Ten Easy Ways to Make Your Workout More Fitting

If you’re looking to get in shape and live your healthiest life possible, working out is just the beginning. What you do outside of the gym matters too! Here are 10 easy ways to get more fit that can easily be incorporated into any lifestyle with just a few minutes per day. Whether you want to tone up or simply start eating better, these tips will help you achieve your fitness goals faster than ever before!

Listen to Music While You Work Out

If you can set your workout schedule at a time when you’re most likely to feel energized and eager—such as early in the morning, right after work, or first thing on Saturday morning—you’ll be more likely to stick with it. Music is a great way to boost your energy level when working out in these situations. It can help you focus on moving instead of counting down each minute on your watch, and it will also help keep you from getting distracted by what other people are doing around you. If your earbuds aren’t an option for whatever reason, try listening to music through speakers or an iPod dock instead.

Keep it Fun

While you should challenge yourself with your workouts, it’s important not to make your routine a chore. The more fun you have in the gym or on that run, the more likely you are to stick with it. Exercising with friends helps keep things interesting and can help increase motivation. Just remember that everyone has different levels of fitness so don’t get discouraged if one friend is able to exercise at a higher intensity than you are; there will be plenty of time for challenging each other later. If running isn’t something you enjoy, try biking or swimming instead; think about what type of exercise makes your body feel good and focus on that.

Do a Little Every Day

To make your workout routine more fitting, first, change your approach. Instead of thinking of yourself as a gym-goer or an exercise enthusiast, think of yourself as a do a little everyday person. This will help you build up more naturally, and you’ll find that it doesn’t take much time or effort to feel physically better and have more energy. Also remember: even if one day is all you get in, that’s okay—and could be exactly what helps motivate you for another day. Don’t wait until tomorrow! Ten easy ways to make your workout routine more fitting are right here and now!

Set Realistic Goals

No one wants to start a workout routine with unrealistic goals. If you know you don’t have time for 2 hours of exercise every day, don’t promise yourself that it’s what you will do. What ends up happening is that people promise themselves and then feel like failures when they can’t stick with their goals. Instead, choose realistic short-term goals and begin by setting small mini-goals for yourself each week. For example, if your goal is to lose 20 pounds in a month and go from walking around the block once a day to 3 times a day, think about how you could achieve that step-by-step over a period of weeks rather than all at once.

Change Your Routine

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s easy to get stuck in a fitness rut. If you find yourself bored with your current routine, try switching things up! Changing things up can help keep you motivated and interested as well as prevent injuries. There are dozens of ways you can do so: maybe try different machines at your gym or exercise outside instead of on equipment; consider kickboxing if you’re sick of yoga. The possibilities are endless and your body will thank you for keeping things interesting!

Take Breaks from Running or Cycling

When you’re pushing your body over and over again, it can be difficult to focus on anything else. But taking some time away from a fitness routine can actually do wonders for our fitness. Give yourself a two-hour break after every 90 minutes of running or biking. If you decide to run in 30-minute intervals, take 60 minutes off afterward; if you bike for an hour, take 90 minutes off; etc. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests taking at least one day off per week and scheduling a rest day every four weeks—and studies show that people who adhere to both of these practices report better health and enjoy their workouts more often than those who don’t follow these guidelines.

Try New Fitness Classes

If you’re bored with your regular workout routine, give new classes a try. Taking a yoga class or trying a martial arts class can make your fitness routine more fun and engaging, so you stay committed to working out. On top of helping you get in shape and stay healthy, many activities also help build self-confidence and leadership skills. Finally, broadening your fitness activities will help keep boredom at bay by challenging your body in new ways—and that means staying motivated for longer! If you are not sure where to start when looking for a new activity, ask friends for recommendations or do an online search for local options.

Wear Comfortable Shoes

We’ve all had those days when we want to work out, but our feet are screaming at us. If you’re going on a run, don’t be in a rush—you may feel like time is of the essence, but make sure your shoes aren’t brand new and pinchy before you go; if they are, it could result in some serious foot pain. If that doesn’t work, then consider picking up some inserts for your shoes. Orthotics can help relieve foot pain by redistributing weight or controlling excessive pronation of your feet—the movement of rolling inward when you walk or run. They can also help prevent future injuries by supporting weak arches or toes.

Stop Making Excuses

Keeping track of your progress is essential for a successful fitness journey. Taking time each week (or even every day) to evaluate where you are and where you’d like to be can help you find some extra motivation and ensure that your efforts are paying off. Some people like old-fashioned paper journals, but tracking apps, computers, and smartphone calendars also work great. So long as it works for you, just do what makes sense for your life!

Track Your Progress

Track your performance over time to see if you’re getting better. If you notice that your cardiovascular endurance has increased since two weeks ago, then you know what exercises are working for you. Tracking how far and fast you can run is great, but it doesn’t tell you why or how. Charting your results will not only give you insight into how much effort is needed from week to week, but it can also help your motivation in knowing that hard work does eventually pay off—in the distance, speed, and overall strength. Plus, seeing improvements at regular intervals, will keep things interesting and challenging as opposed to mundane and routine. It’s all about staying inspired!