Exercise, healthy living, and clean eating has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. For many years, I worked at a gym. I couldn’t help but to have the gym life ingrained into my blood. When I no longer had that daily surrounding I worked out off and on for several years. Eventually, I found myself needing to get back into a workout routine.
I was so consistent for so long that it became a chore instead of a release. So, I stopped. I didn’t exercise consistently for years. The short version is that I knew how to get back into a workout routine and I knew it would make me feel better. At the same time, I just had to put the plan in motion. Sometimes that is the hardest part.
A few years ago I put myself on an intense two month program. I was doing some form of exercise 5 days per week, breathing exercises twice a day, daily prayer, and the cleanest eating I had ever done in my life! As in, on Sundays, I would allow myself one, single piece of dark chocolate as a reward for the week. My biggest piece of advise on how to get back into a workout routine is that you have to find your why and it has to be meaningful to you.
My why was that I knew there was a good chance that if I followed this rigorous program I designed for myself that I could most likely rid the anxiety I had developed over the years. Guess what? I was right! As a result, after the two months I was in the best shape I had been in for a long time and my anxiety was very minimal.
Time passed and I still worked out and practiced clean eating but not so intensely. Then I met the love of my life. Insert heart emoji 🙂 We all know how that story goes. I slowly stopped working out and my eating habits were lets just say, not clean eating approved.
Recently, I had a lightbulb moment where I thought to myself I have got to kick it in gear. I had lost a vast majority of the definition I worked so hard for and I was very fearful if I didn’t maintain a healthy diet and active lifestyle, my anxiety could return. That was something I didn’t want.
It was time again. I knew how to get back into a workout routine but I had to do the hardest part. Set the plan in motion. For me, this time around, instead of intense weight workouts, I wanted fun, energetic, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts. I didn’t want to join a gym where I physically had to go so I went to Amazon and purchased a set with dumbbells.
My current workouts are a mixture of cardio and HIIT. I like the variety and it also jolts my body into gear! I walk three miles 3-4 times a week and then I add in HIIT workouts as much as I can. The key for me is to not burn myself out. I’m sometimes all or nothing with exercise and it doesnt need to be that way. For HIIT workouts, there are a lot of resources online. Some are free, some have free trials, and some are paid memberships. All depends on the individual.
I also like to have cute workout clothes to put on. Put a fun outfit on and it helps you get into the exercise mode. If I’m totally honest, Old Navy typically isn’t a store I gravitate towards but recently their workout clothes have been on point! I think people have already caught on to this because the sizes are in and out of stock for some items.
Would love to hear in the comments if you have ever had to pull yourself back into a workout routine and some tips or tricks you may be willing to share!
Till Next Time,
