Not a natural-born gym rat, fitness geek or endorphin seeker? Not everyone is, but most fitness pros agree that maintaining an exercise routine is totally in your hands, no matter how much you dislike burpees, running and working out. So how do you overcome your fitness-hating ways to get into the healthy habit? Here’s what the exercise experts advise.
- Make a mental commitment- Your attitude toward fitness is everything, according to fitness expert Michele Gordon and she advises kicking off your new workout routine by making a commitment. Try to think of exercise as something that fuels you and benefits your whole life and find workouts that you like doing or like how you feel after so you’ll stick to them.
- Commit to working out in the morning- As much as you may dread hearing your alarm going off before 6am, Orangetheory cofounder Ellen Latham says people stay more committed to working out when they do it first thing in the morning.
- Work out at home- If the whole signing up for a class, packing a bag, commuting and actually going to the fitness class is too much for you, keep it simple and do your sweat sesh at home. Find an online class you like, go for a run, or do whatever your exercise-hating self won’t make an excuse to skip.
- Try a partner sport or join a team- If working out solo isn’t for you, personal trainer Eraldo Maglara suggests roping pals into doing it with you. Finding a friend to play tennis or joining an intramural softball team in your community may be the secret strategy that works for you because other people will be counting on you and you’ll be having fun.
- Take your workout outdoors- If you’re not into activities that feel like working out, try one that feels like adventuring. Find a trail or a hiking group near you and get outside and start moving. Gordon points out that exercising outdoors is linked to feelings of increased energy and decreased tension and depression, plus there’s plenty of fresh air and room for social distancing.
Source: She Knows