5 Tips for an A+ Fitness Routine
If you think you’ve tried everything and still struggle to put together a decent routine for your fitness between work and family, this blog is for you!
Read on for 5 tips to start or improve your fitness routine and a quick ACTION step you can use right away to get moving and see progress.
Knowledge might be powerful, but action creates change, so let’s get into your five fitness tips.
A+ Tip #1: Pick 1 thing to focus on per week (or month!)
It's so easy to start doing too much too fast- aka be UNREALISTIC about our time, energy and capacity to reliably repeat changes for long enough to make a habit. I know you might want to make 5,000 changes or even need to but the most reliable way is to pick one change at a time.
TAKE ACTION:
Name your health focus for the week, or if you're really busy- the whole month. It could be to eat lunch, It could be to get 10,00 steps per day, it could be strength train 3x per week. All of these can move the needle of our health in a good way- one is not universally better. But don't start with all of them. Pick ONE and make that what you focus on before anything else.
Best advice:
Pick the one change that excites you the most. Write it down, tell someone and make a plan for how you'll accomplish it, how you'll know your plan is working (measure progress )and what you'll do if you find its not.
Want to run your ideas by a pro or get help hashing them out? Help with follow through?
A+ Tip #2: Repeat What Works
This one sounds too obvious to be effective but I promise, success leaves clues. If you "used to be" something you want to be again- do what you did then. If you used to belong to a gym and attend a class and you loved it- it makes sense to do that again! If you used to workout with a trainer and stayed consistent, revisit that training option.
TAKE ACTION: Answer this question- what have you stopped doing that you used to do (that was working well for you)? And what is stopping you from starting it again?
A+ Tip #3: Change what isn't working
Think square peg, round hole. Just because an influencer says xyz works for them, or you could workout for an hour everyday when you were 20 and didn't have the job/kids/family you have now, doesn't mean it is right for you right now. You need to do what you can do now not focus on what other people can do, or what you could do before. Temper this tip with tip number 2- they're not meant to be contractiorauy but to help you recognize when your situation is different from before ,when something used to work, and how your situation might be different from a stranger on social media.
TAKE ACTION: Don't waste your time and energy on things that aren't going well for you. If waking up at 4am to workout is not working, and you've done your due diligence to follow the plan, drop it and move on. Everyone's different. Do you, your way.
Side note: You don't have to workout in the traditional sense to be heathy- have questions on this? Ask! I have some great tips for the time crunched working mom with zero workout time available on a regular basis and can't or won't wake up early!
A+ Tip #4: Make it A.E.A.P.
You've heard this before and it's repeated because it works. Make it as easy as possiblefor yourself to workout. Remove as many obstacles as you can. Get to bed on time if you're waking up early. Have you clothes packed, meals planned, prepped so you're not running around doing that instead of heading to the gym. Go in with a workout plan so there's less decision fatigue once you're there. Have a conversation with your spouse or kids to establish expectations and boundaries and this will go even smoother.
TAKE ACTION: Take 2 minutes and identify 1-3 things that are obstacles to getting in a planned workout and do what you can to eliminate at least one of them. The more the better but make sure you still prioritize the actual workout- don’t spend so much time removing obstacles you forget to actually workout.
“Knowledge might be powerful, but it’s action that creates change”
A+ Tip #5: Book Yourself
I almost didn't share this one because I know it sounds self-promoting as a trainer to suggest booking a trainer to help you get in shape. It can seem like an expense, but it's actually an investment and commitment to yourself and it's 100% what we're in business to do. A trainer can help you find strength you didn't know you had, reduce pain and weaknesses that have been bothering you and above all- show up for yourself. Even if you know what to do in the gym- if you're not going, you're not doing it.
TAKE ACTION: Consider a booking a personal trainer for a least a few sessions to get started. A good trainer will not scoff at you for only wanting a few sessions to "shake the dust off" or get back into a routine.
Pro Tip: Many trainers and gyms will offer intro packages especially right now! Online training is a good option if you have a good set up at home but if you're needing accountability and feel rusty be sure to have live 1:1 sessions included. Buying an online fitness program does not make you fit. You still have to use it!
Let's Connect!
Which of these 5 tips will help you the most? What do you still need support with to ace your fitness routine this fall? I'm here to help.
If you're looking for a fitness plan to take to the gym with remote accountability, or 1:1 online sessions contact me for more information.