Struggling with sticking to your workout routine? In this short read, you’ll discover what it takes to maintain your workout momentum.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
A fitness routine is a key element of living a healthy and fulfilling life. But, anyone who has tried and failed to start exercising knows how challenging it is to maintain momentum.
While you might do well for a few weeks, life can easily get in the way, so soon enough, you’re right back to where you started. Is it possible to maintain momentum, though? Of course, it is. You just need to know how to achieve it no matter what happens in your life.
Don’t Expect Immediate Change
Too many people go into an exercise routine expecting to get ripped, develop abs, and run a 5K (or more) in a few weeks. This is not what will happen, and it takes much longer for you to see and experience immediate change.
As long as you’re consistent, you will see minor but positive improvements after every session, and you can use this as a marker of how well you are doing. Over time, you can compare your abilities to your first few sessions, and this should be enough to motivate you to keep working hard for the results you want.
The Warm-Up and the Cool-Down
People who have little to zero experience in exercise often forget about the warm-up and the cool-down. But, these are two crucial elements of building and maintaining momentum.
The warm-up will loosen your muscles, making it easier to move without feeling sluggish. Likewise, the cool-down prevents lactic acid buildup, so make sure to stretch after your workout to overcome aches.
You can also buy CBD oil or use a foam roller to prevent muscle soreness, which may happen regardless at first as your body isn’t familiar with intense activity.
Ditch The Common Excuses
It’s always fun to exercise in the sunshine, which is what makes Spring and Summer popular times of the year, especially for runners or anyone who likes exercising outdoors.
However, unless you live somewhere that has forgotten what seasons are, seasonal changes will impact your routine. When the rain falls and the wind rushes through empty streets, it’s tempting to stick inside with something cozy.
This isn’t going to do your fitness any favors, so think of alternative workouts or suck it up and get outside.
Implement Other Lifestyle Choices
Experts say that it is impossible to outwork a bad diet. Stuffing your face with greasy and sugary snacks means you won’t get the conditioning you need to take yourself to the next level. The same goes for smoking or excessive drinking.
So, if you want to see results and maintain momentum, consider how you can implement lifestyle changes to make your fitness routine more successful. You’ll end up being healthier as a result.
On Course
There will be days where you don’t want to do anything, or you feel like you aren’t making any progress, so what’s the point? If you want to maintain your momentum and reach your fitness goals, you must power through these doubts and down days. Soon enough, you’ll see the type of results you were hoping for.