We all have those days where we feel like we can’t drag ourselves to the gym. No matter how hard we try to get motivated, all we want to do is chill at home in front of the TV. If this sounds familiar, you aren’t alone, and the good news is that there are ways you can give yourself the boost you need to get down to the gym. Read on for some suggestions.
Get a personal trainer – One of the easiest ways to motivate yourself to go to the gym is to get a personal trainer. All you need to do is search online for a fitness center with personal training services. Sign-up and book your first session. With a personal fitness trainer, you have someone to answer to, which means you are less likely to cancel workouts when you are not in the mood. Not only this, but personal training sessions cost a bit of money, and so you won’t want to waste your cash. Throughout your workout, your trainer will keep you motivated, encouraging you and pushing you to your limits.
Make yourself a schedule – One of the main reasons why people fail to go to the gym is because they have so many other things going on, meaning they simply can’t make any time for working out. The best way to combat this issue is by scheduling gym time into your weekly planner. Note what time you are going to go the gym, how long you are going to be there, and what you intend to achieve while you are there.
Take progress photos – It is easy to become disheartened if you aren’t seeing any results. Perhaps you have stepped on the scales and you don’t notice much difference? The best way to really notice progress is to take photographs of yourself throughout your journey. You will be able to see how your body is changing, and this will encourage you to keep going. If you don’t see much difference, you will be motivated to make changes to your workout routine until you do.
Wear your gym clothes – No matter whether you are a student or a stay-at-home parent, you should put your gym clothes on at the earliest opportunity throughout the day. By doing this, you are setting yourself up to go the gym after you have been to class or looked after the children.
Change your workout routine – One of the reasons why you could be lacking motivation is because you are bored of your workout routine. This can easily happen if you are doing the same thing again and again. Now is the time to change your routine. Variety is the spice of life after all! Why not book into a gym class such as Zumba or spinning?
Create a gym playlist – Last but not least, one of the best ways to get some umph into your workout routine is to create a playlist. The beat of the music will often dictate the intensity of your workout. So, if you are doing cardio, make sure you go for something with over 120 beats-per-minute so that you really get the encouragement you need from the music.
What about the motivation for those who exercise at home?
For most busy mums, finding time to go to the gym is mission impossible. The only way to stay fit and incorporate exercise into their daily routine is to find some way to work out from home. You can check out these bodyweight exercises you can do at home from Openfit. If this sounds familiar, this post is ideal for you. While we all begin with the best intentions, there is no denying that finding the motivation to work out from home can be extremely difficult, especially when you have so many other things to worry about. With that in mind, read on for some top tips that will ensure you don’t ditch your weekly exercise sessions.
- Barter with yourself – When you feel like you really do not want to exercise, the best thing to do is commit to a shorter workout. It is much better to workout a little bit than not at all. Plus, you will often find that once you start, you push yourself to complete the full workout instead.
- Wear your gym clothes throughout the day – Luckily, loungewear is very fashionable at the moment, and so you won’t look out of place dropping your kids off at school in your gym clothes. By wearing your gym clothing all day, you will feel encouraged to workout. It will ensure that you don’t have any excuses later on in the day and that you will exercise at the earliest opportunity.
- Invest in exercise equipment – One of the best ways to ensure that you workout is to have exercise equipment in the home. Workout DVDs are great, but they are very easy to avoid. You put the DVD out of sight and forget about it. You can’t do the same with a treadmill or an exercise bike. Every time you walk past the piece of gym equipment, you will feel a sense of guilt if you don’t use it, and this will motivate you to workout more. These bikes provide an excellent cardio workout, and they are also great for anyone that has any low-back issues or physical limitations that make it difficult for them to use an upright bike.
- Set your space – One of the most difficult things about working out from home is having a dedicated exercise space. This is especially the case when there are kids’ toys everywhere. However, it is important to have an area dedicated to working out. If you are going to workout in the living room, for example, and you need to move your coffee table to get started, make sure you do it well in advance so that you do not have any excuses.
- Pencil it in – Finally, it is important to add your workout routines to your schedule. After all, you would not go to the dentist without pencilling it in, would you? So, why should your workouts be any different? This ensures you have a dedicated, allotted time for exercise, as opposed to merely trying to fit in fitness whenever possible.
Follow the five tips mentioned above and you will find it much easier to stay motivated so that you can reach your fitness goals from the comfort of your own home.
Why not buy your own treadmill?
If you want to get fit, you may have decided to invest in some gym equipment for your home. Choosing equipment with care is only half of the battle; you then need to make sure you look after it properly. This includes programming it correctly so that you get the most out of your workouts, as well as maintaining the equipment. Below, we take a look at how to program and clean your treadmill effectively.
How to program your treadmill
The vast majority of fitness equipment for sale today comes with four different types of programs, and it is important to know what each program does so that you can choose the right one for you. So, let’s take a look:
- Quick start – Firstly, we have the quick start program, which is the simplest option. As soon as you hit this button, everything begins counting up. You can change the incline and speed manually as you require.
- Pre-programs – Next, we have pre-programs, which refer to various programs that have already been set up inside the treadmill. Good examples include hill climb and intervals. Typically, you will choose the workout you want; select the distance and the time, and then you will go through the pre-designed workout.
- Custom programs – Custom programs are the opposite to pre-programs; they give you the opportunity to create your very own program before beginning. This is a great way to make exercise fun and to set your own challenges. This is not to be confused with profiles or user IDs, which hold onto your age and weight.
- Heart rate (HR) programs – Finally, we have heart rate (HR) programs. They can also be called HRC programs. A chest strap transmitter needs to be used when doing one of these workouts. You need to input the target heart rate zone you want to work in, as well as your weight, and the treadmill will adjust the incline or speed based on your heart rate.
How to look after your treadmill
Now that you know the different programs that are available, the other thing you need to do is look after your treadmill properly. So, what sort of TLC does your treadmill need?
- Adjust the walking belt – You will need to do this over time because the belt will get looser. If you feel like the belt is sticking to the deck or that it is slipping, it is a sign that it needs to be adjusted. You shouldn’t need to do this often, perhaps two or three times every year. However, your treadmill can become dangerous to use if you don’t take action.
- Vacuum the treadmill – You need to vacuum the motor area once per year. Of course, you will need to remove the motor hood first to get access. Your motor will run hotter than usual if you do not do this, as the extra dust will become an insulator. This could damage the Motor Control Board.
- Lubricate the belt – Every three to six months, you need to apply 100% silicone to the belt and deck. Failure to do this will cause extra drag between the deck and belt, which can cause damage because it makes the motor work harder than usual.
