Take charge of your health and live fit.
Do you feel like giving up on fitness? Don't despair. Follow the below steps to create and stick to a fitness routine that’s consistently fun, fresh and motivating.
1. Assess your schedule and needs
Research states that one of the most frequent reasons for quitting an exercise routine is the lack of time. If workouts are clashing with your home or office responsibilities, it’s time to step back and assess your schedule.
Pick a convenient time– right after work, during the weekends or a 15-minute break at work. Once you identify, commit that time to exercise. Putting your schedule first will help you set a more realistic routine.
2. Fix a small exercise goal
Fix a workout routine which is specific, keeping your daily schedule in mind. Simple goals like a 30 minute walk every day, attending a Zumba class twice a week, or deciding to take packed healthy lunch to work for a month can be easy to follow.
Small goals are easy to stick to, and a few easy wins will deliver the momentum and confidence you need to move on to the next goal. By starting with just 30 minutes of brisk walking every day, you can burn up to 200 calories per day and reduce your risk of heart disease by 27%.
3. Take charge of your workouts
When we take ownership of something, whether it’s an object, goal or habit, we become more committed to it. It is the ‘endowment effect’ in action, where people assign more value to the things they own.
Treat your workout like a personal project, and celebrate every time you achieve a milestone. Choose healthy treats like your favorite fruit yoghurt or a chocolate protein pancake with a scoop of honey. Through ownership and positive reinforcement, you will start looking forward to accomplishing more goals!
4. Mix things up
Nothing kills motivation faster than boredom. People are programmed to crave novelty; our brain uses new and challenging situations to strengthen existing neural connections and develop new ones.
If your workout feels tedious, bring a change your usual routine by choosing a new location, aiming for a bigger goal or trying new exercises. For example, if cardio is what you need, try switching between walking, cycling, swimming or cardio dance routines like Zumba. Your body can burn up to 1,000 calories in an hour with a fun Zumba workout. Freestyle swimming can help you burn up to 85 calories in just 10 minutes and cycling for the same amount of time can help you burn up to 100 calories.
5. Chart it out
People with written goals are 50% more likely to achieve them than people who don’t write them down. According to data by the University of Southern California, the average person may experience up to 40-50 thoughts per minute, which adds up to 70,000 thoughts per day. That’s why goals that are kept in the mind can easily get mixed up with other thoughts. Write them down so you can focus on them better.
Use your creativity to chart out a fitness plan. Let this be as colorful as your fitness goals. Pick a place in your home or office space and pin it up to remind you of your goals every single day. You could also use sticky notes to define your daily tasks like drinking enough water or going for an evening jog. Try keeping these goals specific and time bound as they are measurable and proven to work better.