Have you ever purchased a gym membership and were determined to maintain daily fitness routine before you realized you got swamped at work again after a month and abandoned your membership completely? And you ended up paying the membership fee every month for the rest of the year while blaming yourself for your lack of exercise but found it impossible to finally lace up your training shoes again? You’re not alone.
Although I’m no workout expert, I try my best to fit my fitness and yoga sessions into my packed schedule. Here’re some tips that I find useful, and hope they can help you too. It’s all about motivation.
Wake up early
This is definitely a game changer. Let’s face it, for busy women like us, we seldom have time to hit the gym once we’re back to the office as emails flock in and the telephone starts ringing non-stop. You can try to go to the gym after work but you might be occupied with meetings and post-work drinks, or that you feel too tired to workout in the evening after having used up your brain juice the whole day. Therefore waking up early will ensure that you have no excuse of not going to the gym because of business lunches or post-work appointments. Plus, you will be full of energy for work after pumping up your heart rate. How to wake up early? Sleep earlier.
Find good company to exercise together
Having a good partner who is also interested in fitness will make it more fun for you to workout. Try to schedule your gym time at least a week ahead, and make sure that you give each other a wake up call if you’re planning for a run in the park first thing in the morning. Once you feel that you aren’t working out alone, you will be more motivated to maintain your fitness routine.
Get inspired by fitness influencers
Although those beautiful gym girls’ photos on Instagram look like it’s almost impossible to get to that perfect body shape, there’s no harm to follow them for tips and ideas on how to make your fitness regime more effective. A lot of the influencers share their personalized exercises on ways to tone a particular muscle group of your body, be it legs, hips or shoulders. My favorite is Alexia Clark and I enjoy her tips on legs and shoulder workouts. Time to shed off some calories and get ready for that pretty tank top for the next summer…
Get on a Challenging (But Achievable) training program
Joining a membership doesn’t mean anything if you don’t go there regularly. If you find it hard to physically be at one place to work out, maybe joining a fitness app or subscribing to some online fitness programs might work for you as it’s more flexible. For example, online apps like Sweat or Freeletics allow you to set up fitness programs you can practice anywhere, such as at a park, at home or at a small studio. Alternatively, you can challenge yourself for a more long-term fitness goal such as completing a marathon or taking part in a dancing competition. My husband, Yves is a fan of IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon race and he has been maintaining a daily morning workout from Monday to Friday since a few years ago to specifically train for that race. Since then he has been challenging himself to complete the races using less and less time, and he’s recently become eligible to join the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship for his age group!
Get cute gym outfits
This is an important one! Nothing feels better than wearing beautiful sportswear to show off your nice body (or soon-to-be nice body) and your big smile. Get some outfit variations so you’re more motivated to hit the gym multiple times every week. How amazing it is to do those 30 burpees in one go in that sparkling leggings that hug your body like gloves? Or mastering that dancer pose in your pink yoga bralette at the studio? There are a few gym and yoga wear brands that I enjoy, such as P.E. Nation, Cleo Harper, Lucas Hugh and No Ka’Oi.
With the above tips, you will hopefully be able to workout more often. Fitness is a lifestyle, not just a means to get a nice and toned body. The result will come naturally as long as you’re disciplined, determined and persistent. It’s a good way to develop not only a stronger body, but also your mind. It’s also the most effective and healthy way to relax while giving you that energy boost to start your day. Hope you will soon enjoy hitting the gym regularly as much as I do.
