Sticking to an exercise routine can be difficult to say the least. You may find that even in the best of circumstances, that you end up struggling. If this sounds like you then you have nothing to worry about because there are things that you can do to try and help yourself get fit once more.
Get Back on Track with your Fitness Routine as a Busy Mother with This Guide
Find out why You Stopped Working out
Why did you stop working out in the first place? Did you become bored with your routine? Did you find that you were just too busy? Maybe you found that you were recovering from an illness or even an injury. Either way, you have to understand why you got off track as this is a key indicator of why you need to make a change this time around. Don’t fall into the same pattern once more, and figure out what you need to do in order to support your fitness going forward. It may be that you need a workout buddy to help keep you accountable or that you simply need to change your mindset. Either way, when you are able to figure out why you ran into obstacles before, this will help you to make the changes you need. If you are injured or if you are having a hard time with shin splints, remember that you can overcome this by buying the best running shoes for shin splints.
Start out Small
When you get back into working out, you might feel as though you can’t just pick up where you left off. You have to make sure that you build up strength and stamina. It’s a good idea to start out small if you can. If you once ran 25 miles a week when you were at your fitness peak, try and make sure that you run 10 miles a week to begin with. If you can do this comfortably then you can always increase it, but at the end of the day, if you set your sights too high then this will demotivate you in the future. Daily movement will go a long way too. In addition to introducing your regular workouts, try things like swapping an hour watching Netflix with a walk. You might also want to try and take the stairs instead of heading right for the elevator. If you can do this, then things will soon come together for you.
Set Realistic Goals
When you begin to workout again, you need to set realistic goals. Instead of signing up to run a marathon or trying to hit the gym six days out of the week, you need to try and stick to a simple routine. You need to try and workout twice a week so that you can then build up to much more difficult goals as you progress. As you do set your goals, it’s important to think about a timeline as well as some specific action steps too. This will help you to get excited and it will also make things easier for you to accomplish. Everyone’s goal is different at the end of the day, so make sure that you take your goals into account and then progress from there. If you can do this, then you will soon find that you are able to get fitter without losing your focus.
Consistency is Everything
When you are trying to reboot your fitness routine, you have to make sure that you build structures that make it impossible for you to fail. It may be that you need to pre-pay for a month of private sessions with a trainer or it may be that you need to try and create a detailed training plan. Either way, if you schedule in your workouts every week and if you can give them a spot on your calendar then this will work in your favour. If you have dedicated a block of time to yourself then this will help you to make sure that you always meet your goals. If you end up having to compromise your morning gym session because you are late to work, try and make room later that night and change things up a little. Sure, sometimes life gets in the way, but if you can try to be as consistent as possible then this will work in your favour.
Of course, nobody likes to get out of their fitness routine, but if you are willing to put in the work and if you have the motivation then you will soon be able to push past your limits.