Enough with the excuses. You factor in 30 minutes of walking each day? You cycle to work? Big deal, that’s travelling and shouldn’t be considered as a substitute for a proper health program.
If you really want to take your health and wellness seriously you will need to devote time to the practice, instead of factoring in your Friday night walk to the pub as some sort of workout plan. There are certain tips one can adopt with which to ease yourself in to a good routine (which, shockingly, you might even enjoy!) but the time for lying to yourself has passed — it’s time to get some real work done.
Below are five ways to make integrating your workouts into your daily life as simple a process as possible.
You DO Have Time
The most common excuse offered from a well-intentioned person as to why they didn’t break a sweat today was that there wasn’t enough time in the day. That may be true on occasion when your wife is giving birth, or if you have to cram to put together a last-minute presentation for your boss but on the regular, it is just an excuse. You may miss sessions here and there, that is life, but if you pull back a little you will realise that your exercise routine isn’t ultimately graded by how you did that week, it will eventually come down to how much you have done in your life.
If you want to be healthy, there is no substitute for eating right and respecting your body enough to work it out in the gym. You do have the time to do this.
Find Music That Motivates You
Everyone is different when it comes to the types of music they like but when it comes to working out, there is some music which works better than others. A song in which the beats-per-minute closely mirrors that of your athletic output has been proven to keep your energy levels higher than listening to songs of a slower pace.
Further still, if you are listening to music which motivates you (or even a podcast) it can help you push through when your energy reserves are slipping. Makes yourself a gym playlist, you will not regret it.
Train with a Friend
For a lot of us, there is nothing more motivating than the fire under your ass which can come by comparing your results in the gym to those of a friend. Competition, so long as it’s friendly and safe (don’t do weights you’re not ready for), is a tremendous motivator and can keep both of you at the top of the game. Plus, skipping the gym becomes a lot harder when you have to text your mate to say that you won’t be there.
Purchase the Correct Equipment
You don’t need to look like Adonis in the gym, but you also need to have enough self-respect to wear gear which will help you be the best you can be. Correct shoes will help prevent joint injuries, while breathable apparel will help you cool down and regulate your body temperature. You don’t need to spend too much money to achieve this.
Have Fun
The most oft-ignored element of gym-going is that it can be a great deal of fun. Bettering yourself is always a worthwhile practice and the endorphins which come from a hard workout are their own reward. That, coupled with some of the elements listed above, can make the hours that you spend in the there not seem chore-like — and if you can achieve this, then a whole lot of other things will fall neatly into place.
