Whether you are planning to lose weight or you are looking to build muscle mass, having a fitness routine is important. Having a routine makes a huge difference in meeting your goals. Unfortunately, establishing a routine can get tricky. If you think that starting a workout routine is already hard enough, then imagine how difficult it is to stick with your routine every day? Here are tips on how to make things easier for you.
Know how much work should be done
The intensity of the routine should depend on how much work has to be done. If you’re already in shape in the past and you just gained a few pounds, then perhaps, a not-so-intense routine will get the job done. However, there are instances when people are faced with a realization that they have to make the necessary lifestyle changes or else continue to slide on a slippery slope or even die early.
Plot your schedule early
A lot of people tend to skip working out because they haven’t set a particular time when to do their workouts. Part of building a routine is making sure that your body is going to get used to the schedule. Whether it’s morning or at night, be sure that you are going to plan earlier. Make it a habit to prepare your schedule before the week even starts.
A simple solution is to set reminders on your phone. This way, you will be notified when it’s already time to drop everything that you are doing and just finish your workout.
Make Your Workouts Challenging
The body tends to adapt to workouts. It means that you shouldn’t be surprised if you feel doing certain movements starts to feel easier after a few weeks or a few months. It only means that you are getting stronger and you are becoming more comfortable doing your workouts. Unfortunately, boredom can also be too tempting for a person to stop his or her workouts.
What you can do is constantly make things challenging for the body. Keeping the body guessing can make things interesting. If you’re switching things up, you don’t always have to progressively add weights when doing resistance training. Simple tweaks such as making your reps slower or adding more reps can already make a huge difference.
Formulate Workouts for Different Durations
One of the most common alibis that people tell themselves is that they are too busy to exercise. Given our busy schedules, it’s not surprising if you don’t have the time to hit the gym for two hours straight. However, this shouldn’t stop you from having a healthy routine.
What most people forget is that you can already finish an entire workout in just 15 minutes. HIIT workouts are popular because it doesn’t need you to stay in the gym for two hours straight.
The best approach when you are dealing with busy days is to formulate different workouts. By having a list of workouts that can be finished in different durations, you will never have to say that you’re too busy.
Find something that is enjoyable
A lot of people tend to drop their routine because it’s no longer enjoyable. Sometimes, the workout becomes too boring or it isn’t something that you find yourself enjoying. You can explore different physical activities first and decide which activity best fits your lifestyle and your personality. For instance, a lot of people tend to quit going to the gym if they are just lifting weights doing solitary activities. Some prefer doing physical activities with a partner or having a sense of community when they are working out.
This makes aerobic classes and CrossFit classes popular. These are fun activities that people tend to look forward to.
Create a rewarding meal plan
Meal plans are used to control a person’s weight and to ensure that a person receives the necessary nutrients needed by the body. However, one of the most common mistakes is that people tend to eat foods that they don’t necessarily like. According to one study, adherence to a meal plan is affected by the person’s food preference. A person has a higher tendency to stick with his or her meal plan if he or she likes the food.
Focus on protein
A calorie-stricken diet can make it difficult for a person to follow a particular routine. It is difficult because a calorie-stricken diet can make you like you don’t have the energy to do the workouts you are supposed to do.
A lot of dieters stick to high-protein meals to feel full. Aside from avoiding the temptation to eat unnecessary food, high protein meals can also help preserve and build muscle mass. This makes it easier to lose body fats since building muscle mass can help improve your metabolism.
Don’t forget to rest
Rest is often underrated. For a lot of people, rest has been synonymous to doing nothing. But in reality, the lack of rest in your routine can be counterproductive. Rest will give your body the time needed to recuperate.
Assign at least one day as your rest day. Also, you want to make sure that you’re going to complete 7-8 hours of sleep every day. This will give you enough energy to be doing certain activities.
Final Thoughts
A routine can help you achieve your fitness goals. However, it’s not exactly simple to start a routine and be able to maintain your interest for several months and years. These tips will help you get closer to your goals.