10 Ways to Stay Committed to Workouts

Have you’ve fallen out of the workout habit? 

You are not alone.  In fact, during the month of January, 90% of people who make a New Year’s Resolution to get fit drop out of the program before February 1st rolls around.  It’s so common that gym veterans have a special nickname for folks who show up on January 2nd, only to disappear within weeks—“New Year’s Resolutions,” or just “resolutions.”

Fortunately, the sports scientists have been studying this very issue.  It’s called “exercise adherence,” and they’ve come up with some recommendations on how to persevere through the initial stages of a new workout programs.

So, you need to get back on the fitness train…but how?

Here are 10 ways to keep you committed to your workouts:

1. Support is Powerful—Take a few minutes to educate your spouse, kids, friends, co-workers and anyone else who’s important in your life about your new commitment to exercise.  You’ll be amazed at how powerful their support can be!

2. Pencil yourself in—we live in an increasingly busy world, and if you leave your workouts for “when I have time”, they might not happen.  Instead, open up your daily planner or calendar software and block out time on specific days for your workouts.  Make an appointment with yourself and keep it!

3. Use the buddy system—recruit a friend to workout with you as a workout buddy.  When you do this, you build accountability into your program…you know that if you don’t show up, you’ll be letting your friend down.  Better yet, you know they’ll call you!

4. Be pro-active in keeping your energy high with proper nutrition and supplementation—get energized with EnergyFirst ProEnergy Protein Power before and after your workout, use EnergyFirst Greenergy for that extra boost as well as getting your 5-7 recommended daily servings of healthy green vegetables and take EnergyFirst Mega Multi Plus ACE Multi Vitamin-Mineral Supplement.

5. Sign up, then live up to it—if you register for a marathon or triathlon and plunk your money down, you’re more likely to stick with your training program because you have a goal in sight.  Plus, you’ve got money on the line.  Look for a race, run or ride that’s 2-3 months away and sign up now!

6. Make your own soundtrack for success—make a mix tape or get someone to do it for you, with fast-paced songs that have good rhythm, and play it when you do your cardio and weights.  Music is a very powerful motivator.  Just be careful if wearing headphones when you run or ride outside -you need to be able to hear cars and questionable people coming up behind you.  Otherwise, get moving to those tunes!

7. Invest in a personal trainer— a personal trainer can keep you on track and help you prevent injuries and overtraining by creating and fine-tuning your personal program, and overseeing your workouts.  It’s hard to be objective when it’s your own workout, and that second set of eyes is invaluable!

8. Do something you enjoy—this one sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people try to commit to running programs when they hate running.  If you truly hate running, you probably won’t run very much.  Instead, pick something you enjoy: cycling, mountain biking, kayaking, swimming, cardio-funk aerobics . . . have some fun!

9. Reward yourself—set goals that are within reach, both short-term and long-term, and set up a system of rewards.  For instance, if you’re running an 8-minute-per-mile pace for your 5k’s, set a goal that when you hit 7:30 pace, you get an hour-and-a-half massage.  For completing a marathon, your reward might be a half-day at a pampering spa.

Follow these tips and you’ll be on the fast track to fitness before you know it!

More fitness and health tips can be found by visiting www.energyfirst.com.