Wellness is an important part of my lifestyle and I schedule fitness in my daily routine. One of the questions I usually get asked is: how do I maintain my fitness and health goals without losing priority to work or family? It’s a great question because as women we often forget about self-care, or we bump self-care the the bottom of the priority list.
I’ve made it a mission to keep my fitness and health as a top priority because as they say you can’t take care of others unless you are take care of yourself.
I wanted to give you guys my top tips to keep a consistent and healthy lifestyle.
Top Tips for Staying Consistent with Your Fitness and Health Goals
Tip 1: Gym Buddy
Enlist a gym buddy or two! This advice is tried and true because having an accountability partner is helpful with any goal. For me, having someone that will meet me at the gym not only forces me to throw my sneakers on but also provides a great way to catch up with a friend.
I like having a gym buddy that will meet me at the gym, this way I have a friend to chat with. Some people have gym buddies that helps them keep track of their goals and they recap daily and weekly. For others, a simple daily phone call to make sure that they visited the gym suffices. It’s up to you and your goals to find a buddy that works.
If you’re new to a city or can’t find a buddy, join a class at the gym. You will always find a like-minded person that will be looking for a gym buddy too. It’s the perfect way to meet new friends with similar goals and interests.
Tip 2: Block Time in Your Calendar
If you’re like me, time is your most valuable commodity. I’ve become such a stickler for time management because with my new job, blog, and desire to keep a social life, I need to block time for every part of my day.
I use a Google Calendar and I literally have a specific color for “Gym + Self Care Time.” It’s a bright, happy yellow color which correlates with how I feel after the gym! Every Sunday evening I will look at my work week, and schedule time for fitness. Now it’s usually in the mornings.
I will lock in fitness time, and just like any meeting or appointment, I force myself to keep it. I also have a reminder set before each gym block of time to make sure I check in with my gym buddy.
Because I go to Equinox and love going to classes, I will sign up for the classes in advance. I will lock these classes in my calendar. Equinox has a cancellation policy and will give you “strikes” if you miss a class. After 3 strikes, you’ll be penalized for missing. This is helpful because I hate striking out! This helps make sure I keep my gym appointments every time.
Sports Bra // Top (also loving this one) // Legging // Fit Bit Versa // Gucci Aviators // Nike Sneakers
Tip 3: Use a Fitness Tracker
It’s no surprise that I’m a sucker for a good tracking device. I love keeping tabs on my health, and my fitness goals are no outlier to this rule. I was gifted the FitBit Versa and Aria by the FitBit team and after a few months of usage, I can sincerely say it’s been the perfect tool to keep my goals in check.
The FitBit Versa tracks my nutrition, calories burned, and SLEEP! The latter has been an eye opening experience for me. Thanks to the FitBit Versa, I realized I wasn’t getting the adequate amount of sleep each night. Now I purposefully will wind down each night and have an evening ritual to make sure I’m getting the necessary amount of sleep.
Getting more sleep has helped with my overall wellness and to keep up with my goals.
The FitBit Aria is the scale that I use to weigh myself each week. It syncs perfectly with my FitBit Versa through the FitBit app. The reason I chose FitBit versus another tracking device is because they specialize in fitness and health. I’ve found it to be the most accurate tracking device. The Aria is the perfect supplement to any weightloss and health goals.
Tip 4: Write Out Your Fitness Goals and Reward Yourself
Each month I will write out my goals for work, Brickellista, and personal life. Not only will I write them out monthly, but each week, I will sit down and re-write them and benchmark any milestones. This is especially important because it’s important to record your accomplishments.
I have my goals taped on my fridge and bathroom mirror. I do this to remind myself of what I have to accomplish. When I accomplish a goal milestone, I reward myself with something special, like a new gym outfit! Or perhaps a massage… MMM oh yes, those are the best!
And this is very important. If I don’t meet a goal, I won’t beat myself up. I’ll use this as an opportunity to tweak my benchmarks, so they are more attainable. So the important thing is to enjoy the process.
Your goals shouldn’t feel like a punishment! They should be an exciting opportunity for growth.
Tip 5: Get Chic Gym Clothes
I have cute little outfits I’ll rock only for the gym. So they are not for weekends, or athleisuere, they are meant for sweat equity.
Don’t you love the feeling when you’re rocking a new outfit?! I personally feel more empowered when throwing on a new DVF wrap dress for work. The same feeling applies with gym clothes. Make an investment in cute outfits you’ll love throwing on.
Some of the brands I personally love are ALO Yoga, Carbon 38, Koral, and Beyond Yoga. Believe it or not Target also has the cutest gym clothes too. So there is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on new gear. The important rule to gym clothes is that they make you feel good!
Interested in kickstarting your gym routine?
+ Learn more about Equinox in Brickell here
+ And check out my fitness inspired Holiday Survival Guide