Make fitness a routine
I know you’re busy, and it’s so easy to get wrapped up in a project at work or with your kids, your dog, your never-ending list of to-dos, that things that ought to be priority are put on the back burner.
A biggie?
Fitness.
Getting regular exercise may feel like a Herculean task even to those of us who enjoy it – I often hear people say they wish they could get to the gym more often.
So why don’t they?
It’s likely because going to the gym isn’t part of their routine.
Routines are so incredibly helpful in making sure we do the things we might not want to take time to do otherwise – like brushing our teeth or walking the dog.
Routine doesn’t allow busy to get in your way of doing the right thing – it becomes rock-solid part of your schedule.
When you know you go to the gym Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, go swimming on Friday and attend a yoga class on Saturday, it’s a set part of your week. You plan around your workouts, not desperately searching for a way to shoehorn them in.
I know I don’t need to convince you that exercise is good for you, but I may need to convince you to make it a routine.
Here a three good reasons:
- The energy boost from your workout will carry over into the rest of your day.
- You’ll save time in the long run when you’re not out sick. People who exercise regularly have 40-45% reduction in sick days.
- You no longer need willpower. Since fitness is a regularly scheduled, no-excuses part of your day, it’s just something you do without an internal debate about whether you should exercise or not.
Still not convinced you can make a fitness routine happen? Here are some ways to make the routine stick.
Stick it to the pocketbook. If you hate to waste your hard-earned money, then joining a gym, yoga studio or fitness class where you’ve prepaid for the workouts is a great motivator. If that isn’t enough, “fine” yourself a certain dollar amount each time you skip a workout.
Enlist a friend. People who work out with a buddy or in a group fitness setting are more likely to stick with it. No one wants to be the jerk who stands up a friend, which gives you the motivation to stay the course.
Get an app. Several apps provide a way to track your workouts and your progress, which can be a great motivator in and of itself. These apps often have a social sharing feature, which means you can keep yourself accountable when you know you’ll be sharing your results with your tribe.