What’s the hardest part of working out for you? Like throughout the whole process, which part is the hardest for you to really get past? It’s probably not what most people would think of first…
Just getting started! Seriously! Just starting is by far the hardest part of any workout! Have you ever sat there thinking “man, I should really go to the gym…” only to find yourself plopped down on the couch, elbow-deep in a bag of chips, mid-Netflix binge? Yeah… sometimes it happens. The key is to just get started before you even have a chance to think about it. Don’t let yourself get into a mind battle of why you should go versus why you should really stay home, just get out the door and moving!
Just like most things in life, getting started is for sure the HARDEST part. For real! Once you get up and moving towards the gym or actually started on your workout, momentum takes over and it’s all a breeze from there. But that first step, that’s the hardest. Just building up the oomph to get going, taking that first step, deciding to make it happen. Being able to push past that hardest part will totally make or break your workouts and your habits. So here are some quick tips to help you get started:
1. Give yourself 5 seconds. I just recently learned this one, but I love it! A friend of mine shared it with me and it’s a great way to make sure that you don’t back out. Just give yourself 5 seconds. That’s it. Say it’s time to workout and your alarm just went off for you to get moving, give yourself 5 seconds to get moving. Count to yourself and by the time you get to 5, you should be moving towards your dresser to get changed for the gym. Doing this make sure that you don’t even have time to think about it. You just do it.
2. Just commit to 5 minutes. I use this one sometimes when I just really don’t feel like going on that run or doing that class. I just tell myself that I’m only going to do it for 5 minutes. This one’s awesome because 9.5 times out of 10, I’m feeling so good after the 5 minutes that I end up going for the whole run! But even in the rare case that I really only do the 5 minutes, I’m still proud of myself for at least finishing out the 5 minute goal that I set for myself. It’s great for just getting you started. Once you’re going it’s so much easier to just finish it out! 🙂
3. Focus on how good you’ll feel after you’re done – NOT on how much you don’t wanna go. This one makes a HUGE difference. When you’re really not feeling it, it’s easy to keep focusing on how much you’re not feeling it and how much you’d really rather just stay home…But don’t do that! Instead focus on how great you know you’ll feel once you’re done. Focus on that awesome feeling of accomplishment & rush of endorphins that you feel post-workout!
4. Enlist a friend. Find an accountability buddy. Find a friend who you can share your goal with and someone you know will keep you accountable. Bonus points if the friend is wanting to move towards a similar goal because you can schedule your workouts together and really keep each other accountable. Just be sure that you’re both as serious about the goal as the other.
5. Set yourself up for success. Whatever that means to you. Do whatever will make it easier for you to stick to your new goal. Maybe that’s packing your gym bag the night before, or setting a workout alarm on your phone. Whatever it is, set yourself up to succeed and make sure to schedule it. I know I’ve said this one before but it’s super important. Schedule it or it won’t happen. Schedule your workouts into your week and stick to them just like you would any other appointment.
So, go set a time for your next workout and use the tips above to get you started!
Here’s to pushing past the hardest part and just getting started!
Until next time,
Xoxo
Ashley
