5 Tips For Loving Your Workouts

Monday, August 20, 2018

It's been 18 months since I made the commitment to get into a regular a fitness routine. When I turned 49, I became hyper aware of my midlife status and rather than dread getting older, I decided to embrace it. My first step was getting to the gym and learning to love my workouts.

Building on the mistakes I've made in the past and what I had hoped to accomplish in the future, I've put together this list of easy tips for establishing a love-love relationship with your workouts.

1. Music
Think of music as a great motivator. It's that voice in your head saying, "You can do it. You can do it! Come on. Just one more!". Music is a powerful motivator when it comes to exercise. The right songs and the perfect tempo will fuel you through a workout when it feels as if you are losing steam. I prefer to create personalized playlists on Spotify, but iTunes and Pandora are good choices too.

2. Pace Yourself
One of the biggest mistakes I make is being too enthusiastic at the start of an exercise program. I am over the top, wanting to work out every day. obsessing over my step count on Fitbit, and constantly checking the mirror for results. The key to having any success is to exercise slowly and steadily and with consistency. Start out small and work up to bigger and better things.

Set a reasonable goal at the onset. For me, it's to hit the gym 3 times a week for 1.5 hours at each visit. During my off days, I lift light weights at home. As the 3 days per week become a habit, add additional days.

3. New Clothes
Where's the fun in working out if you can't wear cute clothes? Forget the oversized t-shirts and baggy sweats. Invest in a few new quality pieces of active wear that are fun and flattering, and I promise, you'll be motivated to work out.

4. Figure Out What You Love
Don't force yourself to love something you loathe. For the longest time, I tried to convince myself that I enjoyed running. Eventually I started to dread my workouts because I despised running. I discovered that I was trying to run too fast. The pace wasn't comfortable, and soon I hated running. It wasn't until a trainer advised me to start out at a slow job and work up to a faster pace but one that is still comfortable and somewhat challenging. Discover what you love and pursue that passion. For me, it's walking, jogging, and practicing hot yoga. I love a solid walking workout for burning calories and elevating my heart rate.

5. Enlist the Help of an App
Fitness apps are great tools for helping you achieve your goals and keeping you accountable. Whether you download one that tracks your workouts, such as My Fitness Pal or one that guides you through a workout such as aaptiv, fitness apps can help keep you on the path to success.

See you at the gym!

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