With warmer temperatures and more daylight, more and more of us are taking our workouts outdoors. Being in nature comes with several benefits (in addition to burning calories, losing weight, and getting fit) -- it helps our bodies produce vitamin D, which supports immune health and hormone production, and improves mood and well-being!
Nevertheless, maintaining a fitness routine is challenging at times, even for those of us that have been training for years.
Here are seven tips to make your workout routine more sustainable, so you can stick to it and achieve your fitness goals and dominate your transformation challenge!
#1 Set Realistic Goals
The first step to making your workout routine more sustainable is to set realistic goals. In other words, don't set yourself up for failure by creating unrealistic expectations. For instance, if you’ve never deadlift before, don’t assume you’re going to be able to pull 405 in a few weeks.
Instead, set small, achievable goals that you can work towards over time. Accomplishing these initial goals will imbue you with feelings of success and motivate you to keep showing up and doing the work each week.
Grandiose goals are absolutely OK (and we encourage you to make them!), but to make sure you stick to your workout routine, it’s critical to set realistic goals and challenges for yourself along the way. For example, if your goal is to run a marathon one day, start by setting a goal to run a 5K, then work your way up to a 10K, and so on.
#2 Do What You Love
Enjoyment and excitement are major factors when it comes to making your fitness routine sustainable. For example, you could have the most perfectly designed and optimized workout routine, tailored to your blood type, genetics, and muscle fiber type (not that those things actually exist or have any scientific backing), but if you absolutely dread the workouts, then the likelihood of you actually sticking to your fitness routine are slim-to-none.
To make fitness a lifelong journey, you have to love what you do. Sure, we all have the occasional workout (or week of workouts) when we’re not feeling it, but by and large, the workout routines that keep you showing up day in and day out, and putting in genuine effort, are ones you enjoy (on some level).
Now, what you enjoy doing now may change in the months and years ahead, and that’s OK! We’re human after all. We evolve, adapt, and change our goals and preferences. As such, build the core of your weekly workout routine around things you enjoy doing, but don’t be afraid to stretch yourself and incorporate one (or two) workouts that are outside of your comfort zone -- you may just find that you actually enjoy other fitness ventures outside of your normal go-to’s.
#3 Schedule Your Workouts
Doctors appointments, business meetings, holiday gatherings -- we schedule these events because they are important (and/or necessary). If you’re serious about your commitment to living a fit and healthy lifestyle, then you should treat your workouts like any other important occurrence in life.
In other words, make your workouts a priority by scheduling them into your calendar (including what your workout will be on a given day). Doing this helps you to block out a specific time each day when you dedicate your mind and body to blocking out distractions and focusing on a crucial piece of the healthy living puzzle. You’re also less likely to skip your workout when it’s written down in your calendar.
Keep in mind that workouts aren’t just about losing fat, gaining strength or building muscle. Vigorous exercise is also an important tool for reducing psychological stress, boosting mood, and enhancing sleep quality.
#4 Don’t Overcomplicate Things
Complexity and excessive variation in your workouts can increase demands on your decision-making, which can lead to mental fatigue. When it comes to creating your workout plan, focus on the basics -- squats, presses, rows, pull ups, push ups, etc.
You don’t need to follow the latest gimmick or include 10 different versions of hip thrusts in your training to have an effective leg workout.
Proper execution of the core lifts that have stood the test of time will deliver all the results you could want, and then some…if you show up and put in the work consistently. If you’re new to exercise programming, making your own workout routine can seem pretty daunting. We’ve simplified things for you!
When you download the 1UP Fitness App, you can receive FREE customized training and nutrition recommendations based on your experience level, goals, preferences, and equipment availability!
Not sure how to perform a certain exercise or need a substitution?
We’ve got you covered there as well with our extensive exercise library that includes video demonstrations and coaching cues.
#5 Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Having a night out with friends or binging your favorite show with your significant other all night are great ways to spend an evening. However, these late-night evenings typically lead to poor nutrition choices and bad sleep.
When you’re sleep deprived, you’re tired, cranky, and less likely to hit your workout, be it an early morning cardio session or mid-day resistance training workout.
But, when you do get a full 7-9 hours of sleep, you wake up feeling invigorated, excited, and ready to take on whatever the day has to throw at you!
Basically, the more consistently you get a good night’s sleep, the more consistently you’ll be able to show up to your workoutsand put in great effort, which helps to build more strength and burn more calories!
If you need help getting better sleep, consider some of these tips:
- Maintain a consistent bedtime
- Stop using electronics two hours before bed (blue light emitted from electronics reduces melatonin -- an important hormone for sleep)
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine before bed
- Take a warm bath or shower
- Read
- Listen to calming music
- Stretch/perform light yoga
- Journal
- Mediate/Pray
- Keep your room cool and dark
- Wear comfortable clothing
For added support, you may also want to consider a nighttime recovery and relaxation supplement, such as Beauty Dream PM, Recharge PM, or RELAX. These products contain natural ingredients that are not habit-forming, yet they help to calm a hyperactive nervous system and encourage your mind and body to unwind so that you can achieve deeper, longer sleep.
#6 Invest in Sustainable Workout Accessories
Sustainability has been HUGE in the food industry for nearly a decade. Typically, this refers to sustainable farming practices and sourcing animal proteins, fish in particular. Sustainability can also refer to the products and accessories you incorporate into your fitness lifestyle.
For instance, instead of using plastic cups or water bottles, opt for reusable water bottles and shaker cups.
These help to reduce waste and help the environment (including the one you workout in!). Plus, our insulated water bottles and shaker cups come in a variety of colors and styles, so you can find one that fits your lifestyle and benefits the earth!
#7 Establish a Pre Workout Ritual
Just as you have a morning wake-up routine and (hopefully) a pre-bed routine, having a pre-workout ritual or routine can go a long way to getting your mentally and physically ready for your workouts.
This could include listening to a fitness podcast, watching gym motivation videos, turning on your favorite playlist, and/or mixing up your favorite pre workout supplement like 1UP Pre Women or 1UP Pre Men. Our pre workouts are formulated with research-verified performance enhancers and powerful focus boosters to help you get in the zone, perform better with less fatigue, and get the results you want from your time spent in the gym.
After your workout, make sure to fuel your body with what it needs to stop muscle breakdown and fuel the recovery process (protein and carbohydrates).
Takeaway
Making your workout routine more sustainable isn’t complicated, but it will require planning and effort. Really, though, it boils down to figuring out what keeps you motivated to show up each day/week and sticking to it!
Use the tips outlined above and be on your way to a healthier, happier, and more fit lifestyle!
