I love working out! Don’t you wish you could say that? I used to always say that, or rather I’d say, “I love running, but don’t make me pick up a weight. And push-ups?! What are those? I don’t know how to do a push-up.” Okay, so here’s some honesty – I used to say that when I lived at home with my wicked, awesome parents and I would come home from school or work, or school and work, or work and work, and they would have dinner ready for me (bless their hearts), and I didn’t really have to do those things like take out the garbage or empty the dishwasher (I did actually help do those things, don’t get me wrong here). But, the moral of the story is that it was much easier to workout or run whenever my little heart desired after my school and work obligations were fulfilled.
And then, boom, the real world hit me square in the face when I left the nest, and really started to realize everything that my parents did for me (huge shout out to those two magical people). I mean adult-ing can be hard! I realized that once I finished work (even if it was at 9pm at night) I had to make dinner, or prep for the next day, or clean a toilet (fun, right?!), or go grocery shopping, and suddenly the last thing on my list was…you guessed it…working out.
Okay, I didn’t completely stop working out, but it wasn’t where I wanted it to be, because you know, working out makes you happy, and I like being happy. It’s proven – those endorphins are good for you! So luckily, it only took me about 18-months to figure out my three solutions for making working out a daily habit.
This is what works for me; maybe it will work for you, maybe it won’t, but…maybe it will just get you thinking, which is a good thing too!
My 3 Solutions For Making Working Out a Daily Habit
- I started doing it in the morning! I get up at the same time in the morning every single day, even if I start work later that day, or I have the day off. If I have more time, bonus! – I get a longer workout in. In the morning there are no excuses (this is what I also tell my music students). Later in the day, there will always be something else that comes up that you have to do, and it may be completely legitimate. But the morning…the morning’s a blank slate that you can paint however you choose. And endorphins in the morning?! Yes, please!
- I stopped thinking working out had to be a long endeavor. I downloaded the Sweat with Kayla app on my phone and fell in love with the workouts. Not only does the outline of workouts hold me accountable and keep challenging me, but the resistance ones are 29 minutes; I can easily steal 29 minutes from the 1,440 minutes there are in a day.
- I stopped washing my hair. I’m serious. How many women (okay, and maybe men) have used the excuse that they don’t want to work out, because it takes too long to wash, blow-dry and/or style their hair after? That was me! That 29-minute workout turns into a big commitment when you have to do all that, and get it all done before work in the morning, or before your kids wake-up, or whatever the rest of the day holds for you! So now, I wash my hair once, maybe twice a week (disclaimer: cleaning your body is still important…) – you gotta train your hair, but it is so worth it! And dry shampoo is a serious life-saver! Triple Sec from Drybar is my favourite.
Takeaways
So, what I want you to walk away with today (legitimately, go on a walk, or a run, or some form of physical activity), if you’re the person struggling to work out enough or keeps making excuses, are these three things. Think about doing it in the morning, keep it short-ish and productive, and stop washing you hair (you can thank me later).
Download “Sweat With Kayla” Here:
