We all know that we would like to be fitter and we all know what we have to do to get there, but sometimes knowing and doing are two very different things. So how do you start a fitness journey and stick to it? What makes a passing interest into a hobby you can keep going back to?
We know how it is; you’ve brought your home gym equipment with great intentions but now comes the challenge of making a plan and keeping to it.
No solution will suit everyone, but here are a few tips that can help make your home gym habit stick.
Sort Out Your Gym Space
Whether you have a fully kitted out fitness room, or just a dumbbell set you keep under the sofa, it is still vital to have an organised space. If you do have a home gym, keep it tidy with adequate storage space to ensure there is room to do the movements you need. If you are working out in a spare room or part of the lounge, try to pick a consistent space you can keep tidied. No one wants to trip over laundry or unexpectedly step on Lego during lunges.
Knowing you have a dedicated area ready to train in without spending ten minutes cleaning up, helps to get you started before enthusiasm wears off.
It isn’t just the physical space, make sure there is the facility for music if you want it and that you don’t feel uncomfortable because you are exercising in front of a window where you might be visible to neighbours or passing pedestrians.
Track Your Progress
It is easy to lose heart if you don’t think you are improving, but often progress can go unnoticed. Without logging your workouts, it is easy to increase weight or reps without noticing. Whenever you are feeling unmotivated, by writing down your sets and weights, you can look back and see how far you’ve come.
Set Goals
It is also very helpful to set meaningful goals. Just like in business, it helps if these goals are achievable and timebound yet still challenging enough to keep you interested. Goals such as ‘lose weight’ or ‘get stronger’ are much less motivating than something like ‘increase my maximum bench press weight by 20% within six months’. Keep it specific and measurable, this gives you something tangible to aim at.
Mix It Up
Variety is the spice of life and mixing up your training will help keep your workouts interesting. No one wants to get into a workout routine rut, regularly swapping out exercises and keeping it fresh means you keep coming back to it and keep enjoying your sessions.
This can be as simple as moving which day is dedicated to which body part or swapping out bicep curls for hammer curls. Even with a limited selection of equipment, there is a huge array of exercises you can do which will challenge your body in new and interesting ways.
Get a Routine
Everybody’s routine is different. Whether you are an early bird, a night owl or some kind of better-at-lunchtime pigeon, the important thing is to find the time that suits you. By knowing that every day you have the time set aside to workout removes the ability to procrastinate or skip a day.
Once you have set aside your workout time, having a weekly outline of exercises means you can get straight into your session without having to decide what to do. Setting aside specific days for specific body parts can work well, as can just dividing your workout days into push days and pull days. Again, the trick is to find what works for you. There are many resources on the internet to help you build a program that suits your routine and goals.
Conclusion
There is no quick fix to gym motivation, and some days it is going to feel tough. By removing simple obstacles and sticking to a plan, you can keep yourself focused. Remember why you started your fitness journey in the first place and enjoy the progress you make.