Spring is here and if you’ve become a little slack with your fitness routine over the colder months, now’s the time to get it sorted! We have some great tips to help you spring clean your fitness routine:
Revise your goals
Having realistic, measurable, achievable, time-limited goals gives you something to aim towards, demonstrates progress and helps keep you motivated. Write down a few short term goals (what you want to achieve in the next two weeks), medium term goals (what you want to achieve in two months) and long term goals (what you want to achieve in a year).
Ensure your workouts and eating habits are heading towards these goals and find non-food rewards to give yourself once you achieve the big goals such as going out to a movie, buying a new item of workout gear or treating yourself to a massage. And don’t forget once you achieve your goals to revise them and write out new ones!
Clean out your food cupboards
The food you fuel your body with can make or break your fitness goals. Spring clean your food cupboards and fridge; get rid of as many processed/packaged, junk foods as possible and fill your pantry with healthy treats, nutritious meal ingredients, fruit and veges.
Remember; if junk food is not in your house, you’re far less likely to eat it!
Get planning
Routine and planning are important to ensure you stay on track with your newly revised fitness routine. Look at your typical week and schedule your exercise sessions into the days, leaving at least one ‘rest’ day to allow your body to recover. Put this into your diary every week, or put it up on your fridge to remind you where and when you will be training. If you’re always too tired in the evenings after your day, make sure your sessions are planned in the morning or you are setting yourself up for failure. Treat them like a doctor’s appointment and make sure you’re there!
Recruit your mates
Working out with friends will not only help you keep up your training because you don’t let your mates down, but you will also get fantastic support from others which can be excellent motivation. Try to get your friends, relatives, work colleagues or your partner involved in your new fitness routine and you’ll be more likely to stick to it.
If nobody is willing to join you, consider taking up a new activity or sports group where you can meet other health-minded people or look at your options for personal training to involve someone else who will hold you accountable for your new routine.
Revamp your workout wardrobe
There’s nothing like a fresh set of workout gear – or even just one new item – to renew your motivation for working out! Buy yourself a great new pair of training shoes with plenty of support, get a new top you feel great in, or a new lightweight rain jacket (so you’ll be motivated to go for walks/runs regardless of what the weather is doing).
Ditch the scales
Scales don’t show your fitness level and they can actually do your motivation levels more harm than good if a number appears that you don’t want to see. Ditch the scales; focus on how your clothes feel and concentrate on simply eating healthier and maintaining a regular fitness routine instead.
What’s your best advice to help spring clean your fitness routine? Let us know below and join the conversation!
Image / FreeDigitalPhotos.net – Paul Gooddy