It’s been a hot minute since I worked out last. Mostly because I’ve been pregnant for the past 9 months, but also because I just haven’t been feeling like working out.
However, it’s a vicious cycle. The less I work out, the less I actually want to work out and motivation just gets thrown down the drain and the workout train just keeps leaving the station without me.
The longer I go without working out, the harder it is to actually get back into it too. So I know that once I get cleared to work out again, the struggle begins. Finding the time with a newborn (and three other kiddos) as well as just being able to do any sort of functional movement again is going to be tough… but I am determined.
I know that it’s all in my head on whether or not I actually want to work out and I need to just focus, put on the workout clothes, and push play.
Since I will be giving my own fitness routine a reset… I thought it would be a good idea to share with you some of the tricks I use to get back in the saddle.
Forget about the past
Don’t dwell on past things that you’ve messed up on… i.e., drinking too much, eating all the greasy things, and just generally not taking care of your body. Each day is a new day to do something good for yourself and give yourself another chance to do better. You don’t have to be perfect but just be better than you were yesterday.
Just get dressed
This one is my particular favorite. Since I work from home, you can usually find me in my pajamas almost 24/7 (lucky hubby, haha). When I go down to work in the office in my pajamas it doesn’t help me feel motivated to work out even though my workout room is right next door. If I physically put on my workout clothes before going down to work, then when I’m done working I get my workout done.
Why would I want to go back upstairs to change then back down again then back up again? I don’t. So I get dressed as soon as I wake up before I even make coffee.
Give yourself a break
Know that this is not going to be easy and that you just have to take it one day at a time like everyone else. There are some days where you won’t want to work out or eat healthy… but if you do it anyway then it becomes a habit and you will always feel better after.
You can’t have an all-or-nothing mindset because then you are setting yourself up for failure. Trying to be perfect will only leave you frustrated and angry that you can’t be perfect and then you’ll fall off the wagon.
Just doing one thing better than you did yesterday will help you form healthy habits and they will soon outweigh the bad.
But if you do have that bowl of ice cream after a long day… forgive yourself and move on, just don’t make that a habit.
