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My Exercise Routine + Tips for Staying Motivated

Workout Motivation Tips

Since the theme of this site is health and wellness, it only makes sense that we bring fitness into the mix. And since I often get asked what my exercise routine is like, I thought today would be the perfect time to not only chat about my own personal fitness, but also talk about why exercise is so important.

Exercise and healthy eating really do go hand-in-hand in my opinion and I don't think that we will ever be able to achieve optimal health without movement. There are so many amazing benefits of exercise, so I won't get into all the nitty gritty, but here are some of the health benefits I love (and that I use for motivation when I'm not feeling the urge to get my booty moving):

  • You will live longer
  • Reduces your risk of disease (including cancer and cardiovascular)
  • It's mood boosting
  • Strengthens your immune system
  • Helps you maintain a healthy weight

And honestly, those are just some of the benefits of regular exercise. There are loads more, but for the sake of today's post, we'll stick with those five.

Tips for Staying Motivated

I'll be the first to tell you that it is so difficult to get motivated to exercise during the winter. I would so much rather be snuggled up under a cozy blanket with a good book. And since I'm a morning exerciser, most days that means getting up in the dark when all I really want to be doing is sleeping.

If you're a person that loves exercising outdoors then I'm sure you know what I mean. Or even if you like going to the gym or a local studio, it's still quite the process getting all bundled up and trudging to class. So what can we do to stay motivated?

So how do I stay motivated? Here are a few tricks I use:

  • Think about how I will feel after I'm done. Like the popular saying says, “You'll never regret a workout”, and I've really found that to be true. As much as I don't want to do it, once it's done I feel amazing and am so glad that I did.
  • Get a cute outfit. This sounds so silly, but I swear it helps. When you feel confident and sexy, you're more likely to want to wear your workout clothes and therefore be more likely to want to workout. Trust me 🙂
  • Get good shoes. Whether you're a runner, a cyclist, a kick boxer, weightlifter or even just someone who loves walking, having a comfortable and supportive pair of shoes can make a world of difference. I actually recommend going to a running shoe store and getting fitted for shoes. This will help make sure you have a shoe that works with how you move which will make your whole workout way more enjoyable.
  • Have a killer post-workout meal. I'm not the biggest fan of using food as a reward, BUT when I know I'm going to have a kick-ass breakfast after my workout, I'm more motivated to get through it. I love food and eating, so using that as motivation does help. (my fave post-workout meal btw is smoothie bowls….in case you couldn't tell from my Instagram account)
  • Find something you enjoy. For the longest time, I tried to force myself to become a runner. I hated it, it hated me and it made working out so much less enjoyable. Now, I listen to what my body wants and have found routines that I actually enjoy. Having that and knowing that the workout is going to be fun is a great way to stay motivated.

Once we're motivated and ready to go, it's time to start trying to make exercise a habit. Once you get into a routine, it just becomes second nature and you don't even really think about it as a chore anymore.

You know, studies have actually shown that it takes at least 21 days to form a new habit. That means we can't just give our selves one week of going to the gym and then bail. You've got to give yourself time and allow your body to adapt, so that exercise becomes not just something you do, but something that's part of your everyday life.

How to stay motivated to workout PLUS my personal weekly workout schedule {feel good friday}
post run…feeling tired and chilly!

My Personal Exercise Routine

Now I want to close this post with giving you a glimpse into my current exercise routine. I've been following this schedule for a few months now and I'm definitely in my rhythm. In general, my fitness routine looks like this:

  • HIIT (high intensity interval training): 2- 3x per week for 30 minutes
  • Strength Training: 2 -3x per week for 30 minutes
  • Vinyasa Yoga: 1- 2x per week for 60 minutes
  • Hot Yoga: 1x per week for 60 minutes
  • Walking: 7x per week, 2x per day for 30 minutes each

Okay so after writing all that down, it seems like A LOT of exercise, so I just want to clarify a few things. The walking? That's with my pup (Trevi), so we're walking at a pretty leisurely pace most of the time. The vinyasa yoga I'm doing is usually a slow flow, so it's not super challenging and I use it more as a stress reliever and stretching tool.

The HIIT and strength training workouts I do in my living room. I follow the folks from FitnessBlender.com and so that I stay on track, I usually follow one of their programs. They also have an amazing calendar feature on their website which links each workout video to the exact day you are on in the program. Right now I'm doing the FB Abs Program which is 4 weeks long, but I've also done some of their 8-week programs as well as their FB Booty program.

