Whether we’re talking about fitness or dating, there’s no better feeling than the honeymoon stage.
You know the stage: Those first few days, weeks, and maybe even months when your newfound relationship or passion for the gym is novel and you’re overtaken by giddy-ness and over-the-moon excitement and anticipation.
It’s all you can think about…
Fast-forward a few months to when the novelty wears off, and now you’re left figuring out how this passion or person is going to fit into your life.
Making the transition from the honeymoon phase to real life is often when relationships fizzle. It’s also when gym goers fall off and return to their lazier old ways.
Why? Because reaching this fork in the road usually comes with a realization that the fun, carefree path you were on suddenly feels like work. Hard work.
The truth is, we never said fitness for life was going to be easy!
In fact, fitness is relentless. It’s not something you can work on for a bit and keep forever. If you want it, you have to keep earning it. Day after day, after day. Relentless!
This fact turns many people off, and I believe it’s one of the main reasons people give up. But it’s also the reason those who stick it out love it—because the most satisfying things in life are earned.
It’s not easy, but choosing to stick with it is just that: A choice. What are you going to choose?
If you have reached the end of your honeymoon gym days and are searching for ways to rekindle the excitement for the gym, here are 6 Tips to keep you committed:
- Log your scores
Whether you use an app, a google doc or an old-school paper notebook and pen, keep track of your numbers and your progress. And then remember to go back every couple months and see how far you have come. Reminding yourself of your gains will help keep you motivated to keep moving forward. It will also remind you that you don’t want to return to your former fitness level, to the days where you couldn’t do a pull-up.
- Consistent schedule
Consistency is key. The most consistent members also tend to keep a relatively consistent schedule. When you’re all over the map with your schedule, it’s easy to tell yourself you’ll go to the gym after work or the next day, but then not follow through. But if you’re a Monday, Wednesday, Friday 6-am kind of person, this schedule becomes routine—like brushing your teeth.
- Meet a friend for a class
This is especially useful for early morning classes when it’s so easy to hit snooze and go back to sleep. But if you plan to meet a gym buddy at the 6 am class and then head for coffee or breakfast after your workout, it’s more likely you’ll get up at the sound of your alarm.
Because nobody feels good about themselves when they get a text from their friend asking, “Where were you this morning?”
- Meet your coach
Meet with your coach and set some tangible, measurable goals and put a plan and timeline in place for you to get there. Having something specific to work towards, as well as a training plan—not to mention a personal training session with your coach—goes a long way in ensuring you continue to honour your commitment to yourself.
- Sign-up for a competition
Whether you sign up for a local CrossFit competition, running race, or the like, having a specific event to train for helps instill personal motivation, and maybe even some healthy fear, to make sure you get your butt in the gym!
- Be gentle with yourself
Some people fall off because they’re tired of feeling guilty when they miss a day. Even though we want you at the gym each week, if your mind needs a break for a day or even a week, give yourself the license to take that break guilt-free. We need to take a step back and let our minds and bodies recover sometimes. Let it go, and remind yourself that you’re just one workout away from getting back on track.
Possibly the best tip of all: When you’re on the fence about hitting the gym, ask yourself this: “Have I ever felt worse after a workout?” The answer should be clear.