Oh the joys of an Apple watch*. Go for an 1.5 hour walk and get 15 minutes of exercise credit. But lug in some groceries, do some house chores and bam somehow you’ve hit your fitness goal. It’s great.*can you feel my sarcasm?* For the last 8 months, I’ve been using my Apple watch for a number of things but mainly to line up with my fitness goals. And even though it’s inconsistent at times, it’s helped me to see one thing recently: I’m in a fitness rut.
Fitness ruts can be a bit sneaky. Sometimes you don’t even realize you’re in one until you’re really far into it. Skipping a workout here or there isn’t a big deal. But once you’re uninspired and going down the fitness rut road, it can be a hard battle back. It’s a battle I’m currently working on. So today I thought I’d share my tips for moving forward, getting inspired again and of course, how I’m getting out of my fitness rut
FIGURE OUT HOW YOU GOT HERE
Firstly, it took me a while to realize I was in a fitness rut. My clothes weren’t really fitting the same. I wasn’t wanting to do my workouts. Something was just off. So I went to my trusty activity app to see my past exercise history. And sure enough I’d been slacking. Yes, I was still doing the occasional workouts. But there were chunks of time where it just wasn’t happening and I needed to know why.
For me, I really struggle to do a morning workout. I used to be a regular morning gym goer. But now that’s just not my ideal time of day. So when I force myself to be that person, I end up saying screw it and don’t workout at all. Here’s the catch: I want to be a morning workout person again. I know it would be so much better for my productivity and my life if I was one. And I’ll keep trying to make it happen. However, for now I know I just need to work on getting back into the swing of working out again regularly.
DOING WORKOUTS I LOVE AGAIN
For years, I’ve tried to finish Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide. I would love nothing more than to finally complete it. But to be honest, I just really don’t like doing it. And so instead of doing something else I do like, I’ll just skip my workout. And doing nothing gets me nowhere.
So instead of just avoiding working out, I’ve decided to get back to my roots. If I’m not loving my workouts, I won’t do them. Or at the very least I won’t do them on my own. Which means I’m going back to basics and things I know I love: running & yoga. I’m stubborn so I know I’m going to keep trying to finish BBG until I make it happen. Yet I also know that until I have a routine again I need to focus on simply actually working out. So for now I’m sticking with what I know and love. And it’s helping me get out of my fitness rut a little at a time.
SETTING A GOAL
I’ve always found goals to be motivating but mostly if they are broken down into smaller chunks. It can be as little was a setting a goal today to do 20 minutes of yoga or to go for a run. My current goal is to successfully get through Coach to 5k*. Another one I’ve stopped and started a few times over the years, I want to finally do the whole thing.
For me, I struggle with developing shin splinters pretty quickly. And then I have to take time off and start over again which is a vicious cycle. This time my goal is to simply make it happen. If that takes me 2 or 3 times as long as the program, then I’m okay with it. I’d love to make running a regular thing in my life so I’m happy to take the time to tweak and learn the right way. And my mini goals are helping me push through my rut even more.
BOOKING AN EVENT
Because running is at the top of my current goals list, it’s pretty easy to find an event. I’m currently signed up for a 5k in September. But there always seems to be some kind of fitness challenge to sign up for. Depending on your goals or what you like to do, there is probably an event for you. Personally, I would love to go on a fitness retreat that involves yoga. It just sounds like an amazing time and something I could use more of in my life. Plus booking an event means there is something to work towards and gives me even more reasons to break out of a fitness rut!
WORKING OUT WITH FRIENDS
I’m a social creature. Maybe it comes from being an only child and having to play by myself as a kid. So I just would rather workout with friends because then it doesn’t feel like I’m working out. When I can, I love to go for walks or try new classes with my friends. One of my fave things about one of the jobs I worked in ATL was having a SoulCycle studio on site. We would all take classes together and the energy was always amazing. Everyone knew each other and was incredibly encouraging during workouts. No shame. We were all just excitemented that got to spin together. Working out with friends is one of my favorite ways to get myself to do a workout when I just can’t motivate myself. And before I know it, I’ve accomplished way more in an hour with my friends than on my own.
TRYING NEW CLASSES
Along with being a social creature, I’m a curious one. And I love to try new classes. Of course me being me, I love to try them with friends because it makes for fun memories. I’ve done a few terrible ones with friends that make for great stories now. But I love trying new classes when I just need to break out of the boredom. When I lived in ATL, I had ClassPass for a few months between shows. If you don’t know about ClassPass, it’s a program that allows you to workout at multiple studios over a city/global range. It’s kind of the ultimate gym membership for class-goers. I loved being able to try new classes I never would have known about otherwise. It kept my workout routine exciting and helped me to learn more about what I really enjoyed.
Overall I’ve realized as long as I’m living a healthy lifestyle, these ruts are going to come and go. But for me working out has always been about both the mental and physical benefits. So little by little, my hope is that this fitness rut will pass one workout at a time.
