I have a love/hate relationship with my apple watch. Some days, I’m annoyed by the fact that it’s telling me to stand up, again. But I’m also thankful that I have technology that can push me to be more active. I love that it allows me to share activity with my friends so that even on the days when I don’t feel like working out, I’m notified of my friends who have shown up for themselves. Plus, it reminds me to get up and move my butt. I also love how I can track how consistent I’ve been with my workout routine just by a quick peek into my activity app.
Alas, life happens. We start a workout routine, maybe it gets thrown off and we have to start again. Trust me. I’ve been there. So today’s post is for those of you looking to find your motivation again, get back on track and remember why you started. Your mental health + physical health are linked together. Let’s celebrate how lucky we are to be able to move our bodies and figure out how you can get back into your workout routine asap.
What Motivated You Before Might Not Be The Same Motivation
When I first started working out in the mornings, it wasn’t all that complicated. I couldn’t stand working out at home. And I really wanted to start my day off in the right head space which meant escaping the house before the chaos started. But lately, I’ve struggled to find that same morning push. The house is much quieter and the call of my bed is oh so strong. So how have I gotten back into the swing of my workout routine? I had to find new motivation.
Now, it really doesn’t matter when you workout unless you’ve found a certain time works best for you. I prefer the morning because we know your girl has hormone issues and fasted workouts are great at helping with insulin resistance. But that wasn’t enough motivation to get me to slip into my lyrca instead of my slippers. What finally pushed me out the door? Failure to succeed at my workouts at all the other times of day. Aka the gym was really busy and I wanted to workout without fighting for a bench.
Your reason might be that you find a new class you love, you want to do something with a friend or even so you aren’t out of breath going up the stairs. it doesn’t have to be the same reason from before. If that motivation isn’t serving you, find new motivation until the discipline kicks in. It might take a hot second to figure out what is motivating you these days but don’t stop trying.
Start Small
If you haven’t worked out in months or even weeks, take it slow. Give your body a chance to adjust. Because here’s what happens when you don’t: You find your motivation. You’re SO excited to hit the gym. You’re going to OWN that gym. It’s never seen ownership like yours and it’s going to be EPIC. So you go in for that first workout and give it everything. And I do mean everything. Like you don’t know how you’re going to walk out of the gym because you left it ALL on the floor.
But come tomorrow, you attempt to roll out of bed. It kind of works, kind of doesn’t. You make it to the bathroom to pee. You’re a bit wobbly sitting down. But THEN you go to stand up and it’s game over. You don’t know how you’re going to do this multiple times today let alone walk to the kitchen to make your coffee. And forget working out, you can barely walk. This ringing any bells?
It doesn’t serve you to push yourself so hard that you push yourself right off the cliff. Start small. If you’re going from zero to 100 pick a goal of a few workouts a week or even a few weight sessions with alternating days of walking. Whatever works for you, the workouts you prefer and your body. But remember you don’t have to conquer the world in the first go. I promise you’ll thank me when you don’t topple over trying to pee.
CONSIDER TRYING A NEW WORKOUT
I’m very much a workout according to my mood kind of girl. I pretty much do most things based on my mental space and energy levels when I can make it happen. So there are just somedays that I KNOW a certain workout won’t be for me. If I’ve got some anger or I need to feel power, yoga isn’t happening. I get incredibly impatient and will peace out real quick. So I run or lift weights.
This may look completely different for you. Maybe you were loving feeling powerful with weights before but right now you’re in a place of protecting your energy and yoga is your jam. Maybe you LOVED cycling for a hot second but just need a break. You don’t have to keep doing the same workout routine if it’s not getting you to show up for the workout & stay in it. And if you don’t know what kind of workout you want to do, consider giving CLASSPASS a go. Then you can test the waters of multiple workouts and keep yourself on your toes.
GIVE YOURSELF A GOAL
Sometimes you just need a finish line to remind you why the heck you’re showing up. And it doesn’t need to have anything to do with the scale. It could be: I’m going to run a mile. Maybe it’s being able to play with your kids for 30 minutes in the yard without getting winded. Or maybe you sign up for some crossfit competition. If you’re a reward person, pick your thing. A month of working out 4x a week means you buy/give/do xyz thing. Whatever gets you to show up and is legal/doesn’t land you in jail sounds good to me!
REMEMBER YOUR WHY
I am very much a visual person. So on my vision board is always the image of who my strongest self represents. Currently, it’s Scar Jo rocking her Black Widow costume because she kicks ass. I started working out because I wanted to be strong mentally and physically. I wanted to channel that strength into something else. Your why might be your kids. It might be that you’ve seen how precious health is and you want to take care of yours. You get to decide your why.
And once you decide your why, put it somewhere you’ll see it. Phone back ground. Laptop. Photo next to your gym bag or on your gym bag. Whatever you need to do, get that visual in place. Give yourself that reminder so that on those days when you’re ready to ditch that workout routine you can’t escape your why.
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO WORKOUT
There are two ways to go about this one. When I’m traveling and visiting friends, I’m lucky enough that I can drag almost everyone into some form of movement with me. But on the days where I’m in PC, I’ve got to find my own motivation. And that’s where youtube/instagram comes in. If you’ve got a friend who has a killer workout routine, borrow from their energy. Or add some people into your instagram mix that workout and make it look fun. If I’m feeling sluggish to get out the door, I’ll pop on a vlog of fitness youtuber & it motivates me to get going. You don’t have to know someone to be inspired by them. Just find your person and borrow from their energy!
In the end, it only really matters that you figure out your way to show up. It can be for someone else or just for you. You may love classes or would rather rock your workout solo. As long as you find a workout routine that you’ll invest in, you’re on the right track! Tell me in the comments below what you’re currently loving for your workout or maybe where you feel stuck. Let’s keep each other motivated and inspired to take care of ourselves. Until next time. Xoxo, Savvy
