Many people, (perhaps you) are guilty of promising themselves that first thing Monday morning, a new fitness routine will not only be started, but you will stick to it. Unfortunately, several Monday’s come and go and you never did begin the promised fitness routine. What went wrong and how can you actually stick to a fitness schedule? The best way to stick to anything is to get it in writing, by detailing everything about your routine, from start to finish and what days are blocked for working out.
There are several ways to create a fitness schedule. For instance, you could purchase a large calendar and write in your fitness schedule, which can be effective, if you are the type that prefers to hand write your activities. You can also create a fitness schedule via a spreadsheet on your computer, which instantly makes the connection in your mind when you have blocked out an hour three or four times a week to working out.
We make appointments in our diary for everyone, sometimes at the expense of ourselves, remember to put you and your family first in your diary and then what’s left is for the others!
Moreover, when creating your fitness schedule, make it colorful, why? Because certain colors make you feel a specific way, and bright colors are motivating, so highlight your spreadsheet with bright colors, such as light blues, lime green, and yellows, but avoid the color RED because this has been shown to stimulate appetite (definitely not what you want when you are working out!). Have a column for days, workout routines, a completed column, and of course the days you plan to work out. Bold the print so that it stands out better and then when you have the final touches, print out a copy or two so you can have one with you at all times and one to stick to the wall of your home gym.
If you are fortunate enough to have a home gym, you will want to change the color scheme so that you have some bright colors in the room, this does not mean to paint your walls a bright lime green! This would probably make you dizzy more than it would motivate, but you can add splashes of colors throughout, the room. The idea is to create an “energetic” environment so that when you walk into your home gym, you do not instantly want to take a nap! Colors create feelings; you want your gym to create a feeling of motivation.
Finally, get some of your favorite high-energy music. Of course, high-energy music means different things to different people, for instance you might find classical music energizing while another might find it makes them sleepy and prefers rock music to truly motivate. The music you choose to workout to should be something you enjoy and that creates a sense of energy.