5 Prompts to Get Your Fitness Back on Track

Happy Friday! It feels like March is just flying by and so far I haven’t had the chance to soak it up. The weather here has been nothing short of perfect for spring but we have been go, go, go since day one.

When things get busy around here, one of the first things to go is my normal workout routine. I am not a morning person but if I don’t log my workout first thing in the morning, you can bet I’m going to find 100 excuses not to go. While I love my evening walks with Keith, having some weights and structured HIIT training helps me keep up with both my phsyical and mental health.

But how do I get back on track after a few days off turned into a winter break? Here are five things that help me get back on track!

5 Prompts to Get Your Fitness Back on Track

Schedule it! Literally adding my workout to my calendar like I do anything else that is imporant is one way I can stay on top. If I see that reminder I’m much more likely to keep that date with myself. It also helps to see my workout along with the rest of our busy week and know that if I don’t hit my class at the scheduled time there won’t be another option.

Find a way to be accountable! This last year my favorite workout buddy and I have both had lots of distractions between weddings and taking care of aging parents and it really made a difference to not have her by my side. We’ve been trying to get back on track! It really does help me to know that there will be a little social activity to go along with the sweat. No partner? You can find ways to be accountable to yourself! Use a fitness tracker that prompts you to get up and move or join some challenges online.

Buy some new workout clothes! Adding some bright fun tanks and leggings or a new pair of shoes can definitely motivate me to get back in gear. One of my favorite tee shirt shops, Life and Laundry, has some fun motivational tanks perfect for a workout. They have extended a code for my readers so head on over and browse their selection and use QUEEN at checkout. Old Navy is also killing it with some fun leggings in bright colors and there is a great sale today for cardholders both in store and online through the 14th! And don’t forget to replace any workout shoes that may have seen too much time on the pavement. The change of seasons makes a good marker for replacing old shoes and my new Addidas definitely make me smile in the bright fun colors.

Drink water! How does this help motivate me to workout? Honestly it just makes me feel so much better overall and when I feel better I’m more likely to want to workout. I don’t love water but when I make sure to consistently drink enough I feel less bloated and have more energy. I have made sure to have enough this week and said “bye bye” to constipation and bloat that was causing me too feel lethargic. I love filling my Bottled Joy container at the beginning of the day as a reminder to stay on track.

Get enough sleep! Listen to your body and make sure you are shutting down when you need to. I have gotten much better at this in midlife because I just had to. My body just will not function on a small amount of sleep anymore. I added Magnesium to my nightly routine and it seems to have helped keep me snoozing more soundly.

As a bonus, I would say if adding a fitness tracker is helpful as long as you don’t get too obsessive. In the fall I was really good about setting a goal for myself for the number of steps and/or the number of days I would have at least 30 minutes of exercise a day and being able to see that progress at the end of the month or, better yet, beat my goal was rewarding. I switched to an Apple watch last spring, literally days before we locked down with the pandemic, and I have been so glad to have it.