7 Ways To Kickstart Workout

These gaps may be short, but sometimes may be long enough, so much so that, suddenly your exercise routine goes from regular to non-existent and it can happen with anyone whether he she may be a pro athlete or just an individual on a weight loss program.

A healthy lifestyle must not be a short term goal, but instead should be a lifelong commitment. No matter what was the type of your workout pause, one can always use the fresh season as a chance to start over. Following are 7 ways to kick start your exercise habit and get back into your healthy routine.

 

SET  SMART GOALS

When freshly starting your workout program, a journey without any destination has no meaning. There must be a set goal, which when achieved can become a benchmark and a motivating factor to do more. However while setting these goals one must be cautious and be committed enough to achieve them. A behavioral theory suggests for setting “SMART” goals which literally means “Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound”. When your goal is Specific it can be planned in detail and would be easy to implement than a unspecific vague goal. Measurable goals are more achievable than those that are difficult to quantify. An achievable and realistic goals are more likely to make behavioral change and become a habit eg. Walking any time possible, any where possible, can be easily achievable and realistic behavior, which can become a habit. Finally a goal must be time oriented and short term in order to quickly measure and do modifications if necessary. Hence, setting up a smart goal can be first thing in your list to kick start your healthy routine.

 

START EARLY IN THE MORNING

Working out in the morning is not only beneficial for your health but is also more convenient and workable for all. Whether you are a student or an office worker, lack of time is the prominent excuse when its comes to incorporate workout routine in daily life. Waking up early can be difficult task for some, but those who are really committed and are honest towards their body can get maximum benefits out of it and will be recharged with ample of time to live to the fullest every day. 

 

 

START WITH A WALK

Its not necessary to start from where you left it, in fact it can be dangerous to do so. When there is a gap in exercise routine our body’s current state might not be ready to follow the same intensity of training it used to do. Whatsoever the pause may be in your workout program, if starting fresh one must always start from the beginning to avoid injuries. A start with a simple walk or a jogging if possible can be done without any expertise and is an excellent cardio activity, which easily warms up your body and  prepares it for prospective intense workout sessions.

 

HIRE A PERSONAL TRAINER

Starting a new workout regime after long gap may be challenging as there are lot of doubts, like from where and how to begin. In such case getting a professional advice is a wise move. A personal trainer can help you begin a well planned and structured exercise program and most importantly helps you to avoid unwanted injuries and setback. Also when you’re accountable to someone you are more likely to adhere to the activity. A personal trainer is also an expert in motivating his clients to reach his goals and to succeed on their own. 

 

INCLUDE HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL WORKOUT SESSION

Now that you are waking up early, have hired a personal trainer and have also set up a training goal, but are still under a dilemma of having not enough training time because of work and other commitments. For these individuals, opting for a 15-20 minutes of HIIT training session under an expert guidance can be an excellent break through. HIIT is workout session is an alternates between intense short bursts of activity followed by a fixed periods of less-intense activity or a complete rest. For example, running very fast for 1 minute and then walking for 2-3 minutes and again repeating the same.

 

JOIN A SPORT TEAM OR A CLUB

For some doing exercise alone may be intimidating or boring and they are less likely to adhere and continue with the same. Such individuals require an external stimulus to keep them motivated, hence they can join a sport team or a group which regularly participates in practicing a sports activity either every day or on weekends. The benefit of joining a team or a group is that, when you are in a team you are automatically motivated by other members to achieve your health goals and also get the time to socialize and share experience of sports enthusiastic people. Most of the cities currently have  number of running clubs, hiking clubs, and informal basketball, cricket and soccer teams.

 

STAY AS MUCH ACTIVE AS YOU CAN

A mere activity of walking while coming back from office and taking stairs instead of lift can also help in burning desired number of calories. As it is said “a little activity is better than no activity”, if you are unable to devote time for exercise session, being as much active as you can during the day can be excellent option to start with your choice of healthy lifestyle.