The most challenging part of a gym routine can be maintaining it- resisting the urge to sleep in, to lessen our effort, to avoid the discomfort all together. Here are the methods that I use to keep my gym routine consistent.

Designate time in your schedule

You shouldn’t have to sacrifice part of your life for your gym schedule.  If you’re usually social after work, or your evening routine is otherwise important to you, then exercising in the evening may not work for you.  If drinking your morning coffee is your Zen time, don’t surrender that for your gym schedule.

Find the time of day that works for you, whether that’s early morning, lunch, or evening, and designate that time for your workout.  Plan your day around it. Be as inflexible about moving your workout as your schedule will allow.

But I can’t do early mornings. You can. It will be uncomfortable at first, but your body will adapt. If morning is the time that works best for your schedule, get up and go. No excuses.

Establish accountability

This is how you ensure you make it to the gym on a daily basis. Accountability can mean a workout partner or trainer waiting for you at the gym, or a class that can’t be canceled the morning of without repercussions. 

If you rely on a friend to hold you accountable, choose a dependable friend. Relying on someone who will flake on the gym defeats the purpose. I take classes with costly cancelation fees to get me out of bed in the morning.  I can’t afford not to go.

Do what you love

This is the single most important piece of advice I have for maintaining a gym routine long term.  If you hate every moment of your workout, you are eventually going to quit. 

Exercise doesn’t have to mean running on the treadmill or lifting heavy at the gym- it can mean dance classes or rec league sports.  Find what you love to do and exercise will cease to be a chore. 

For me, those things are Vinyasa yoga and Shadowboxing.  It was a long and winding road to finding what I love, and I’ve done a lot of starting and stopping along the way.  For a long time, I used the Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide.  I saw great results, but I hated the workouts- and that’s okay.  It just wasn’t right for me.

Take progress photos

What I’m about to say is very important.  Throw away your scale.  It’s not useful to you.  Take progress photos in good, natural lighting in the same spot once a month.

You will not see great differences month to month, but look closely and you’ll find that differences are there. After 8 weeks of consistency, you will begin to see a difference. Had I never done this, I would have given up exercising long ago. Progress is slow. It’s hard to recognize in the mirror. Our strained relationships with our bodies are reflected back at us.

One day, after many hours of hard work, I took a photo and I realized that my body had changed.  If you put in the work, you will see results.  You will lose fat, but you will also gain muscle.  Your body will become capable of more.  The scale doesn’t reflect that accurately.  Photos don’t lie.

Invest in your gym attire

I know this sounds silly, but hear me out. Starting out at the gym is hard. You’re battling your insecurities along with the physical pain of exercise. Investing in gym attire that makes you feel good about yourself will help you to hold your head high until you learn what your body is capable of and realize that you deserve to be there.

Rest

Always schedule a rest day.  If doing what you love means a high-intensity workout like an Orangetheory Fitness class, that means working out three to four times a week rather than five or six.  If you don’t allow your body to recuperate, you don’t give your all in your workouts and you risk injury. If it breaks your spirit to take a day off, spend an hour stretching or take a restorative yoga class in lieu of your usual workout.

Tips for success

Surviving DOMS- DOMS, or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, is the soreness you feel when you first begin to exercise. After a workout, the soreness will start to develop after 24 to 48 hours. DOMS can be intense, and you may be walking funny and easing yourself into chairs for three to four days following your workout. Once the soreness has subsided, you may be discouraged from continuing to exercise- don’t be. Continue on, and that type of soreness won’t return. Quit and start again later, and it will.

The 15 Minute Rule- If you’re having trouble willing yourself to the gym, say to yourself, “I’ll just go for 15 minutes, and see how I feel.” If after 15 minutes, you still want to forgo the workout, go ahead. I think you’ll find that 15 minutes in you’ll be inclined to continue with your workout.

I can do anything for 10 seconds– I have a mantra that I say to myself when I’m suffering during a workout and want to quit. “There’s X time left, I can do anything for X time.” I can hold a plank, I can run, I can box- it’s just 10 seconds, or one minute, or two rounds. I’m capable of doing anything for that amount of time, and so are you.

Every workout counts– A consistent fitness routine is something to be proud of. If you have an off day and don’t get the most out of your workout, don’t beat yourself up. Feel accomplished that you got up and went, and try again tomorrow.

*Featured image by NIKE, Inc.