Part 2 of 2
#6 Create your fitness avatar.
While any fitness buddy is great, finding the one you wish to become is even better. Think about your future self (or past self if you’ve achieved great fitness goals in the past). The one who chose similar goals and succeeded. This can help inspire and motivate your movement. Pick a special t-shirt or totem to wear it signals your brain that you’ve become your avatar. I use my NYC marathon t-shirt. If you remind yourself that you are both working toward a similar goal, you’ll be motivated to stay on track.
#7 Don’t be afraid to make your workouts short
After COVID hit and I lost the opportunity to work out at my gym, I had to rethink my fitness goals. I focused on short workouts when my motivation was low, which worked! Agree what is your least effective commitment and stick to it. With my clients, I start with 5 minutes. If you can’t commit to 5 minutes, your “why” isn’t big enough! Remember: all movement is good movement! If you don’t have the time (or energy) for your original schedule, don’t call it quits on your workout altogether – do what you can. Maybe it’s 5 minutes or maybe it’s 20. Regardless, don’t be afraid to make your workout short. And who said short workouts were tough, anyways!? They’ve never done a Tabata or HIIT workout! I like to put up Zeuss Fitness YouTube videos ranging from 10 minutes to as long as you want! With that said, don’t underestimate the benefits of a simple walk, stretch, or yoga. The idea is that all movement – regardless of duration or intensity – can support your goals and help keep you consistent with your fitness routine. It all counts!
#8 Create sub goals in your routine to get to the finish line.
During my run today, I wanted to slow down and walk when I got to the big hill. Instead, I gave myself markers to hit, creating short-term goals within my workout. Picking shorter distances to reach with markers, like mailboxes, along a hill will make it easier to get to the top without stopping. Research supports this. Take a large task, break it into smaller sub-tasks, and just focus on one task at a time. It’s how you eat a whale- one bite at a time!
#9 Rest Days are a workout too. They allow you have better workouts.
The recovery process, especially as you get older, is just as important as your workouts. One to two scheduled rest days per week can enhance your goals by preventing injury and burnout. Just as its name implies, rest days give your mind and body time to rest and recover so you can head into your next workout ready to crush your goals. Many trackers will give you a readiness score, such as
my Fitness tracker Fitbit Sense. It almost permits you to rest or go for a personal best workout. Remember, this is for the rest of your life. I like to remind myself that I am one day closer to where I want to be. The rest is part of the process.
#10 Celebrate every workout, even the small ones!
BJ Fogg calls it to shine. It helps create new habits by hacking your brain. You get a dopamine dose every time you celebrate. Think about the last time you patted yourself on the back. Maybe you got a promotion at work or had an amazing first date. Remember that feeling of achievement and satisfaction? Joy? Like you were on top of the world? Those feelings are the happy neurochemicals that will encourage you do it again!
Exercise isn’t the only thing that will promote a happy brain. Celebrating anything releases serotonin and dopamine, our happy neurochemicals. Aside from promoting feelings of happiness and pleasure, these neurochemicals also increase our intrinsic motivation. Dopamine is designed to get us to do things that promote survival. It’s associated with motivation and reward. When you celebrate, you promote happy chemicals in your brain that lead to happiness. Connect the habits that promote happiness to what’s most meaningful in your life, and you will develop joy!
#11 Practice empathy.
I was taking a yoga class and getting discouraged by my inability to mimic the instructor. It was very discouraging. Then, the instructor made a point to offer modifications and reinforce the importance of being present with your own body, flexibility, and mobility. There’s no trying in yoga, you either do it or not. Your body must learn the moves over time. Your strength and flexibility come with daily or consistent practice. It’s like that will all forms of exercise. The intention is not to touch your toes or bend your body like a pretzel. The whole purpose of yoga is to get out of your head and into your body and use your breath to stay in the precious present. It leads to perfect harmony between the mind, body, and soul. It wasn’t enjoyable to practice yoga until I accepted the true intention and the process of letting go. Many well-intentioned people mistakenly think beating themselves up will motivate them to get results or be consistent. The opposite is true. Keeping your mind calm and collected through the ups and downs helps you reach your goals faster. After all, exercise is meant to help you achieve a connection with yourself and respect your vessel. It’s a way of expressing gratitude for your body, and if you don’t, you’re less likely to create a habit of working out.
#12. Make exercise fun at least a few times per week.
As children, we learn through play. Somehow, as we get older, we forget that. One of the easiest ways to stick to your fitness goals is to find workouts you enjoy doing. This way, exercise becomes a celebration of its own! Getting and staying fit is meant to be for the rest of your life, so let’s enjoy every step, rep, and stretch we take!
In review, here are the 12 Fitness Hacks:
12 Fitness Hacks That Will Give You A Lifetime of Consistent Workouts
#1 Set Tiny Fitness Goals
#2 Schedule your workouts into your daily routine and make them non-negotiable.
#3 Find your favorite music or podcast to listen to while you train.
#4: Have your workout gear ready to go the night before.
#5 Put on your workout shoes and outfit even if you don’t exercise.
#6 Create your fitness avatar.
#7 Don’t be afraid to make your workouts short
#8 Create sub-goals in your routine to get to the finish line.
#9 Rest Days are a workout too. They allow you have better workouts
#10 Celebrate every workout, even the small ones!
#11 Practice empathy.
#12 Make exercise fun at least a few times per week.
Want to learn how to live the B3Way to Wellness?