With guest blogger, Caro Sternberg
We all fall off-track sometimes. I have fallen off-track many times throughout my life, as a competitive athlete, as a gym-goer, and as a trainer and coach. Even those of us that have been training for years sometimes lack the motivation to get our bodies moving, especially during hard times like what we have been experiencing lately. The toughest part of getting back on track with exercise is committing to do it. When we are off-track, just the thought of going to the gym for the first time becomes overwhelming. Any excuse is a good excuse to miss another workout or postpone starting a new program.
What if you were able to only commit to 5 days of training without having to think about the big picture. I call this “5 GOOD DAYS” and here is how you do it:
1. Create a schedule
Commit to making a schedule for the next 5 days that works well with your day-to-day routine. On a piece of paper write down everything you have to get done each day from day 1 to day 5. Begin by writing down your priorities like work, mealtimes, and any other commitments you may have. Then plan out a one-hour time slot for a workout every day for those 5 days. Remember, you don’t need to train at the same time every day so don’t feel like you are locked down to a specific time slot. Just make sure you are taking one hour out of every day for a workout slot.
2. Plan out your workouts
This is probably the most important step. Having a well-planned out workout gives you clarity and purpose. If you haven’t worked out in a long time (over 1 month) I would recommend starting with 3 strength training sessions and 2 cardio sessions. You can break up your 3 strength sessions as 1 chest and shoulders day, 1 rear chain day, and 1 leg day.
If you have only taken a few weeks off, then focus on stepping back into your normal routine as close to what you were doing before taking a break.
I recommend speaking with a CPT to create a personalized training program that is designed to match your goals and functionality. This is not only going to help you get to your goals faster, but it’s also going to help you stay on track longer and remain injury-free.
3. Tell your friends and family
Yes! Tell everyone! This is the easiest way to keep yourself accountable and it's the simplest way to do it.
4. Show up!
For the next 5 days, I want you to commit to the plan. For me personally, it helps to write out a checklist for every workout and check them off as I go. You’ll notice that days 1, 2 and 3 will be the hardest to check off the list. Once you complete day 3, the last two days feel the best and before you know it you will be planning out 5 more days for the following week.
Habits are created by repetition. The key to this “5 GOOD DAYS” program is to create a craving for exercise, creating a program that satisfies that craving and then creating a response to keep encouraging that craving.