3 Tips to Stay Motivated for Home Workouts

We’ve all been home-bound anywhere from a few weeks to a full month now and the initial new-ness and chaos of work-from-home life is starting to settle into a regular routine…for better or for worse.

At first, it may have felt easy to get your home workouts in…you were determined to not “lose your fitness”, you felt like you finally had free time on your hands and it was fun and exciting to see how creative you could get working out with a gallon jug and a step stool…

…But now; you feel like that fitness is already lost, your home workouts will never be as good as your Coach-led workouts in the gym; your free time has somehow been eaten up through home projects, work assignments, home-schooling and just…a time warp?; and the fun of making creative workouts has now turned into monotony, boredom and a whole new chore.

We get that, but we’re here to help you see that you can stay motivated to keep home-workouts part of the daily routine…here’s how:

1) For starters, create a healthy habit-promoting routine to follow every day

• Realistically, no one is motivated every single day…but you don’t need motivation to get you through, you just need routine and habits.
  • Wake up at a consistent time each morning…it doesn’t need to be as early as when you had to get up for work but whatever time it is wake up and get out of bed around the same hour each day
    • Bonus points for starting your day with: sunshine, a walk, some light stretching, journaling, a big glass of water
  • Eat breakfast before 10am
  • Depending when you like to workout (morning, afternoon or evening), plug it into your daily schedule between meals, snacks and work that needs to be done
  • Eat lunch around 12pm
    • Bonus points: add in a post-lunch short walk too if you’ve been sitting and working for a few hours!
  • Eat dinner at your usual dinner-time
    • This is a great opportunity to dial in your meal prepping or preparing too!
    • Or, support local businesses with a weekly order-out night.
  • Go to bed at the same time every night, pick a bed-time that gives you at least 8 hours before your wake-up time
    • This is also a great opportunity to dial in your sleep routine and get no less than 7 hours a night

 

2) Make Lists

• Motivation can be fueled by setting out goals to accomplish, it is also more likely to be maintained when you set up a reward system for yourself when those goals are accomplished!
• Keep goals realistic though!  Yes, your workouts may not be exactly the same as your gym-workouts, BUT they are still helping you stay fit and healthy.  Right now, simply maintaining your fitness-level is a win in our books!
  • This can be done the night prior or in the morning during journaling time
  • The night before is great if you find it hard to sleep because of a non-stop running mind
    • • List out everything on your mind…things to get done tomorrow, things you didn’t get to today that you wanted to, random thoughts or ideas ect
  • In the morning, set your list-writing time aside to sip coffee and reflect on what you want to accomplish that day.  You can go as far as setting intentions too.
    • If your routine and work is looking identical each day, just write out a weekly list…any small tasks you’d like to complete, how many days of working out and walking you’re aiming to hit, ect
  • When you complete a task, cross it off!  Keeping track of your goal accomplishment will help you keep motivated!
  • Developing a “rewards system” can also keep motivation high.  Avoid food-related rewards (this can be a slippery slope of reward/punishment with your food/exercise relationship), you can reward yourself with a purchase of something, with some tv-time, Facetime a friend or family member, start a new book, or whatever will fill you with good, happy-feelings!

3) Find Accountability

• Again, no one is motivated every single day.  Set up your routine so that exercise is just “what you do” at (x) o’clock every day, list out what you need to get done each day or week so you have those goals lined out in front of you, and lastly, find someone that will further keep you on track!
  • As Coaches, that’s what we’re here for!  But it doesn’t always need to be your coach to keep you accountable.  Check in with your usual class-time workout partner (or competitor!), or even your spouse or kids can help keep you on track!
  • Accountability works best when it goes both-ways. 
    • If you know someone is relying on you (whether to share your suffering together or to give some feedback on a workout), you’re more likely to feel compelled and even motivated to get it done!
    • It also works well if YOU are the one responsible for helping someone along on their journey. Research shows one of the best ways to create a healthy routine for yourself is by helping someone else establish that routine in their life!

So, start today!  Set yourself up for success this week with a solid routine, a list of goals and find an accountability partner to keep each other motivated.