Spring has finally sprung. The flowers are out, the sun is shining and the days are getting longer.
Whilst some of us kept up our fitness during the colder months, others will start to pick up the pace around this time of the year.
For those of us who are struggling to find the motivation to get started, here are some of our favourite ways to bring back the gusto and maintain focus throughout the year.
Enlist a buddy
Whether you’re heading to the gym, or just to your local park for a morning workout, making plans with a friend to meet you there will increase your motivation and help you stay committed. You are far less likely to keep hitting snooze if you know your friend is awake already and waiting for you.
Do you have a furry friend? Having a dog to exercise is plenty of motivation to stay fit and healthy throughout the year.
It’s a state of mind
So you’ve set the alarm and you wake up… just to turn it off. You tell yourself that you didn’t get enough sleep, and that the next 40 minutes will help you in the long run. In reality, you turn off your alarm and lie tossing and turning, half awake until your next alarm goes off.
If your brain is awake enough to turn off the alarm and convince you to go back to sleep, then your body is awake enough to get up.
Just do it
The easiest way to ensure you meet that morning workout head-on is to simply put your feet to the floor. As soon as your alarm goes off, get out of bed. Once you’re up and about, then decide if you want to exercise, if the answer is yes, or even maybe, then you’re up and ready to get straight to it!
Change it up
Just like our food tastes, our fitness inclinations change all the time. It is important to listen to what your body needs. If you like running, then by all means go for a run a few times a week, but if you’re struggling to find motivation, the easiest way to maintain a routine is to change it up. Variety is, after all, the spice of life. Maybe one day do a boxing class, then some at-home yoga, another time perhaps try your hand at some of these simple ballet barre moves. By keeping your fitness routined varied, you never run the risk of becoming bored or demotivated.
Make playlists
There’s nothing like a seriously good song to pump up your motivation. Use your favourite streaming programs, or load up your phone with playlists that are guaranteed to make you sweat or just make you want to get started with your new routine.
You can create playlists that relate to each exercise you like to do – high tempo for running, slow and relaxing for yoga, or uplifting and smile-inducing for pilates or other strengthening exercises.
It’s all about you, so whatever you think will give you the greatest outcome, go for it!