Physical fitness is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. Exercising on a regular basis can have a number of far-reaching benefits – most notably increased longevity, heightened stamina, and a healthy waistline. However, if you’ve never had a regular workout routine, committing to one is liable to prove difficult. While the temptation to throw in the towel may be overwhelming, it’s important to avoid abandoning physical fitness because of a few minor setbacks. Here are a few tips on how to stick to a workout routine, to help ensure that you’re able to achieve an active and healthy lifestyle.
How To Stick To A Workout Routine-Avoid Being Overly Ambitious
There’s nothing wrong with having high expectations of yourself. Setting lofty goals can be a great way to stay motivated and provide you with ample inspiration to work hard. However, this isn’t to say that your goals should be lofty to the point of becoming unrealistic.
When many people start exercising, they tend to set overly ambitious goals and commit to workout routines that are ill-suited to their respective ages, weights, and stamina levels. This often results in consistent physical exhaustion, personal injury, and a hesitance to continue engaging in exercise. If a new workout regimen proves too harrowing, you may be tempted to call it quits and prematurely conclude that exercise simply isn’t for you. What this really means, however, is that you’re rushing yourself into a workout routine for which you are not properly suited.
If your new workout regimen seems out of step with your current physical capabilities, don’t be afraid to alter it accordingly. Many workout routines need to be fine tuned before they’re perfectly suited to the individuals who practice them. So, instead of placing your fitness goals on hold or giving up altogether, make small changes to your routine until it’s comfortably in line with your physical capabilities.
Get Your Sleep Schedule in Order
Good sleeping habits will serve you well in every area of life – and meeting your fitness goals is no exception. Getting proper rest will help ensure that you have plenty of stamina to tackle your workout regimen (and the waking world’s other challenges) with aplomb. So, if your current sleep schedule is inconsistent or outright unhealthy, there’s no time like the present to get things in order.
To start with, you’ll need to give yourself a designated bedtime. Although many of us resented our parents for enforcing bedtimes, there’s a good chance you were better-rested as a child. This is because bedtimes, whether they’re imposed on children or adults, serve a vitally important purpose: making sure we get enough sleep. For best results, give yourself a bedtime that allows for at least seven to eight hours of slumber.
Make Time in Your Schedule
It may seem like your schedule is too packed to allow room for a regular workout regimen to the mix. Still, no matter how busy you are, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to carve out sufficient time in your schedule. For example, if you’re a morning person, you may want to consider getting up 30 minutes to one hour earlier than you normally do and devoting the extra time to physical fitness. Conversely, if you prefer to exercise after being awake for a while, devoting a portion of your lunch hour to working out may be ideal.
Healthy Tip for Sticking to a New Workout Routine- Maintain a Healthy Diet
If weight loss is among your fitness goals, you’d do well to maintain healthy habits in conjunction with sticking to a regular exercise regimen. A diet that’s rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and assorted proteins can help you reach your target weight and ensure that you have abundant stamina reserves. Additionally, shakes made with protein powders can make tasty snacks for fitness buffs on the go.
Making changes to one’s lifestyle isn’t always easy. This is particularly true in the case of exercise. If a new workout routine has shaken up your everyday life and put you through the wringer, the temptation to call it quits is likely to be strong. However, throwing in the towel prematurely stands to needlessly put you off of exercise for the foreseeable future – which can have major ramifications for both your physical well-being and mental health. So, if it has proven exceedingly difficult, just remember the tips on how to stick to a workout routine, as discussed above.
