Let’s face it- being stuck inside isn’t exactly the greatest motivator to get up and workout. Equipment is usually limited, if any at all. If there wasn’t a dedicated area for a home gym or workout space prior, creating space to start a workout you didn’t want to do in the first place becomes even more of a task. Then comes the task of knowing what to do, how to do it well, and make it worth your time.
So- needless to say, there are a lot of barriers.
Though, deep down we know we probably should workout. Now the question is where do we start and how do we prevent from falling in this slump, or Lockdown Laziness?
5 Simple Tasks to Keep You on Track
1. Create a daily schedule
Whip out your calendar and schedule a time to workout! It might sound unreasonable and that it makes more sense to just ‘fit it in’ when the timing is right between all the other tasks you might have scattered throughout the day, but more often than not if it’s not hardwired into our routine we will likely forego the workout altogether. Structure in our daily routine will help keep us organized. Allow yourself to have the workout scheduled into your day first, then have all your other responsibilities and tasks built around that time.
2. Set a specific goal- and rateit
Setting a goal is most likely something you’re already familiar with, but we want to take it a step further. Create a small list of specific fitness goals (3-5) and rate each one on a scale of importance to you. 1 being least important for you to accomplish, 10 being absolutely necessary. Once you’ve narrowed them down to your most important goal, consider how you’d feel once you reached that goal. Alternatively, consider how you’d feel if you never reached that goal. If you were to implement the smallest step toward accomplishing your goal, what would that look like? Creating this framework of thinking will not only help you prioritize your goal, but begin to establish behaviors that make accomplishing your goal not a matter of if but a matter of when.
3. Treat yourself- after you sweat
Chances are you have some go-to snacks in your kitchen that are hard to resist. It’s real easy to sit down, turn on Netflix and grab a snack; they pretty much go hand-in-hand. Instead of fighting the treat altogether, why not earn it? Get some steps in, take a walk outside, stretch, or go through a workout at home. Who knows, you may not even want it after. Or, you may feel like you deserve it more. Either way, it’s always a win-win once you complete a workout.
4. Accountability partner(s)
Team work makes the dream work. We all know that holding ourselves accountable is great and all, but that doesn’t always ensure success or sticking with the plan consistently. Choose someone, or create a group to team up with, maybe someone that has the same goals (and rated at the same importance level) as you.
5. Celebrate the small wins, set SMART goals
Often times the pressure we place on ourselves far outweighs any other external pressure, which can be devastating if we fall short of our goals, bringing us back to square one- which may not be any activity at all. It is extremely important to set goals that are (S)pecific to you, (M)easurable, (A)chievable, (R)ealistic, and (T)imely. Bringing you back to task number 3 when we asked: if you were to take the smallest step toward achieving your goal, what would that look like? If you do take that step, be proud and celebrate that win. Every task put in place toward achieving your goal is a win, no matter how big or small. That’s why it’s important to make goals that are realistic and achievable, not goals that create unrealistic expectations, especially from yourself.
