Human beings were born to move. Regular sweat sessions help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, boost our mood, and regulate our energy levels. We all know that we should make exercise a regular part of our routine. However, only 28% of Americans are exercising enough.
Breaking free from old habits to introduce new lifestyle choices is never easy. But it is possible. With the right mindset, you can change working out from a grueling chore to the best part of your day. Here are four tips from our trainers to help you become part of the 28%:
Tip #1: Schedule your workouts
Consistency is the cornerstone of any successful habit. To establish a positive relationship with exercise, you have to make workouts part of your daily rhythm. We’re not saying you need to go balls-to-the-wall every day for two hours. Instead, make exercise as integral to your routine as going to work, even if it’s just a brief but focused 45-minute workout. Slow and steady wins the race – it’s far better to commit to a shorter but regular workout than to attempt an overly ambitious routine and risk abandoning it altogether.
Tip #2: Don’t overdo it
The most common mistake that exercise newbies make is going too hard too quickly, which can lead to pain, injury, and burnout. To avoid this, listen to your body and start slowly. Instead of training for the Boston Marathon right out of the gate, start with shorter, more manageable workouts that you can gradually increase in intensity as you get fitter. This approach allows you to build up your fitness gradually, reducing the risk of injury and increasing the likelihood of long-term success.
Tip #3: Remember your why
Maintaining a consistent exercise routine can be challenging, but reminding yourself of your motivations can serve as a powerful driving force. Knowing your “why” – your deeper reasons for prioritizing fitness – can provide the mental edge you need to overcome obstacles and stay on track. Reflect on what truly matters to you. Is it improved health, increased energy, stress reduction, or perhaps setting a positive example for loved ones? Whatever your reasons, keeping them at the forefront of your mind will ignite the passion and determination needed to make exercise a lasting routine.
Tip #4- Find a workout you crave everyday
Finding a workout you genuinely enjoy is the shortcut to making fitness an enduring lifestyle choice. Body Machine Fitness’ science-backed fitness classes light up the motivation centers of your brain so you start to crave exercise rather than avoid it.
By using a coordinated dance of lights, sound, and sweat, our classes induce a high state of arousal that taps into the brain’s reward and pleasure circuits to produce feel-good neurochemicals dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphin. These substances control all the good stuff: your sense of well-being, perception of time, euphoria, and overall contentment.
New to BMF? Take Your First Class on Us
After just a few of our group fitness classes in Fort Worth and Plano, you will be well on your way to effectively rewiring your mind to make exercise a lifestyle choice.
Change your relationship with exercise for good by joining us for a FREE fitness class. We’ll see you in the studio!