I’m finally feeling like I’m getting back into the swing of my fitness. Fitness is one of my biggest passions and it’s really difficult to work out when you’re here, there and everywhere. It's good to be busy, but I have no routine most weeks and for me, exercise is my release so I struggle without it. I wouldn't change my job for the world but I wish I could take my gym everywhere with me. I try to workout 4-5 times a week when I’m back in my routine and I honestly feel great for it. Nothing gives me better endorphins. I’ve been trying to mix my workouts up with new things so my body doesn’t get bored and so mentally, it feels challenging and fun. In September, I told you I was taking part in a challenge which is for a great cause and means you can keep fit in the process too. Todays post is gonna be a reminder of my top tips to keep motivated when working out, how to get back on it after time off and I’ll tell you about the challenge too so you can take part.
Once you’re back on it, it gets easier - Working out is part of my lifestyle, it is a huge part of my life, if you read my mindfulness tips post you’ll know I said I work out for my mind and my wellbeing, how it makes my body look/feel is just a total bonus. Once you make working out part of your routine rather than a chore, it’ll feel weird not to work out. It’s easy to slip out of the routine (e.g. you work away a lot) and it’s definitely harder to remain motivated if you’re constantly tired or constantly living out of suitcases but once you get back to working out, I do find it gets easier and it definitely energises me. The hardest bit is definitely getting there in the first place. I find ticking off every time I work out in my diary inspires me to get more ticks! Weird but it works. I’ve felt super motivated this last week to just keep at it and fit in classes wherever I can.
Find what works for you - We are all busy, but for me it's about prioritising. Often, sleep is more important than dragging yourself to the gym on just an hours sleep. Make sure you listen to your body. One day off the gym wont kill you. If you are stuck for time, try and be as time efficient as possible though. For example, sometimes if I go to the gym by myself it takes me an hour to get motivated and into the swing but if I throw myself into a class, it’s over and out in 45 mins and harder than I could have ever pushed myself. I go to David Lloyd gym (I absolutely adore their gyms) and have started bootcamp and then have always done spin. It’s frustrating because obviously classes don’t always fit into my schedule but it’s all about figuring out what can fit into your schedule, if you take it week by week. This is why I think a personal trainer would work for me too, each week I could text them with my schedule and because I'm booked in with them I have to go.
Mix it up - I’ve been working out for as long as I can remember and I used to do treadmill hiits pretty much every session. Now, I’ve totally lost the motivation for treadmill hiits and have been trying to mix up working out so it doesn’t feel like a chore. Hiit did become like a chore, which is why I started to do my HIIT in different ways, e.g. with upbeat spin classes where you don’t know whats coming next and someone else does the pushing. It's hard to push myself but with an instructor infront of me I push harder than I'd ever normally push. I just sit on the bike, don’t even think about it and just kick. I promised in September to get back to swimming. I’m certain I was at my leanest when I used to swim a lot and for me, I just hate getting out of the pool and feeling cold, once I get over the chill I’m fine though and I love it. That’s why the Aspire swim challenge came at such a good time, I wanted to be almost forced into working out, if I signed up for a challenge then I had to stick with it plus, it’s a different type of exercise.
A Challenge - Speaking of challenges, I really do think the best way to keep motivated is to challenge yourself. Eg, come up with a goal, I’m not one for saying ‘work out for your holiday to get into your bikini’ but if it motivates you to push more then go for it. My current challenge is to feel happy and comfortable within my body and mind and doing the Aspire channel swim definitely helped. The challenge runs until December and you can still sign up now, if you’d like to have a go at completing the challenge over a shorter time frame. It’s basically a swim which challenges people of all ages to swim the length of the English Channel (22 miles) over a 12-week period starting from 11 September and finishing on 4 December 2017. It’s free to enter and people can take part as an individual or as part of a team, and can complete the 22-mile challenge at their local swimming pool, at their own pace. This is a personal challenge, so you really can go as hard or as easy as you like, take it at your own pace. It means everyone can just go for it and smash their own goals.
This challenge is on behalf of Aspire, a national charity and actually, a charity I only recently discovered. Aspire receive no statutory Government funding so the Aspire Channel Swim is crucial for helping to raise the funds required to support those people living with spinal cord injuries every day. They’re hoping to raise £800,000 this year. There's nothing better than getting fit and helping a great cause too at the same time. If you take part alone you’ll be required to complete 22 miles over a 12 week period, 2/4 miles = (80 lengths for 50m pool, 160 lengths for 25m pool) It basically means you’ll be swimming 118 lengths per week which totals 1416 in the 12 week period. You can do this as a group though if you wish, it equals less lengths but it means you can take it at your own pace lengths but still challenge yourself. I finished doing my lengths quite quickly as I ended up doing it as a group and have done a lot of swiming in the past. It was so good to get back in the pool! Please do sign up here and still take part for a good cause. David Lloyd are also running a challenge this month with the British Heart Foundation where you can train for a triathlon called MySwimRideRun, with free membership on a Tuesday and Thursday in October so you could always train for that as well as the Aspire Channel Swim challenge and use their pool Tuesdays and Thursdays to complete your lengths. It's a good way to also ensure you get in the pool. Thank me later! I'm supporting a few charities this year, including PoTS UK, Behind Closed Doors and Mental Health UK. You can keep fit and help others too, which is motivation in itself.
Music - Music motivates me like nothing else. If I don’t have the right soundtrack, my workout is ruined, seriously! I’m trying my hardest to ensure I always have good playlists which keep me sprinting to the rhythm. Don't forget to get good music on your phone or ipod pre-workout.
The Mind - I do think motivation comes from the mind. Going to the gym with a partner definitely helps, I did partner bootcamp recently at David Lloyd and because I was with my friend, we pushed each other so much it was epic. If you go by yourself, it’s undoubtedly harder to push but just remember, getting there is the hardest bit and once you’re at the gym, you’ve just gotta get going and then it's done. You never regret a workout! I find myself mentally counting down and stuff to try help me or thinking about what's for dinner rather than concentrating on the exercise to take my mind off it. When I go on the stepper, I watch YouTube videos and then I completely forget how hard I am working on my body whilst being absorbed in a weekly vlog. It’s a good tactic!
So there we have it, just a few things I’ve found have helped me get my mojo back for fitness this month and I hope they’ll help you too. Whether you take the challenge and get in the pool to do some lengths, mix up your workout with some new classes or just get outside and walk in the fresh air. Do what works for you and what fits in to your life. You can watch my fitness videos online here too if you are wanting to workout at home (or copy them in the gym!) Remember, you can still sign up for the Aspire Channel Swim Challenge, you just have to repeat it over a shorter amount of time. I honestly feel so much better for getting back in the pool (it helped that some of it was in the Carribean haha, much easier swimming that’s for sure!) Let me know if you sign up!
Which charities are close to your heart? Have you heard of either of these challenges? How to you get your fitness mojo back?
Do let me know if you'd like to see more fitness videos from me as I'd love to record some more!
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