Get your butt off the couch: 7 tips to help you start working out when you hate it

The hardest part of developing a consistent workout routine and not dropping out after a few days of exercise is actually embarking on the fitness journey and holding through the first challenging weeks of the exhausting workouts that make your body, which is not used to barely any exercise stress, burn and ache. That’s especially true if you understand the importance of the regular physical activity to your health (both physical and mental), as well as the mood and the level of everyday energy you need to deal with your life, but even the idea of working out makes you cringe. But you probably know that if you google what may help you start working out when you absolutely hate it. But, the first rule and the most effective secret of incorporating regular workouts into your routine is actually overcoming the negative attitude towards exercise and turning from the torture you have to persuade yourself to go through 3-4 days a week into something you may enjoy and look forward to. Ok, at least into something that won’t sound as terrible for you and that won’t take too much time and effort to start. So, let’s talk about what you really need -the tips to start working out when you absolutely and definitely hate it.

Tips that will help you start exercising and sticking to your routine

1. Find your motivation

Decide what your aim is and pick both long-term and short-term goals to feel great once you reach them on your fitness journey. Make sure that they’re realistic though, as otherwise you may get disappointed and discouraged when you don’t notice the desired results when you expect them to appear. At the same time, setting minimal goals is even better for people who’re not quite keen on working out, as once they manage to surpass them, they’ll believe in their abilities and get inspired to reach further goals even more. For me, the eager to surpass my current progress is the most effective things that makes me get off the couch and actually move. For instance, you may promise yourself that you’ll work out at least 30 minutes a day at least 15 days this month. If you manage to do that, you may realize that you’ve worked out every other day throughout the entire month. But, if you manage to exercise 17-20 days a month, you’ll feel even more awesome.

2. Work with a personal trainer

He’ll come up with the best workout routine that will suit your fitness level and personality and give you some nutrition advice to help you achieve great results. And, a personal trainer will also help you keep your motivation up and kick your bottom when you get too lazy and unwilling to move a single toe.

3. Track your progress

Mark each day you worked out on the calendar on your fridge to visualize your journey and keep yourself accountable. If you struggle with that, ask your closest friend or family member to keep a record for you. The pressure will help you last through the tough beginning period. And, once you get into the flow of things, you won’t need any side help to continue working out on a regular basis.

4. The effort counts

They say there’s no point in exercising if you don’t do it correctly. Forget that and do it however you can until you perfect your performance and technique. At the starting point, the most important thing is to get used to regular exercise and stick to the routine rather than concentrate on the way each exercise is supposed to work. Don’t underestimate the importance of doing it right though and turn it into one of your short-term goals, along with the increasing the difficulty and the number of times you’re able to repeat it.

5.Do the exercise that doesn’t sound too bad for you

If you can’t see yourself running every single day at all, the chances that you’ll get used to doing it consistently are quite low. But, if you’re keen on the idea of doing yoga, aerobics, speed walking or something else, you should totally do that. Usually, working out in a group boosts one’s motivation, but if you’re not that type of person or if you’re not confident enough to go to the gym or attend an exercise class, stock up with the motivation to exercise at home. If you don’t know what you may possibly like – attend a few trial classes (or YouTube routines) to explore the workout world and find a match for you.

6. Try HIIT workouts

Those are high intensity interval training that takes up only 15-30 minutes a day and provides great results when it’s done consistently. It’s proven to be way more effective than the usual cardio due to its intensity and minimal intervals between the exercises, which contributes the fact that even relatively short workouts let you bu 50% more calories (fat) than ordinary low-intensity routines, as well as improve your endurance, speed up your metabolism to burn more calories throughout the day. Most importantly, most personal trainers that practice HIIT workouts prove that you don’t even have to use any special equipment to reach great results. Thus, you may totally do them at home following numerous HIIT workout programs and exercise sets available on YouTube or with your personal trainer.

7. If traditional exercise doesn’t work for you – make your daily life more active and healthy

Get out of your house more often, walk everywhere you can and track your steps with the Fitbit and try fun hobbies that provide necessary amount of regular physical activity required to sustain your health – biking, rock climbing, dancing lessons, skiing, swimming, walking your dog 2 times a day, etc. And, don’t count each calorie, don’t stand on the scale and measure your waist every single day. Concentrate on increasing your fitness level and improving your health rather than reaching certain numbers that have minimal meaning behind them.