Top Tips for Sticking to Your New Year Workout Routine
January 07, 2019
We’ve all been there: having another lie-in in place of your morning run; letting the next episode roll on instead of rolling out your yoga mat; or giving up on the gym just three weeks into your new year resolution. Keeping fit is hard when you’ve got a busy lifestyle, but there really are plenty of ways to make your resolution a little more doable.
Our health and lifestyle buyer, Lloyd Cheesman, says it’s all about making small, gradual improvements to your lifestyle. With the right tips, tricks and equipment, your workout routine can be made so much easier, which means you’ll be that much closer to reaching your goal. Here are Lloyd’s top tips for making your workout plan a success.
1. Make time for quick home workouts
Set your alarm just half an hour earlier and do a quick workout at home before work. That way, you won’t need to shower at the gym or take spare clothes to the office, keeping hassle to a minimum. This Aerobics Step and 4kg Kettle Bell will help you tone your glutes for an Instagram-worthy bubble bum, while this Weighted Skipping Rope will help you step up your skipping for super-toned arms. As for the core, use this Phoenix Fitness Ab Roller for a great abs workout.
2. Tell people your aim
Telling people what your resolution is will make it harder for you to quit, as you won’t want to feel like a failure by admitting that you’ve given up. With everyone waiting to see you do well, you’ll be spurred on to succeed.
3. Get a gym buddy
If you have a gym buddy you can motivate each other, both when you’re doing a workout and in the inevitable struggle to actually do it. And if you start to lag behind your friend in the fitness stakes, a bit of competitiveness always helps.
4. Make workouts easy and fun
Your workout routine doesn’t have to include monotonous runs on the treadmill or hours on the cross trainer. With a mini trampoline, all you need to do is bounce! Squeeze in ten to fifteen minutes while you’re watching TV or waiting for your dinner to cook.
5. Keep your home gym equipment in sight
While it’s easy to put your gym membership to the back of your mind or wallet, home gym equipment left out in your bedroom can’t be so easily forgotten about. Leave your equipment somewhere it’s easy to see to remind you to do a quick workout.
6. Set yourself small daily objectives
Being far away from the end goal can be a little demotivating, so instead of going for weeks or months before you reach it, set yourself small objectives every day. Whether it’s reaching a certain number of steps or exercising until you’ve burnt 500 calories, it’ll really help you stay on track. This Withings Activity Watch and Withings Pulse Tracker will give you a full health and fitness overview, tracking your steps, distance and calories and even monitoring your sleep.
7. Reward yourself
Treat yourself to a small reward every time you achieve a daily goal to help keep you motivated. A little bit of retail therapy perhaps, or a rest day, will give you something to aim towards and keep you going.
8. Have a ‘low-energy day’ workout plan
It’s inevitable that there’ll be some days you simply don’t have the energy to do a workout. For these days, instead of doing nothing at all, just tone down your exercise instead. Some gentle yoga, for example, will still get your body moving and improve your flexibility. And if all you want to do is watch TV, use this Drive Pedal Exerciser while you’re sat on the sofa. It might not match a run in the park but it’ll still get the calories burning!
9. Swap car journeys for bike rides
If your destination is close enough to bike to, put the car keys down and get some exercise in. You need to make the journey anyway so why not use it to get a little closer to your goal? We’ve got a great range of men's and women's bikes, as well as handy bike accessories. We also have kids’ bikes so you can have fun family days out and get the kids into the great outdoors.
10. Don’t only measure your weight
Sometimes the scales may tell you your weight hasn’t changed – but just remember that weight is not always a good measure of health. Keep an eye on your BMI, body water and body fat with this Salter Glass Analyser Digital Bathroom Scale. Muscle weighs more than fat so it may be that you’ve burnt off some fat and replaced it with muscle – or perhaps you’re retaining a little more water than usual. Either way, it’ll help prevent you from getting disheartened and throwing in the towel.
