Friday, April 10, 2020

Staying Motivated to Workout On Your Own


If you have a love of the gym and fitness classes like I do, then suddenly not going to the gym was a shock to the system.  I live for teaching my group fitness classes.  I feed off their contagious energy and get an instant boost of happiness.  I've described before what it's like to stand in front of class,  the first beat of the first song hits and I get a front row seat to an entire group of smiles.  I was less than motivated at first to workout on my own.  But then I decided to still make me a priority.

We're in the middle of what seems to be a health crisis of the entire planet and confined to stay in our homes as much as possible.  And while you want to follow all guidelines for staying home,  part of you panicked a bit not getting your gym fix.  Especially when you not only rely on it for your physical health but your mental health as well.

I shed a few tears the last day of class before the gym locked their doors for next several weeks or months.  I went home feeling at a loss for how I was going to fill my time without my normal schedule.  Then the big question hit me, how was I going to stay motivated myself and not just binge watch Netflix? 

Here are my top tips for staying motivated.

1.  Join a challenge or fitness group on FB or Instagram. 

2. Find your favorite online workouts and do what you can, when you can. 

3.  Start sharing your own tips you've learned from your fitness journey, people want to hear what has worked for you personally.

4. Set a realistic goal.  Even thirty minutes a day and prioritize it.

5.  Involve the kids.  I've seen some of the best workout with kids and teens joining in.

6.  Take it outdoors!  Walk, run, hike it and bike it!  Oh and those cute fur babies need out too.

7.  Brush up on technique.  With all the videos being posted right now its a great opportunity to brush up on form.

It's been a few weeks now of teaching my fitness classes on line.  I kinda love it.  Connecting with more people from all over  the US has been amazing.  In return I also get to take classes that I normally would not be able to attend.  Make no mistake I will be the first one to push through those gym doors when they open back up,  gloved and masked if necessary.  But for now I'm embracing the change and developing as instructor.  I believe this time to reflect on how we do fitness will open doors we had not previously thought about.  Stay healthy and safe my friends.


No comments:

Post a Comment