How to get back on your workout grind!

Ugh, I know you’re tired. Well girl I feel ya! Finding the energy to workout after a hectic day, demanding week or a long streak of missing workouts is not easy – but it can be much more fun than you think! Here’s how I start/get back to my workout routine.

1. Experiment! If you’re like me at all, doing the same workout day in & day out gets soooooooo boring. Not only is it boring, you’re not giving your body the chance to explore new things and push to new limits. So try out many things! Many people will tell you the only way to lose weight is to go to the gym every single day, doing awful workouts that you hate & wear embarrassing colorful spandex. WRONG! There are so many ways to get in a good workout and have fun. One way I pump up my workout dread is by going to Zumba. For those of you who haven’t tried it, you are really missing out. Zumba is a dance fitness aerobic program that uses mainly Latin American and some hip hop songs to get you movin‘ & I love it! Not only do you usually make friends, it’s a great way to sweat it out without feeling like you’re actually working out.

Another one of my favorites is yoga. I know some are of you are thinking, “Girl, no. Yoga is just for stretching!”, but it is not. There are many classes such as Vinyasa, Ashtanga and Bikram, that are targeted towards weight loss because of the amount of physical activity. Hot yoga, which is usually for intermediate or advanced yoga students in a 90-105 degrees Fahrenheit and 30-40 percent humidity, releases toxins from your body through sweat (a lot of sweat) and increases your flexibility in stretches. Hot yoga is not a beginners class by any means, but once you are well practiced, this is great way to burn some extra calories. (Need more motivation? Follow me on Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/azanique/) Many people see both Zumba & yoga as “non-traditional” ways to workout, but hey, whatever gets you moving is good!

2. Make it fun! Working out does not have to be the worst part of your day.

• If you are someone who enjoys going to the gym or for a run, take time to make yourself a sweet pump it up playlist! If you have Spotify, there are tons of workout stations on there that are constantly updated. If not, create your own list using Itunes or windows media player, depending on your phone, whatever works best for you. Even when it gets tough in the last 3 minutes of your treadmill run, there’ s nothing like hearing your favorite song to push through it.
• Second golden rule: bring a friend! Working out is always more enjoyable with a friend(time also passes by much quicker). Especially if you enjoy going to aerobics classes, having your best friend beside you is the icing on the cake (which, if you are like me, will get baked soon as you come home from the gym #NoSelfControl lol). Thanks to my lovely friend, Julie C. <3, getting back into elliptical workouts were bearable with her making faces and blasting Eminem next to me 🙂
• Third golden rule: Wear feel good clothes. I’ll take any reason to shop, but shopping for workout clothes is extremely fun. The clothes are comfy, versatile and fun to try on. Whenever I’m going to a super intense boxing or aerobics class, I’ll wear my patten or turquoise spandex pants so people pay more attention to the pants than to me. Overall, get it out there & have fun. Working out doesn’t have to be the pit of your day!
  

  

  

3. Stick to it! Long weeks, summer vacations, extreme heat (heat index of 105 today in NC, lol no) plus various other things make it hard to keep up your workout schedule but here’s how I do it. My first option is to always wake up an hour early. Now, I will not lie, getting to the gym between 6 & 6:15 is NOT fun. However, its better & easier to burn calories soon as you wake up and secondly, at least this way your workout is done. By the time I get home, shower, get ready and get to work it’s only 8 am & I already feel accomplished. If early mornings don’t work, try going straight after work. I don’t mean go home and relax for a little – PUT YOUR GYM BAG IN YOUR CAR, DON’T MAKE ANY STOPS & GET TO THE GYM/WORKOUT CLASS/
OGA STUDIO, YOUR BACKYARD, etc.
If you are a visual person, write it in your planner, on your wall, on your bulletin board or as a note on your screensaver. If you think working out sucks, getting back to working out after a long break sucks even more. Breaks are needed and necessary at times, but the best way to stick with working out is being consistent. If you check your planner everyday like I do, write it in there. If you check your emails every morning, set up an automated email to sen to yourself at the same time every morning. Set a specific alarm that tells you when you need to get to it.

4. Practice self-care! This is something that I will say in almost every post. Self-care is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. If you feel like you are getting pushed too hard, recognize it and change. If you feel like you are hating your workouts and only doing them for results, try changing it up if you’re not feeling it anymore. Don’t hurt yourself. Remember you workout because you love your body, not because you hate it.

Well, that’s it for this Hump Day Help post. Thanks for tuning in! If you have any great suggestions, send them my way (azaniquerawl@aol.com), I would love to hear them! You are a badass & capable of doing anything you put your mind to! I believe in you 🙂