Whether you’re going to finally start working out after years of good intentions or want to refresh a stale routine, selecting the right fitness program can be the difference between long-term success or failure. Choosing between at-home exercise, outdoor workouts, group classes and personal training sessions can seem a daunting task if you’re just getting started. Likewise, if you’re experiencing boredom or burnout, the multitude of options can pose a challenge to finding your next motivating workout.
Find What You Enjoy
Your desire to stick with your workout regimen and the energy level with which you approach it are indicators of whether you will be successful long-term. Finding an exercise you enjoy doing can go a long way in keeping you active on a daily basis. Even if you’re developing a fitness routine for the first time, you may remember how much you liked riding your bike as a kid, or swimming at the local pool. Rediscovering how it feels to move your body through a favorite activity from the past is one way to zero in on an exercise you’ll enjoy. Another is to choose a simple cardio exercise, such as walking, and get yourself going. Then once a week, try something new — whether it’s a Pilates class, a hike in the woods or a strength training session. You may discover an activity that draws you back again and again.
Create Balanced Routine
The important elements of your body’s fitness are balance, core strength and stability, and cardiovascular and muscular fitness, according to MayoClinic.com. Explore each of these areas in an attempt to find exercises you enjoy and increase your overall fitness level. A daily bike ride can improve your aerobic fitness, while practicing Pilates three times a week develops your core, balance, flexibility and muscular fitness. A gentle yoga class can relieve stress while increasing your flexibility, while a challenging yoga class does the same and also improves your muscular strength. If you have a gym membership, don’t be afraid to ask the personal trainer on the fitness floor for tips on how to use various pieces of equipment. For example, introducing a stability ball or a Bosu ball into a resistance training session allows you to balance train at the same time.
Consider Time
If you don’t have time to get to the health club on a regular basis, or you’re not sure how you’ll even squeeze in a daily workout, see what you can do to integrate physical activity into your day. Go for a walk over your lunch hour and eat at your desk afterward. Commute to work by bicycle, if it’s feasible. Dan Westergren, a senior photo editor at “National Geographic” who commutes to work by bike, said in an interview with NPR that “to build it into your daily routine by commuting for me has just been the best thing,” noting that he doesn't need to go to the gym.
Assess Budget
If you don’t have room in your monthly budget for a gym membership, you still have plenty of options for exercise. Physical activity is virtually free of charge. You can go for daily walks or develop a running routine for little more than the price of a pair of supportive shoes. Body weight exercises, such as push-ups, squats and lunges don’t require equipment, and you can perform them at home. Small group training is a way to get your Pilates reformer sessions while splitting the price with others. You can join a pick-up sports league in your city for little to no cost, and play regular games of soccer, softball or volleyball during the summer.
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