Getting into shape and transforming your body into one that you can be proud of is not something that is achieved lightly. On the contrary, its quite a challenge for most people, one that takes years at a time, and having a full-time job and trying advancing in your career at the same time sometimes makes it really difficult to hold down a steady workout routine.
When I gave birth to my first child, one of the most difficult things Id ever had to do was to go back to both the office and the gym at the same time (along with getting my diet back to normal). There were moments when I really thought Id have to quit either one or I was going to go insane.
Fortunately, it wasnt nearly as horrible as I made it out to be at first, and as soon as I got in the right mindset it all became significantly easier. Today, I want to talk about five points that I consider to be very important when trying to incorporate exercise into your everyday routine these were a really big help to me, and Im sure that youll find them to be very useful as well.
Make a Good Plan
First and foremost: if you dont have your day planned out before you get out of bed, chances are that you arent going to get much done. This doesn’t just have to do with exercise; I find it to be true about almost every aspect of my life. Thats not to say that there aren’t people out there who can make things up as they go along, but for me it simply doesnt work, and I think that it doesnt work for most folks out there.
If you have a good plan, one that you can objectively stick to, then theres no reason why you shouldnt be able to stick to it, it’s that simple. Make compromises if you have to, plan out every little detail, just make sure that you know what the day has in store for you before it even begins.
Do Exercises You Enjoy
You’re going to find that it is much easier to hold down a consistent workout routine if you actually enjoy doing it. Were all different, and so different activities will appeal to us more or less depending on our character. For example, I absolutely hate to run and I tend to avoid it as much as I possibly can. I find that its boring and unstimulating, and its simply something that doesnt fit my character at all.
So instead of running, I now do some high-intensity interval training a few times a week, and I find that it is just as efficient at helping me keep off those few extra pounds that I tend to pack on from time to time. So just find what works for you; whether its cardio, weight lifting, yoga, even martial arts, as long as its something you enjoy and find fulfilling, chances are that you are going to stick to it.
Try this HIIT Workout
Mobile Strength Training
If youre really short on time during the day because you have to work overtime or you have a ton of other obligations, theres still a way that you can incorporate exercise into your routine. Bodyweight strength training can be done almost anywhere and anytime with no additional equipment; as long you have a floor, you can do pushups, situps and squats. As long as you have a bench or chair of some kind, you can even throw in some dips, etc.
You don’t even have to do it all at once. Set a goal for yourself, a hundred pushups a day for example, and commit to achieving that goal every day. It takes a ridiculously small amount of time, and it can make a drastic difference.
Efficient Workouts
If all you do when at the gym is run on the treadmill, you’re going to have to put in a lot more time in order to get a good workout in. Fortunately however, there are exercises out there that are much more efficient and that will make you break a sweat much faster than an ordinary treadmill.
HIIT, for example, is a great way to tire out your body and get your heart pumping in mere minutes, which is why many athletes use it intensively today. So if you cant afford to spend an hour and a half at the gym, perhaps opting for a 15-minute HIIT session is the solution you need.
Do As Much As You Can
At the end of the day, its good to remember that what matters is that you stick to an exercise regimen of any kind, as long as youre working out. It doesnt matter if its only ten or fifteen minutes a day, you’re still giving your body some kind of physical challenge, and so youre already better off than most people out there.
The worst thing you can do is not get a workout in because you think its a waste of time if the workout lasts under an hour. Ive heard this multiple times from a lot of different people and its something that I completely disagree with. The most important aspect of your workout routine is consistency; doing a little bit every day, and getting into the habit getting your body used to the feeling. Once you do that, everything else is pretty much a piece of cake. Stay healthy!
Guest Blogger Bio: Vanessa Davis is a 32-year-old fitness enthusiast, mother of two and content writer at www.diet.st. She’s originally from Long Island, New York, and when she isn’t cooking up some new health and fitness article, she enjoys doing yoga and figuring out new, delicious organic-based recipes for herself and her kids.
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