Are you feeling a little guilty for slipping up a little lately and falling off the diet and exercise bandwagon? If so, don’t worry — you’re not alone. I am definitely not a stranger to this, as I have fallen and gotten back on plenty of times. I’m here to tell those people who feel discouraged about working out again, or those just coming back, that it gets better. Consistency is key! Here are a few tips that will help you get back on the bandwagon and increase your chances of staying on.
• Ease back into it
Don’t go full force back into your exercise routine. A lot of people come back from taking a month or two off, and they try to do exactly what they were doing before they left. Guess who ends up feeling sore the next four days and not able to exercise?!?! The point I am trying to make is push yourself, but not so much that you aren’t able to do anything the rest of the week.
• Get a friend
Having someone else with you while you get back into working out will be beneficial to sticking with it long term! You two can keep each other accountable to your workouts!
• Talk with your practitioner
Let your practitioner know how you are feeling about coming back. Are you discouraged? Overwhelmed? Excited and ready? We all know it is hard to get back into the groove of things; so don’t be ashamed to ask for advice: it is why we are here –to help you through this process and get back on track.
• Give it 100%
Commit yourself to the process of returning to exercise, give it 100% and stay consistent with your exercises. Once you start missing a couple workouts, you will fall right off! DON’T LET IT HAPPEN! Get on and stay on! After that initial week or two of consistently working out, you can push yourself to bring the effort you were putting in before, if not more!
I hope that everyone who either is deciding to get back on the bandwagon or has just returned will take these few points and utilize them to their fullest!