Let's talk about home workouts.
I know I know - it's not easy and, for some, it feels impossible to motivate to get in a workout without changing scenery and leaving the house, but times sure are changing!
Pre-COVID I used to have to explain to people — moms especially — how home workouts need to become a part of our routine if we have any hope of staying consistent.
But now we don’t really have a choice as gyms are mostly closed and working out in a mask and bathing in sanitizer doesn’t exactly feel like the refresher we’re looking for.
Of course, for many of us, IF we are going to get in a workout, we’d much prefer getting to a fitness class where we can sweat and shake and feel all that fat and booze crying its way out of our system.
And we can still do that with the slew of fitness classes that have shifted online.
From the comfort of our own homes now, we can wash away our unhealthy pandemic vices to the tune of Bruno Mars as our quads burn, sweat trickles down our belly rolls while our instructor, Marci, with 17% body fat, sweats with us into the computer screen and, with her chiseled abs, tells us to keep moving, up the resistance, and get it done!.
"That's fitness," we tell ourselves. "I got sweaty and burned a ton of calories, so now I am forgiven of all sins!"
We grab a smoothie and maybe even a salad at lunch, and then it’s back to our sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits once those night munchies hit — knowing we can just sweat it all out later.
But deep down you know that lifestyle isn’t really getting you anywhere.
And once that motivation to get in the workout subsides - an increase in the scale, getting sick, or a change in your schedule - it is hard to get back to it. So you spend a few weeks or months with no workouts and lots of vices until the scale climbs so high you * have* to take action.
That’s the yo-yo.
That’s where the home workout routine comes in to save the day - to keep that weight from piling on, to keep that workout routine consistent and approachable no matter how many curve balls you’re thrown, and to keep the guilt and stress of gaining and losing weight at bay.
It feels hard to consider working out at home by yourself - and a good silver lining now is that you don’t really have to with all the live classes out there.
But being able to get to even the online classes consistently, freeing up that time in our busy and chaotic weeks, is hard to do -- let alone sustain.
So let's try a different approach.
Continue to try to get to those workouts you love. Try to set a goal for 3-4 workouts a week with at least two of them a strength workout.
Make a schedule for your week and put it in your calendar. If you can’t find enough times you can get to a class in your busy week, schedule times you can do a 20 minute workout on your own. Can’t find 20 minutes? Do 5! Whatever you can get in to meet your goals and stay consistent is what will keep you staying on track and making progress toward your goals.
Prioritize the small actions you can take. Success is built one tiny step at a time.
Strive for continuous improvement to your health every day, no matter how small, and you will reach the top of that mountain.
And it will feel awesome.
5 minutes is better than no minutes. And when done consistently, it adds up to BIG results! Much bigger than the occasional class you can get to or that yo-yo lifestyle you’ve been on.
You can absolutely focus on getting to the big sweaty workout classes, but you NEED a plan B for the times you can't. You just do. That's how you stay consistent and, more importantly, that's how you stay in control.
Walk more —
Even on days you workout. Eat something healthy before you dive into a bag of chips. Go for a long walk on a day you don’t feel like working out but know you should. Go for a short walk, stretch, or do a set of push ups on a day you are scheduled to work out but can’t even find 20 minutes to do it.
THAT is how to create a healthy lifestyle and that is how to feel awesome inside and out.
Some weeks, months, or even years, you may be getting in all the big sweaty workouts and crushing all your goals, but having a routine you can fall back on when you’re off you’re game is huge for maintaining and even progressing your health so you can get off the up and down fitness rollercoaster.
You see, your health is not an all or nothing thing. It just can't be. And I (probably much like you) am an all or nothing kind of girl. While that may have worked in our 20s, it's not going to carry us through this crazy life anymore.
Need ideas for your quick home workouts? Don't worry, I've got plenty! Follow me on Youtube and download my FREE How to Solve Your Home Workout Hurtles eBook!
Need help coming up with an action plan for your lifestyle and goals? Apply for a free consult here and let’s find your solution!
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Stay awesome,
Shannon