How to plan your workout.
How To: Successfully Plan Your Workouts
We’ve all been guilty of telling ourselves we are going to get in shape, go to the gym, or workout a few times. Somehow, after one or two trips to the gym, we find ourselves falling off the wagon. A lot of the cause for this has to do with us thinking we can easily jump in to starting new gym habits. To truly conquer your gym goals it takes a good, realistic schedule, some patience, and a flexible workout plan that helps you meet your goals without dreading your workout. Keep reading to learn more about successfully planning your workouts!
The first step would be to decide what time works best for your schedule. Do you prefer to work out in the mornings, during lunch, or at the end of the day? Timing is important because if you are not a morning person, planning to engage in physical activity at 6:00 am is not something that will get you out of bed. Going to the gym in the evening is often a great way to reduce stress from a long day and help your mind to decompress. If you have availability, lunch is also a great time for a quick 30-minute work-out or even a walk to clear your brain mid-day.
The second step of planning a workout is figuring out what kind of physical activity you like to engage in. There are many options such as walking, running, virtual classes, classes at the gym, personal trainers, lifting weights, etc. So, when planning your work out really try to think about what is best for you! If you plan a workout of activities that you hate, you are only setting yourself up for failure. It is important to get rid of the mindset of “no pain, no gain”. For example, if walking is what you like the most, then do it. Any kind of psychical activity counts, no matter how intense or simple it may be.
The last part of planning your workout is figuring out your goals and motivators, also known as your “why?”. What motivates you? What is the goal you want to reach? Having goals and motivators makes it easier to stay on track and not ask yourself, “why am I doing this again?”, after another failed attempt at getting active. This step is essential to building a workout routine because it holds you accountable to the goals that you set for yourself.
At Campus Recreation & Wellness there are Personal Trainers who can help you develop a workout plan and stay on track to meeting your goals. For more information, visit crw.ecu.edu and click on “Programs” in the top right corner to find more information on Personal Training, Group Fitness, Small Group Training, and all the other resources that we offer to help you become the best version of yourself.