Parties, family obligations, trips and last-minute shopping can leave you feeling drained during the holidays. However, getting in your workouts help give you energy, reduce stress and tension and burn off extra calories! Go into the holiday season determined and dedicated. Make a promise to yourself that you are going to stick to your holiday health plan. Don’t make excuses when the time comes for your workout.
1. Pick Power Tunes
Music can shape our moods and get us in the right mindset. Research shows that music creates an emotional response within us. It has the power to not only boost our moods but affect our perception of the world. Make music your motivational tool. You’ll need to find the songs that make you feel energized and powerful.
2. Do Your Favorite Exercises
Working out should be enjoyable, even if it’s challenging. If you’ve lost your workout motivation, start your routine with some of your favorite exercises. Doing moves you love will help you ease into a rhythm so you’ll be more likely to keep going.
3. Workout with a Friend
Other people help you stay accountable and try new things. You’ll be less tempted to skip a workout if a friend is counting on you to come to the gym or meet you for a run. Trying a workout class or a new machine at the gym may feel less intimidating with a friend by your side.
4. Treat Yourself
After every workout, you should reflect on what you accomplished. As you cool down or stretch, think about your workout and praise yourself for the time you spent exercising. Sometimes the fitness motivation we need can come from our perspective on our bodies and working out. If you need a little more to keep you going, don’t be afraid to reward yourself after you complete a tough workout or meet a goal. Rewards can be simple.
5. Try New Workouts
Sometimes what we need is a change of pace. Doing the same workout over and over leads to boredom and halts your progress. You should mix up the muscles you work, as well as the types of exercises you do. Once you master one move or routine, try something new or increase the intensity.
6. Give Yourself Time to See Results
Sticking to your fitness routine will give you the results you want. Unfortunately, results won’t happen overnight. Like all good things, physical results take time. Goals can inspire you to keep working hard. Consistency is key to any fitness routine. Making exercise a habit will help you see results. Don’t be afraid to start small and work your way up to more complex and intense exercises.
You will also want to keep track of your progress. You can’t always physically see the progress you’ve made, so doing frequent weigh-ins that track all of your body composition is important to keep you motivated and pushing forward.
