8 Fitness Habits to Conquer This Year -

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Getting in shape and becoming healthier doesn’t happen overnight – unfortunately! But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try or get started, right? 🙂 Every small habit we build takes in the right direction toward our health goals.

Building good health requires time, motivation, effort, and consistency alongside many other factors. But if you do it right and work on your health sustainably, you will find maintaining all your gains will be significantly easier (aka no yo-yoing motivation coupled with frustration).

Of course, exercise and staying active play a major role in your health. Luckily, developing a few solid fitness habits can help you reach your optimal weight and other goals regarding fitness and health. By establishing some exercise habits you will be more likely to keep your results after you have achieved them.

Today, we will discuss 8 fitness habits that may be worth adding to your routine when it comes to your journey of getting healthier and feeling better about yourself. Thus, you can be one step closer to the healthy lifestyle you would like to lead.

1. Drink enough water each day

Drinking enough water each day (about eight 8-ounce glasses) is crucial to healthy living in many aspects. First of all, if you drink plenty of water, you can promote your body’s optimal fluid balance. Thus, all the nutrients you consume can be properly transported throughout your body.

Secondly, many people think that they are hungry when they are actually only thirsty. When you drink an adequate amount of water during the day, it can help you prevent overeating.

Lastly, when you work out, your body is losing water through sweating. If you don’t hydrate properly, your muscles will get tired much faster and you won’t be able to do as many exercises you want. To avoid dehydration, once again – pay attention to your daily water intake!

2. Be consistent in your fitness routine

One of the most common mistakes people make regarding workouts is to set unrealistic goals that they can’t achieve. It’s a recipe for burnout and disaster. This is why it’s better if you focus on creating a schedule that fits your needs and daily routine, and that you can easily stick to.

For example, if you would like to start working out every morning before going to work but you are constantly struggling with getting up early and you are often late for work- most likely, you won’t be able to this goal stick. Maybe, evenings would work better for you. OR- first you start with a goal of waking up 5 minutes early or to only hit the snooze button 1-2 times before getting up. From there, you can then incorporate more specific exercise goals. However- it should make sense that you need the right consistent foundation first.

The same goes for setting a goal to exercise 5 times a week. While it may sound great, if you are not used to working out regularly, chances are that you will give up after a while. Try to aim for a more realistic number or start with only a few minutes per day to keep you resistance to this new habit low. Then build from there!

Ultimately, the key is to be consistent in your fitness routine. Even if it means that you need to plan fewer or shorter workouts during the week. Set smaller and achievable goals so it will be easier for you to build a habit of exercise. Once you established the habit itself, gradually you can set higher and higher goals in the future. It’s a truly a foolproof way to get started while still gaining amazing results.

3. Set deadlines to eliminate procrastination

When it comes to reaching your fitness goals, you can be more efficient if you break down your goals into milestones and you also set a deadline for achieving each one of them. A huge advantage of having a deadline is that it can help you eliminate procrastination. Because we often put things off for “tomorrow” or a rainy day- and then never get to it!

Breaking down your goals into achievable deadlines will make planning so much easier for you. You will know what you need to do in order to accomplish each milestone by the time you set it.

Didn’t hit a milestone in the time you designated? No need to get discouraged. Use this information as feedback to set more realistic goals and steps for the next chunk of time 🙂

4. Have a workout plan before heading to the gym or exercising at home

How many times has it happened to you that you went to the gym and you spent a lot of time thinking about which machine you should use? (For me- it’s more often than I’d like to admit!). While it may seem harmless, it can seriously affect the effectiveness of your workout. This is because besides wasting valuable time, you won’t be able to give your attention 100% to the exercise. You would end up thinking about what to do next and this can be mentally exhausting. For me- it often led to me half-assing a workout on a piece for cardio equipment (not ideal for sure)

Try to build a habit of creating your workout plan each time before you hit the gym. Think about the moves you would like to do, how many times you would like to repeat them, which equipment you are planning to use during the workout, etc. If this sounds daunting, there are plenty of great blogs, YouTube channels, and Pinterest pins that you can use to take out the guess work and get in a better workout.

Having a workout plan can help you be more focused on doing the exercises and your workout will be more efficient as well. Ultimately, planning your workout can be beneficial for you even if you are working out at home.

5. Work out with other people

Undoubtedly, one of the best hab i ts you can add to your fitness routine is working out with other people. Having someone – a friend, a family member, a neighbor, or anyone from the gym – to work out with together can significantly boost your motivation. Plus, it can also help you keep accountable.

For example, if you have agreed with your friend to attend a yoga class regularly, you will be less likely to cancel the class. Even if you won’t be in the mood to exercise, you will show up just because you don’t want to disappoint your friend who counts on your presence.

You will see that together it will be much easier – and fun! – to achieve any kind of fitness goal than alone. Accountability partners can be found outside of the traditional sense these days too. Look into online communities that check in daily, do workouts with your partner via zoom, or get creative with other ways to stay accountable!

6. Take your sportswear with you when going on a vacation

While going on a vacation serves as a perfect excuse to skip your regular workouts, if you want to be consistent – as mentioned above you should be! -, it’s not a good idea to take a break from your exercise routine. It would just be more difficult to get started again with being active.

Instead, take your sportswear and some basic sports equipment such as a yoga mat, a resistance band, and maybe some dumbbells (if traveling by car) for the travel. Many hotels have a fitness center available for guests. But if not, you can still work out in the hotel room or simply go for a run.

Staying active while travelling has a ton of benefits. You will be able to sleep better, focus, and simply feel your best. Don’t feel you have to stick to the same workouts you do at home though. Keep in mind that you can make sight-seeing part of your workout too.

7. Set time aside for improving your mental health

Most people tend to focus solely on their physical health. Of course, exercise is part of boosting your mental health thanks to the endorphins and overall sense of well-being it promotes. However, it’s equally important to pay attention to your mental well-being as well to find the best balance. Set time aside for improving your mental health: you can meditate, do yoga, read books, write a journal, or even see a therapist.

Having good mental health can help you stay focused on working on your fitness goals (and vice versa). Thus, you will be less likely to give up going to the gym or exercising at home.

8. Change your workout routine from time to time

The last one on our list of fitness habits that is absolutely worth considering is changing your workout routine from time to time. Doing the same workout over and over again can become boring after a while and can lead to a decrease in your motivation. This is why it is an excellent idea to diversify your fitness routine. As soon as you feel that a workout is getting kind of easy, you can consider it as a sign that it’s time to change. You can try a new class, go to another gym, use other sports equipment, do a different mode of exercise, or look for another workout video to follow during your home workout.

Adding variety to your workout routine can help you keep motivated and see further improvements towards your goals. Personally, I love to add a mixture of exercise modes even to my weekly schedule. For example, I will try to to strength based workouts 2 times per week, full body HIIT workouts 2 times per week, and opt for dance classes or yoga on days when I’m for a change- particularly on the weekends!

The bottom line

If you have a busy life or find it hard to stay motivated about your fitness routine, try incorporating some of these fitness habits into your life. They can all help you get started on this journey toward bettering yourself as an individual – both mentally and physically.

You will see that making some simple yet important changes in your routine like drinking enough water can make a big difference in the long term.