My experience at the gym today will highlight this point. My sister’s friend and I were driving into the parking garage of the fitness center she goes to in the Seattle area here, and as we were driving around we had a terrible time finding parking. It was rather frustrating to say the least, but I didn’t think anything of it until my sister’s friend mentioned something. She had said that the gym was typically much less crowded on a Saturday than it was now and it would be less busy after a few months.
This got me thinking about how when the new year starts, we are so full of energy and determination. Somewhere along the way, this fades away and we find ourselves back at square one in couch potato land. This exact thing happened to me when I started working out in the summer and fall of 2008 and I figured out why.
Here is how to stick to a work out plan.
1. Find a Fitness Center with a Convenient Location and Hours
Location, location, location.
It is hard enough to get started on exercising, so make it as easy as possible for you to reach the gym.
If you have a gym in your building, that’s great. If you would prefer to exercise outside, go with that. If there is a facility on the way home from work where you can stop off, then consider that option.
Wherever you choose to work out, make sure it’s a place that you won’t dread going to because it’s too much of a hassle to reach. Similarly, be sure that it is open during hours that are convenient for you. If all else fails, you can always do some simple exercises at home.
2. Get Your Things Ready Before You Leave
Like finding a place to exercise with a convenient location, getting your things ready in advance is equally important for sticking to a work out plan. It’s all about lessening the barriers that make it more difficult to keep exercising. The goal is to be able to just go to the gym or outside to work out and not have to worry about any diversions.
This was one of the reasons why I failed to make it to the fitness center, which was conveniently located in my neighborhood while I was living in Dallas between 2008-2009. There were times when I felt like working out, but it was just such a tedious process of changing clothes, tying my shoes, getting my mp3 player in order, filling up the water bottle, and getting a towel and toiletries together among other things. I know this might sound ridiculous, but when you really don’t enjoy the activity (even though you know it’s good for you), every bit counts.
I actually learned this tip from my sister. I noticed that after she came back from the gym, she immediately got her things prepared for the next time. So when we decided to go together, she was already ready while I was gathering my things. Had she not been there, I might not have gone to begin with, which leads me to my next tip.
3. Find a Reliable Partner
Getting motivated to go by yourself can be extremely tough if you are not a self-starter or you don’t enjoy exercise.
In finding a partner it makes working out an easier task, because it becomes somewhat of a social activity rather than a choice. You are doing something with someone rather than by yourself.
If you can keep working out on your own accord, that’s great, but if you find it hard to do so, then look for a partner.
It’s also nice to go with a partner, because if you make a set plan with him or her, you’ll be much less likely to bail out on the person than if you just went by yourself. Accountability is everything, so make sure that your partner will hold you to meeting a few times a week that you both agree upon.
4. Make the Activity Fun
I hate working out.
Personally, I don’t find it fun to run on a treadmill or sit there and lift weights. Growing up, soccer and other sports used to be my way of staying fit. It’s much more fun and you’re more likely to keep exercising if you’re doing a sport or taking one of the classes at a gym.
This is a more fun and interactive way to stay in shape.
Also, because classes are scheduled at certain times and on certain days of the week, just like meeting with a partner holds you accountable, having a set time to show up to a class can help in this way as well. If you enjoy bicycling outside or hiking, I encourage you to consider these activities in staying fit. Whatever it is that will keep you interested or motivated to continue to stay physically active will be effective in keeping you in line.
5. Start Easy and Build Your Way Up
Another point that will help you to keep exercising is to start easy and build up.
If you begin by running as fast as you can, thinking that you’re getting in shape, more than likely you’ll end up burning out. Many moderate sessions is better than one intense work out and then quitting.
Challenge yourself enough to keep things interesting, but know when it’s too much.
6. Set Realistic Goals
Another way to maintain your interest in working out is to set goals.
It can seem like a never ending, daunting task to work out all the time. Things sort of blend in together and become a blur when you have no clear sense of direction and the monotony can make you quickly lose interest.
Set short, medium, and long term goals for your fitness.
Maybe you want to be able to run a mile in six minutes or you want to be able to swim 100 laps or to be able to bench press your weight. Whatever it is that you would like to do, set goals and plan out how you would like to achieve them.
Short term goals are equally as important, if not more important than long term goals, because as you achieve these goals the sense of accomplishment can provided just enough fuel for you to keep on going.
Be realistic in setting your goals.
Don’t expect to go from inactive to running a four minute mile after a week of training. If you set your goals too high too soon, constant failure could potentially deter you from keeping on track with exercising. The idea is to set a goal that is difficult enough to challenge you, but within your ability and reach.
If you’re not sure about what this might look like, use the trial and error method.
Also, seeking out the advice of a trainer (or a partner) can be beneficial to you.
7. Track Your Progress in Reaching Your Goals
Keeping tabs on your progress is crucial.
Be sure to write down how many laps you swam or how far you ran or how much you’re lifting. Seeing concrete evidence of your improved level of fitness can boost your confidence and self esteem. This process shows you that you are making your way toward achieving the realistic goals that you had previously set for yourself. Working toward something is much easier to cope with than working for nothing or for some abstract “goal.”
8. Reward Yourself For Your Accomplishments
Finally, the most important part of sticking to a long term fitness plan is rewarding yourself. Anytime we do something that we don’t necessarily like, it helps to have something to look forward to after completing the task. The same goes with working out.
Maybe you set a goal of exercising three times in a week throughout the month and your reward is a spa treatment or to go see a football game. Perhaps you reached a milestone in the amount of weight you lifted or how quickly you ran a few miles, you should reward yourself for this.
The trick is to keep your rewards in line with the goals you set and the progress you make in achieving these goals. Rewards must be concrete and predetermined. It would be ineffective to just say to yourself that you did a great job and that now it’s time for a treat, because then you run the risk of rewarding yourself for too little work and the incentive to keep working out diminishes.
Lastly, make sure that the reward is not detrimental to achieving your goal. If your goal is to lose weight, allowing yourself to eat a tub of ice cream after going to the gym will be counter productive. Instead you might consider bob sledding or something.