What I like about doing these workouts is that they offer modifications and you are able to use whatever weight you want. I actually purchased some adjustable dumbbells which I absolutely LOVE! They're small, come in just the right amount of weight intervals and are perfect for my little hands. These weights were a game changer for me.

How to stay motivated to workout PLUS my personal weekly workout schedule {feel good friday}

From that general collection of exercises above, here is a day-by-day breakdown of my week (the FB workouts change depending on what program I'm following):

MONDAY

  • 6:30am: 30 min walk with Trevi
  • 7:00am: 30 – 40 min FitnessBlender workout (either HIIT or Strength)
  • 12:00pm: 15 min walk with Trevi
  • 5:00pm: 30 min walk with Trevi

TUESDAY

  • 6:30am: 30 min walk with Trevi
  • 7:00am: 30 – 40 min FitnessBlender workout (either HIIT or Strength)
  • 12:00pm: 15 min walk with Trevi
  • 4:00pm: 60 minute yoga class
  • 5:30pm: 30 minute walk with Trevi

WEDNESDAY

  • 6:30am: 30 min walk with Trevi
  • 7:00am: 30 – 40 min FitnessBlender workout (either HIIT or Strength)
  • 12:00pm: 15 min walk with Trevi
  • 5:00pm: 30 min walk with Trevi

THURSDAY

  • 6:30am: 30 min walk with Trevi
  • 7:00am: 30 – 40 min FitnessBlender workout (either HIIT or Strength))
  • 12:00pm: 15 min walk with Trevi
  • 12:30pm (sometimes): 60 minute yoga class
  • 5:00pm: 30 min walk with Trevi

FRIDAY

  • 6:30am: 30 min walk with Trevi
  • 7:00am: 30 – 40 min FitnessBlender workout (either HIIT or Strength)
  • 12:00pm: 15 min walk with Trevi
  • 4:30pm: 30 min walk with Trevi
  • 5:00pm: 60 min yoga class

SATURDAY

  • 8:00am: 30 min walk with Trevi
  • 9:30am: 60 min Hot Yoga class
  • 1:00pm (or 2): 30 – 40 min walk with Trevi
  • 5:00pm: 10 – 15 min walk with Trevi

SUNDAY (rest day)

  • 8:00am: 60 min walk with Trevi
  • 1:00pm (or 2): 15 – 2o min walk with Trevi (or taking her with us on errands)
  • 5:00pm: 10 – 15 min walk with Trevi

(p.s. in case you can't tell me and Trevi are bffs)

How to stay motivated to workout PLUS my personal weekly workout schedule {feel good friday}

Again, I want you to remember this is a routine that works for me and my body. You might be totally different and that's okay. If you're just getting into exercise or are still trying to establish a routine, I want you to challenge yourself to move for at least 30 minutes every day. That could be a walk, an at-home yoga class, really just anything that gets your body moving.

Your turn…

There we have it! I really hope that you found today's post helpful 🙂 Now I want to hear what your routine is like! What's your favorite type of exercise? Do you have a fitness routine that you follow? Let me know what you think in the comments – it'll be so fun reading about everyone's different habits.

xo Alyssa

I mean….could she be any cuter?! 😉

How to stay motivated to workout PLUS my personal weekly workout schedule {feel good friday}

How to stay motivated to workout PLUS my personal weekly workout schedule {feel good friday}

 

 

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8 comments on “My Exercise Routine + Tips for Staying Motivated”

  1. Sweet dog! I have two dogs- they are great! I am impressed by your routine and give you credit for being able to stay on such a tight schedule! That is obviously a secret to having successful workouts. I have two teenagers (need I say more?), and I usually have to work my schedule around them. Thank you for the ideas and motivating posts!

    1. What kinds of dogs!? I swear having a dog has helped me be so much more active and accountable. Even when I don’t feel like going outside, so forces me to move and then when I’m already moving, I get home and figure I mind as well workout 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the posts! I’m definitely planning to add more fitness related stuff to this series!

      1. A Chihuahua and a terrier mix. Since they are small, they don’t walk fast enough to keep up with me sometimes! I have a dog carrier and a basket for my bike that they love to ride in! I get a lot of comments (and laughs) from people when they see the dogs riding with me!

  2. Fitnessblender.com is advertising free workout videos and then When I search further, in order to sign up, I am asked for payment. I’m confused.

    1. Hmmm I just tried it and it seems okay. What you have to do is go to the main page then click “Login” and then there should be a form on the right side of the page where you can sign up. Let me know if that doesn’t work!