Been busy over summer? Gone away maybe or been running around after the kids? Routine is easy to slip out of, so here’s some help on how to get back into it!

1. Prepare the night before:
If you wake up and see your running shoes, sports gear, snack and water bottle all ready to go, you’ll feel like you’re too invested to change your mind. Going after work? Pack your gym bag, including a pre-workout snack, the night before. That way, a rushed morning is no excuse!

2. Take a 30-day challenge:
Try challenging yourself to work out every day, or every other day, for a month or longer. If you’re not ready to commit to a long-term challenge, working out on the same days each week will help to make fitness seem like a given, rather than an option. Remember, no one said it was easy!

3. Break it down:
Go just a little bit further! Feel like you’re at the end? Try making it to the end of the song you’re listening to or till your time is rounded up to the next multiple of 10!

4. Buddy Up:
Make peer pressure work in your favour! Share your fitness schedule with your partner, roommate or family member, and ask them to hold you to it. A good fitness buddy can make you realise that your reason for ditching a workout is kind of lame, or remind you of how good you’ll feel if you go.

5. Get it in the dairy:
A rookie mistake is to make working out a “maybe.” You’re much more likely to hit the gym or go to a class if you’ve planned it at least the day before.

6. Lower your expectations:
Just because you’re not feeling it, don’t skip working out altogether. By doing a little exercise, even if it’s just a 20-minute bike ride, you’re keeping your brain programmed to your fitness schedule. Plus, once you get going, you’re likely to keep going!

Sourced: www.besthealthmag.ca