Here are the final 3 tips in this series to help you identify and eliminate roadblocks to success.
Get creative with daily activity – make movement fun and don’t be afraid to change it up!
Choosing 7 days of activity for the challenge does not mean I’m just alternating between lifting weights and HIIT workouts every day. It also doesn’t mean I’m in the gym every day – that’s boring! I’ve learned the more creativity I allow myself with my workouts, the more likely I am to see success and stick to something.
Now, if I have specific goals that require equipment and consistency week after week, I know I can’t do something completely different or random, but it also allows me to build in activity outside the gym (like exploring a new trail) or my typical routine (such as taking a virtual class my friend wants to try), knowing that the activity still counts!
Plan days off that work for YOU, not everyone else.
You may need a day off mid-week on a Wednesday, or you may take weekends off from formal workouts to be with friends and family. Whatever you prefer, don’t let others tell you when to take a rest day! You know your body best.
Even if I’m traveling or out of town, if it’s a day I would typically work out, I try to do something that counts towards activity. That doesn’t mean I’m Googling the closest gym, but it does mean I’m lacing up my sneakers and moving somehow! I may only have 10 minutes to move, but when my rest days come, getting my planned workout in helps me fully enjoy my days off.
Plan ahead for active rest days and more light activities (they still count!)
Active recovery can look like planning a weekly long walk with your spouse (or use that time to catch up with a close friend on the phone), foam rolling and stretching at home, swimming all afternoon in the pool with your kiddos, exploring a new city on foot, playing a sport for the first time, or doing manual labor like gardening and cleaning your house.
Studies are now showing that the more light activity we can get throughout our day as opposed to just an intense, 30-minute workout, the more likely we are to have better health overall and meet our activity and fitness goals. Read more here.
The intention for an active rest day, or a day with light movement, is to keep moving.
Remember, what you do for activity and why you do it is personal – your reasons for exercising will keep you going when nothing else will. You have the permission and power to choose!
Haven’t read Part 1 or Part 2? Start from the beginning of the Overcoming Obstacles to Success series here.
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