It doesn't matter which friend of mine you ask, everyone will tell you that I never really was a sports person. I didn't like exercising and after I finished school and I didn't have any P.E. lessons anymore, I stopped doing sports completely. I didn't see the point since I'm naturally rather slim.
1. Set a manageable and specific goal.
2. Be patient with yourself and your body.
3. Start in comfortable environment.
Working out doesn't mean that you have to join a gym. I chose to not join a gym and to work out at home. I feel way more comfortable that way because I don't feel like I'm being stared at. At home I'm not scared of making mistakes or looking like a newbie. And most importantly, I don't feel intimidated by all the athletic and toned human beings that basically live at the gym.
Having a yoga mat, comfortable clothes and something to watch workout videos on is enough. If you feel like stepping up your game and investing in a gym membership after some time, it's never too late to do it then.
4. Don't feel pressured.
5. Create a workout playlist.
6. Keep track of your workout sessions.
7. Try working out with a friend and motivate each other.
Instagram: @marythisisme
Bloglovin': @marythisisme
21 Buttons: @marythisisme
However, before I started working out regularly in January, I started thinking about doing workouts more and more. I definitely need to be honest here because I was a hundred percent influenced by Instagram. There are so many amazing bloggers and content creators on Instagram and on YouTube and most of them work out (and they all look amazing!). Their workout results were inspiring to me and the older I get the more interested I become in living a healthy lifestyle. That's when I decided that I wanted to set working out as a new year's resolution. I didn't expect at all to stick to it but I wanted to at least try it.
Since then I basically haven't stopped and I also reached the point that I'm starting to enjoy it. It helps me to de-stress and believe me I really need that because of university. I don't particularly look stronger, however, I definitely feel stronger. Furthermore, my skin also looks better, which I didn't expect at all. My skin just looks healthier and more radiant. If you know which effects sports can have on the human body, you probably know the reason for this. However, I can only guess that it's because sweating helps to get rid of toxins and working out also helps your blood flow. I also used to have cellulite on my bum and thighs and I for sure see an improvement there. The cellulite is now barely visible.
 |
| I really like Pamela Reif's workout videos. So if you're looking for new workouts, check her out. :) |
Since January I learned a lot about myself, my body and how to stay motivated when working out. So, here are a few of my working out tips that keep me going.
1. Set a manageable and specific goal.
I think the biggest mistake that people make when they set a goal or a new year's resolution is that they set goals that are too ambitious. If you have never worked out before, don't tell yourself to work out five times a week. This will probably not work. Start small. At the beginning of the year, I told myself that I wanted to work out twice a week and that definitely works for me. If you want to start even smaller, no problem. Work out once a week and if one week you feel like working out more, do it. However, your goal needs to be specific. I made the mistake before that I just set doing workouts as my goal. After a while, I just stopped doing it because I didn't specify the minimum amount of workout sessions per week. The breaks in between each workout became bigger and bigger until I simply gave it up. So, tell yourself: At least once a week!
2. Be patient with yourself and your body.
This is a really important one. At the beginning it will be hard. It will be painful sometimes. You will feel like giving up. You will probably become impatient because you don't see results immediately. I still don't feel like I look more toned and I definitely don't look like all these amazing healthy and fitness bloggers. However, that it not important. It's important how it makes you feel because you will feel better. You will feel stronger. Everybody is on their own fitness journey which cannot be compared to somebody else's.
3. Start in comfortable environment.
Working out doesn't mean that you have to join a gym. I chose to not join a gym and to work out at home. I feel way more comfortable that way because I don't feel like I'm being stared at. At home I'm not scared of making mistakes or looking like a newbie. And most importantly, I don't feel intimidated by all the athletic and toned human beings that basically live at the gym.
Having a yoga mat, comfortable clothes and something to watch workout videos on is enough. If you feel like stepping up your game and investing in a gym membership after some time, it's never too late to do it then.
4. Don't feel pressured.
This is a continuation of the second point. Don't feel pressured to look like a fitness blogger and don't pressure yourself to work out. If you're not feeling well or you are not in the mood, allow yourself to not do a workout that day. Maybe just do a Yin Yoga session instead. Yin Yoga is extremely relaxing and afterwards you will still feel like you've done something good for your body.
5. Create a workout playlist.
That music is an amazing source of motivation is probably no secret. Listening to music whilst working out really keeps me going and also helps me to get in the mood for a workout session. As soon as I listen to my workout playlist I feel motivated to start my workout. So I can just recommend to take the time and create your own workout playlist. It will work wonders, trust me.
6. Keep track of your workout sessions.
I dedicated a whole page in my bullet journal to my habit tracker. This is basically a page where I keep track of all the things I want to do regularly and workouts are one of those habits. I find it really rewarding to colour in the day that I worked out and it again motivates me to keep going. If you don't use a bullet journal, just write it into your calendar or create a spread in your notebook. Looking at all of the weeks you stuck to your goal will be extremely rewarding.
7. Try working out with a friend and motivate each other.
I cannot tell you this out of experience since I tend to work out on my own. However, a lot of my friends tell me that working out with somebody else helps them to get in a workout more regularly. Having a friend by your side can also boost your confidence, especially if you want to join a gym and you don't feel comfortable to try it on your own. Furthermore, you can motivate each other and build each other up if you feel like giving up.
I really hope that these tips were helpful to you. Hopefully they can motivate you to start working out if you wanted to give it a try for a while or maybe they give you the necessary push to keep going. If you have other tips that I haven't mentioned, feel free to leave a comment. I definitely still need some tips myself. :)
I hope you're having an amazing day! xx
Instagram: @marythisisme
Bloglovin': @marythisisme
21 Buttons: @marythisisme