A few months ago you started a new fitness regime. You loved it, couldn’t get enough of the exhilaration and endorphins and looked forward to each workout. Then things fizzled out,  you skipped a session, then two and then some more. Life got busy.  The weather got colder.  You told yourself it is a phase you will snap out of but before you know it, your fitness routine that you loved, is sitting on the back-burner and you are feeling too uninspired to get back into it.  “I’ll start on Monday” becomes your mantra each Sunday.  Monday arrives and leaves without a workout.

When you are in a rut, it is easy to feel flat about the situation and to keep postponing workouts.  It can feel like an obligation and we all have enough on our to-do lists without needing to add an extra task right? However, fitness shouldn’t feel like a mundane chore.  The moment it does is when excuses seem easier to find than our sweat towel.

So what do you do when your fitness rut is replacing your routine?  Here are some easy steps to follow:

• Shake things up. If you belong to a gym, try something different.  Go to a class if you’d like to try something new.  I love treadmill running but every so often I feel like a change and I’ll book a squash court or sign up for a cardio class.  I always go back to the treadmill next time I’m at the gym but I enjoy it more when I’m combining it with other activities.
• If you feel a workout will leave you drained rather than energised, do something less strenuous. On days like this I do some light yoga just to calm my mind.
• Do 5 – 10 minutes of journaling. Write what your fitness goals are and how you’ll feel when you’ve achieved them.  Visualise the end result and then the journey needed to get there.
• Tell a friend. Talk to someone about your fitness journey.  What inspired it, when this inspiration waned, how you would like to get it back.  They might have a similar story to share.
• Work out in a group. I instantly feel an increase in motivation when I’m working out with others.

And lastly, see this as a speedbump.  We all get into ruts, the important thing is to pull ourselves out.