We all have seasons in our life when we fall off the bandwagon and don’t get to the gym as often as we’d like. We get off track with our goals, and even with the best intentions, we can’t seem to get back on the ball. How can we stay on track with our fitness goals?
Sticking to a workout plan can be challenging when life throws curveballs your way, but it’s so important that we don’t let little slip ups or lack of motivation derail our progress.
How can we best set ourselves up for success at the gym?
- Have a plan. Create a schedule. Stick to it.
What time of day is best for you to get to a class? I know for me personally, getting to the gym bright and early before my children are up for the day is the best way to make it happen.
I’m up before anyone else, can easily and quickly get out the door, and I’m not interfering with anyone else’s schedule for the day.
Maybe your best time of day is in the evening. You can get to the gym, get a good warmup, workout, and cool down in, and be back in time for dinner.
Figure out what class times fit best into your life and stick to it!
- Have an accountability partner
This is so easy to do at CrossFit Artifact, because regardless of what time of day you’re working out, there is a whole group of people that are excited to see you in class.
Who is expecting you to show up? Who’s waiting for you to walk through the door? Who are you encouraging during the workout? I promise you, there is at least one person who is counting on you to be there.
An accountability partner doesn’t have to be a stated title. Just think about the last class you attended. Who was counting on you to be there?
- Focus on what you can work with and make it happen
Schedules get super crazy for everyone. Sometimes it’s a week, a month, and other times it’s even longer.
Have a plan when life gets hectic. Even if you can’t swing a class during the week, perhaps you can make it to open gym. You’ll still get a great workout in, and more often than not, there’ll be another member in the same boat ready to tackle the workout alongside you.
- Even if it’s not optimal, it’s still beneficial
Maybe you’re having an off day and you’re not moving as quickly or efficiently as you typically do. Everyone has a bad day. Everyone has a bad week.
Doing something is so much better than doing nothing.
I’d encourage you to show up, even if you’re just there to move. You’ll never regret it and I promise you’ll feel better for putting in the work!
- Set yourself up for success
Heading to the gym at 5am? Set out your workout clothes the night before. Leaving straight from work to hit the 5:30 class? Pack your gym bag and have it ready to go.
Just like the saying goes, “Fail to plan, plan to fail”, if we aren’t planning ahead for our workouts, we’re likely to skip them altogether. Keep a gym bag in your car so no matter where you’re coming from, you’re prepared and ready to hit the gym. Need a great gym bag? We love this one!
- Get back on track
Just get started! You may take two steps forward and one step back at first, but that’s okay! If you have an off day, week, or month, recommit to your plan and get back into a routine as quickly as possible.
Give yourself some grace. Recognize that healthy habits take time to form. Everyone slips up at times. The best part about getting off track is that you have the ability to “right the ship” RIGHT NOW.
Wherever you are in your fitness journey, we’ll be here to come alongside you and cheer you on. All you have to do is get started! If you’re not sure where to begin, we can help with that! We’d love to have you as part of our crew! Contact us or stop in and check it out.
-Rachel
