Welcome back to this week’s edition of 2-Minute Tuesdays where we are bringing you one exercise topic, talking about it for two minutes, and giving you three reasons why you should follow our advice. This week we are talking to those of you who want to become more consistent with your exercise. How can you get to the gym more frequently, how can you workout more consistently, with your busy schedule?
1) Your Exercise Must Be Scheduled
Our number-one tip to make sure you exercise consistently is your exercise must be scheduled. Just like anything else in your day, if you want it to happen, it has to be on your schedule. You need to put in specific days and times, and, specifically, you need to have an exact start time and an exact end time. That way you know what time you are going to begin your workout and what time you are going to be out of there.
Action Step: Break out the pen and paper, the online calendar, or your phone — you MUST put your exercise into your schedule! A lot of us try to prioritize our schedule by organizing what is already in there. Instead, schedule your priorities and put your exercise at the top of the list!
Related: Exercise As A Lifestyle Stinks
2) Find Something That Makes You Show Up
Tip number two – find something that makes you show up. Whether it is an exciting workout, a group class, or you have some kind of accountability such as your kids, a workout partner, or a personal trainer, you need something to make sure you show up to exercise consistently. You need something that holds you accountable and makes you show up for your workouts, that way you don’t skip out on them.
Action Step: We all need to be held accountable for our actions, or lack thereof. Having another person or group of people to report to about your exercise is an easy way to make sure you stay accountable to your commitments and your goals. Find a MeetUp group to locate people who can keep you on track, or find a personal trainer in your area who can help you progress. The list of trainers we recommend working with can be found here.
Related: Six Tips For A “Six-Essful” Life Of Exercise
3) Find Someone Who Raises You Up
Our third tip is to find someone who raises you up. This means find someone who is successful at what you are trying to do and talk to them about your goals so they can follow up with you on that task. For example, if you are trying to be more consistent with running, find someone who is already consistent with running and tell them about your goal. That way, every time you talk to them and every time you see them they might ask you about it. Be mindful to pick someone who is already successful at what you are trying to do. If not, they might allow you to skip out on your workouts or allow you to feel okay about not achieving your goal. Find someone that raises you up by already being successful at the thing you are trying to do.
Action Step: Connect online or in person with someone who has already accomplished what you are going after and let them know about your goal. Then, continue to connect with them at least three times a week to keep them updated about how things are going. Ask them questions and seek their mentorship as you progress.
Have any questions about this? Drop them in the comments below or connect with us here!