I really did a bad job of starting this up… But better late than never!
So I could begin this by saying that with everything going on I haven’t gotten round to writing another post etc etc. But let’s be honest, only 2 posts done and my commitment to this didn’t last very long. In reality I have just struggled with thinking of something to write about though. All my original ideas now don’t seem so relevant due to restrictions on life but now everything has settled somewhat I have had chance to re-evaluate. The truth is, in this particularly difficult time it is tough for everyone to find ways to challenge themselves in a way that they want to. It would also be incredibly easy to just allow every day to pass by without exercising, making the excuse of “I’ll do it tomorrow” or letting yourself sit in front of the TV binge watching all of Netflix. However, I believe that now more than ever it is important to keep fit and active! This will help with mental and physical well being, plus, when things do return to normal we can go back to the things we love and not feel like we have lost too much from this time out. I’m not suggesting it will be easy but it will 100% be worth it!
Here are what I consider to be useful and important pointers that will help you find some motivation to keep active and healthy!
1. Set yourself goals
I think this is the most important tip in any situation, and not just for the situation we are in! When doing anything, goal setting will improve your motivation to stick to an activity, especially when it is fitness related. Now there are a couple of things to balance when setting a goal which are as follows:
- Difficulty: Make it too easy and the achievement won’t feel as great, too difficult and chances are you will lose interest in and feel defeated.
- Specificity: Too vague and you may not feel like you have really completed it or may not feel like there is an end point. Too specific and it might feel over complicated.
- Time frame: It is always worth having a rough time frame to goals to stop them feeling like they are just on going. Some people like to set short and long term goals but for now lets just say 2 months is a good starting point.
My tip to help balance these is to set yourself an ‘ABC’ goal. In this case the ‘C’ goal is the minimum you would expect to reach (but maybe a few things haven’t gone your way), ‘B’ is what you would like to achieve and ‘A’ is best case scenario. For example, let’s say your goal was to be better at press ups. As you can see this is vague with no time frame or thought to difficulty. Instead, let’s say the goal is to be able to do 15 press ups without resting (see, specific but not too specific). 15 press ups would be your ‘B’ goal, what you would ideally like to achieve. Now your ‘A’ goal could be 20 press ups (best case) while your ‘C’ goal could be 10 (worst case), and you want to achieve this within 2 months (That right there is a great looking goal even if I do say so myself…). I won’t go on too much more about goals at this point but it is worth saying that having multiple at the same time is also not a bad thing. This keeps your options open on what to focus on and if one or two don’t go so well then you have others you can still achieve. Finally, you should also keep track of how you are doing. This could be in the form of a diary, a chart or just on your phone. But it is important to do so you have an idea of how you are getting on!
2. Keep a routine
This is another very important aspect when trying to adhere to anything. We are creatures of habit after all! And habits are hard to start but are notoriously hard to break. Now this will require some conscious effort for a couple of weeks but having a set time of the day and a set schedule will help a great deal. For example, here is what my workout routine looks like:
- Monday: Strength
- Tuesday: HIIT
- Wednesday: Strength
- Thursday: HIIT
- Friday: Strength
- Saturday: HIIT
- Sunday: Rest
This may look like a lot but not everyone’s routine will look the same, you could do a day on, day off with two days off at the weekend. Or two on, one off, two on, two off. And it doesn’t have to be as exercise heavy. You could schedule a walk or a kick about in the garden. It is up to you just as long as there is structure! It is also important to build this into a time that works for you. I always prefer working out in the morning because it gets it out of the way and sets me up nicely for the day (and I don’t really start work until 10 am). However, you might find that you prefer a mid-day activity to help break up your day. Or is the evening the time for you when you just want to let off some steam after work. Whenever it is, put the effort in to make it a routine. One final tip for this one is this: write down your plan! And up it somewhere you can see it, that way you won’t forget to do it.
3. Do it with a friend
Before I go further I am not saying we should be going out meeting friends in the park to do a workout or anything like that. That would be directly going against government advice. However, if you know that you have said to someone else you are going to do something with them, you will be more inclined to stick to it. And if you don’t live with someone, or have someone you live with willing to join you, we live in a wonderful world technology allowing you to video call and virtually be together. But why not get the whole family involved if you can? Family fun exercise time could catch on for sure, and it is a great way to spend time together whilst helping to keep yourself and your kids active. The point I’m trying to make is doing this alone is hard work, especially at the moment. But together we can encourage each other and help each other along the way!
4. Utilise what’s out there
By this point you may be thinking “This is all very well and good but I haven’t a clue how to write an exercise routing or have any equipment!” And that would be fair enough except there is loads that you can do which doesn’t require knowledge of exercises or equipment! If you have a garden go and kick or throw a ball around, find out that dusty skipping rope you bought, or make use of the governments allowance of 1 hour or exercise and go for a walk or a run. If you do want something a little harder or more based on specific exercises, the internet is a wonderful place with lots of information. Simply type in “home workout ideas” and see what pops up! You could also use Instagram to follow sports influencers who write sessions, go onto Youtube to find exercises, download an app or just speak to that sporty friend who started writing a blog about fitness and stuff…
As a note here personally I think Joe Wicks is doing a fantastic job at making home workouts accessible to more people. They are fun, challenging and there are some live ones he is doing at the moment so, if you haven’t already, check him out! The point is don’t let “I don’t know what to do” be an excuse, you just need to be imaginative!
5. Get outside when you can
You’ll be glad to hear this point is short and sweet but with the restrictions we have make the most of any opportunity to get outside! Especially on a sunny day it can make you feel so much better. Plus you don’t realise how much you miss the outdoors until there is a restriction on it.
6. Make it fun
This is more of a bonus one but just as important as the others. At the moment we need a little less serious and a little more fun so make exercise and being active just that! Not all exercise is just for physical health to to be fitter. Sometimes it’s nice to do something just for the sake of it!
I hope these pointers have helped in some way and given people some motivation to not let the situation be the downfall of exercise and activity in your life. Remember, challenge yourself, stay fit and you can do it!
Just Love Challenges 