If you find that you struggle to push yourself through your toughest workout routines, you don’t want to assume it’s time to give up and that you’ll never get into shape. With these 3 easy but effective tips, you may find that you can quickly master your toughest routine and finally see those pounds melt away, giving you the results you deserve!
Tough workouts can be the best workouts; challenging your body is the only way to really burn calories and melt away excess fat, and strengthen your heart and lungs. A tough workout should never be unsafe, but if you’re not creating a challenging routine for yourself, chances are you’re just burning more time than you are calories.
As effective as tough workouts and supersets can be, they can also be hard to get through and to stick with until the end. If you find yourself getting discouraged or fatigued in the middle of your routine or think that sometimes you’re just not up to the challenge, what can you do to push yourself through? Consider a few simple but very helpful tips.
#1 Rest, but stay active
As much as you might need to push yourself through a tough workout, you might also need to listen to your body. If you’re especially fatigued or if you’re in pain, this may be a sign that you’re pushing yourself too hard. Risking injury is a surefire way of ruining your workout routine for weeks if not months, and trying a routine that is beyond your current level of fitness may do nothing but make you discouraged.
Resting for a few minutes during a tough workout can be one of the best ways to push through to the end. Your body may need that time to dispose of metabolic waste created by the muscles during exertion, and your heart and lungs may need that time to slow to a manageable rate.
This rest may mean being still but it’s often good to stay active in the middle of a tough workout, so your metabolism doesn’t slow down too much. As an example, if you’re in the middle of interval training you might step away from your routine and just lightly walk in place for several minutes. If you’re running, slow down to a brisk walk or stand in place and hop up and down very slightly to keep your blood circulating. These simple movements will keep you active but allow your body to rest so you can return to your routine.
#2 Get a trainer, or a partner
The encouragement you get from others can be invaluable when you’re going through a tough workout. A trainer can help you push through by pacing you properly and ensuring you rest without stepping away for too long, and a partner can give you encouragement to keep pushing yourself.
When you work out with someone else, their fitness levels can be an encouragement if they are in better shape than you and if they can stick with a routine for longer than you. As you see what they can do and how long they can push themselves, you’re encouraged to do the same! A partner can also stand over you when you’re trying to get through a challenging workout and give you some verbal encouragement.
A good personal trainer can also do the same; he or she should be doing more than just showing you certain workouts and walking you through their form, as effective personal training means encouragement to push through and stick with your routine.
#3 Mix it up
Sometimes it’s hard to push through a difficult workout simply because you’re bored with the same routine over and over, or it’s without challenges. Mixing up your workout can be a great way to push yourself through, as you face new challenges and find new ways of burning calories and building muscle. Since you’re not bored any longer, you’re more likely to stick with a challenging routine!
Consider some ways of mixing up your workout; you might add swimming, biking, or hiking to your weekly routine, or you might try exercises at the gym that many overlook, such as rope climbing, jumping rope, or even martial arts. Invest in some DVDs you can use at home and mix these up; try Pilates, Zumba, step aerobics, and even belly dancing. Interval training is also a great way of keeping you engaged in your workout as you change your exercise every few minutes, so you never get bored with your routine.
Since it’s easy to get discouraged when trying out a tough routine, you might try all three of these tips and not just one. Hire a personal trainer, ask him or her with help to mix things up and to keep you encouraged, and note how often you rest during your most challenging workout. If you do this, you’ll not only push yourself through a challenging routine but will find that they become easier and more effective than ever!
Have you tried any of these 3 tips to push yourself through a tough workout? What else helps to keep you motivated and keep you going through your hardest workout routines? Share your tips in the comments below!
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