Consistently working out has never been something that I could see myself doing long term because I always stopped after the 1 month mark. I would take “a break” and 6 months later, I was back to square 1. So at the beginning of 2019, I made a vow to take my workout regimen much more seriously and vowed to workout no less than 2x a week for at least 45mins-1 hour. And 7 months later, I’m happy to say that I’ve kept that vow.
It’s officially a part of my weekly routine, therefore making it a habit. YES!
So how do I stay motivated to workout?? Well, there are a 3 things I do to keep the momentum:
I focus on my fitness journey and my fitness journey alone. Comparison truly is the thief of joy and I realized that in the past, I would look at other body types to aspire to and that fueled my short term ambition to be “fit”. And while that may work for some people, it most definitely doesn’t work for me. Because I found myself trying to attain a body type that I simply didn’t have. And that frustrated me, which led to my breaks, and subsequently, to me stopping all together. Which leads to my next point.
My journey is 90% focused on overall health and 10% focused on aesthetic. I told myself that the majority of my focus was on staying heart healthy. Now that I’m aware of a history of cancer in my family, I am much more concerned that I am staying as healthy as I can within my control. Yes, there are workouts that I do for the sake of toning certain parts of my body, like my legs and my arms and my core. BUT, overall, I just want to be fit. I want my 65 year old self to thank my 28 year old self for starting her fitness journey early on.
I don’t pressure myself. Some days I feel like working out, some days I don’t. And other days I really don’t feel like it. On the days that I don’t, I push myself to go because I can get past that feeling within the first 10 mins of my workout. On the days that I really don’t feel like it, I don’t go. I know my body and I know my mind. If I am really having a rough day, I just need time to myself. But I know that I’ll have those days that I am excited to go again.
So now that we know HOW I stay motivated to workout, let’s get into WHAT workouts I do (and where) that has kept me coming back for more! LA Peeps, this is for you!
JabX Kickboxing in WeHo*: I started taking this class right when I first started working out and I have been coming back consistently. This is a full body workout that’ll leave you sweating (and trembling your first few times). It’s a full hour and your bound to get your butt kicked, but you won’t regret it! Also, it’s a great way to let off some steam from your day.
Katie Cake Bake Shop: I started coming to this class after a friend told me about it and let me tell you, IT’S GOOD! It’s a booty burn class founded by Katie, focusing on your glutes and legs, with a little bit of core work. When I say the burn is real, the burn is so real. But you feel like such a beast afterwards. The class happens in three locations in LA throughout the week: Santa Monica, Downtown, and Mid City.
Ratio Cycling*: Cycling always has a special place reserved in my heart. It was one of the exercise I started doing way back when I was “trying” to get into a consistent routine. Although a smaller studio, the instructors are super informative and push you, without being overly annoying and “motivating”.
Carrie’s Pilates Plus*: If you’re familiar with traditional pilates, then I would describe reformer pilates as it’s super turnt up cousin. CPP has different types of workouts targeting the core and arms, booty and legs, just booty, or the total body workout. I usually opt for the total body, but the booty class is a close 2nd!
*Classes that are available through ClassPass
I hope you found this post helpful! Having a consistent workout routine is one of those things that you have to be patient with yourself on. Don’t rush the process. Don’t rush the results. And remember the “why” to your journey. Everyone has a different why, so don’t feel like yours needs to looks like someone else’s.
Wearing JoyLab by Target (leggings and sports bra)
Until next time…
