People are busy. School, work, and life all take time away from personal hobbies and interests. Many guys strive for fitness, but regular exercise can feel daunting when thrown into a busy schedule.
If you’re someone who wants to work out but can’t find the time or motivation, check out these tips for sticking to an exercise routine.
Establish Personal Goals
Getting started in fitness depends on your personal goals. There is no “right” or “wrong” body in people, but for your personal success, keep in mind things you’d like to improve.
Perhaps this is losing unwanted body fat, or you could want to tone your muscles, which involves losing some body fat while simultaneously building muscle.
On the other end, you may want to bulk up and put on as much muscle as possible without caring how much body fat you have.
Keep these goals respective to what you want out of your body. Establishing a plan is the first step towards sticking to your routine.
Keep a Journal
It might also help to track your workouts with a journal or notebook. It’s common knowledge there are many benefits to using a detailed fitness journal—like tracking your food, exercises, and weight.
These details help you see where you’re progressing or where you’re slowing down. Keeping a journal also allows you to write down any thoughts or feelings you have throughout your journey.
Since this is a lifestyle choice, it’s important to have a healthy mindset in what you want to achieve. Writing down your emotions will help you through the highs and lows of your experience.
Prioritize Rest & Recovery
This might sound counterintuitive when trying to stick to a routine, but rest and recovery play a large role in fitness longevity. Remember, you’re working out for long-term success.
There are no shortcuts in fitness, so use every day as a chance to improve yourself. You might work out for three, four, or five days a week, but ensure you utilize your rest and recovery days.
This might include extra sleep, yoga, stretching, light cardio, or just doing chores around the house. Active or inactive rest days both help your muscles rest and rejuvenate so that you can crush the next workout.
Don’t Make It a Chore
The last tip for sticking to an exercise routine is not to make exercise a chore. Your fitness experience is fun. As mentioned before, this is your time to work on yourself.
Only you should dictate how you want your fitness journey to go. Do not compare yourself to people who come in six days a week for four-hour increments, but don’t stop going altogether either.
Go to the gym for however long you feel is appropriate to keep you motivated and determined to return.
