Think Of It As A Punishment
A surefire way to make anyone not want to go to the gym is to think of fitness as a punishment or an obligation. Exercise is something good that you do for yourself, not something that you have to do because you ate a slice of cake at lunchtime. Having a positive attitude instead of thinking of your workout as a punishment will go a long way toward making the experience more enjoyable. If you see your workout as a good thing, you’re also going to find it easier to want to do it, too.
Notice How You Feel
Working out is just as much about the way you feel after your workout as it is about the actual exercise that you do. When you’re feeling unenthused about the exercise that you need to do, try to think about and remind yourself of how good you will feel once you get started, and how much better you’ll feel after your workout is done. If you’re looking forward to and noticing that sense of accomplishment and those endorphins, you’re going to enjoy fitness more.
Embrace Short Workouts
Remember that every trip to the gym doesn’t have to be an hour-long session. If you’re short on time, you shouldn’t feel bad about getting in a quick twenty-minute session. You’ll still get some of the benefits, and still, feel energized afterward. A short session is better than no session, after all. Let go of the idea that every time that you hit the gym has to be a grind to allow you to enjoy your short workouts more and enjoy a wider range of workouts.
Wellness, Not Weight
This is a very important change to make to the way you think about exercise. If weight is part of what motivated you to get into fitness and start working out in the first place, this is very common, and completely understand. However, focusing too much on what’s happening on the scale or with your waistline is an easy way to see exercise as punishment again. Instead of worrying about your weight, concentrate on all of the good ways that your mind and body feel better when you have a regular fitness routine. You are more than your weight.
