11 Life Hacks That Will Forever Change How You Think of Exercise

You don’t have to exercise for 30 minutes, every day for the next year

“Wow! That’s amazing!” Yup. You see all those fitness gurus’s out there, exercising every day, with that “perfect” body, and you want that. But have you thought that they didn’t start as a fitness guru? They also have a backstory, and a beginning, where they were the beginner just like you. So you start how you want to start. If that’s just a 10 minutes yoga in the morning then that’s okay!

Find your jam. YOUR jam, no one elses

Not everyone’s exercise preferences are the same. NO ONE’S exercise preferences are the same. You need to find the right workout, the right music, the right setting for you. And that takes time, you are allowed to take time to find what works for you, as long as you get up in the morning and do a workout. Any workout.

Break it up

If you are putting off exercise because you simply don’t have enough time to relax and do a 30-minute cardio workout, then the answer is simple. Break up your workouts. Do three, intense cardio workouts over the course of the day. There are also plenty of other ways to break up whatever workout you are doing. If you want help figuring out how to plan your workouts I suggest you follow the steps in this post or email me at sadellehealthylifestyle@gmail.com

Set goals, and write ’em out!

Goals. goals, goals goals. Hard to make, harder to follow. But the best to complete. Setting your goals and then writing them out will make you 80% more likely to complete them. A great place to keep track of your goals is a bullet journal. You can find exactly why and how you can make them here.

Start small and build-up

This ties back to my first tip, but no one can start off with 30 minutes of cardio every day. Start small and build up to that. Maybe you will see a bit slower progress in the beginning but it will be way easier to stay committed to if you build up slowly at your own pace.

Look for opportunities, not excuses

Often times when you come upon your workout time, you will look for an excuse not to do it. I have more homework, or I have to clear the dishwasher, or we are eating dinner. With this mindset, all you will ever feel is a failure. Instead, switch your mindset. Look for opportunities to work out. Look for reasons you should be working out right now, like the great feeling you will have, or how after you will be ravenous for dinner.

Work with your life not against it

This ties back to the tip before it, but you need to work with your life not against it. Don’t try to change what is already a set routine in your home, change your perspective, and work with your routines. When will be a great time to workout? When will I enjoy some me time, and a chance to get off my butt?

Forgive yourself and stay positive!

You are not perfect! You are going to have some bad days where you skip workouts. No one is perfect. Not even those influencers you see on TikTok or Instagram. (If you don’t know what TikTok is then I don’t know where you’ve been.) Focus on how you are going to recover and keep going, don’t stray on the past. Stay positive and hopeful for the future!

Plan, plan, plan, oh did I forget plan?

I have talked about this in previous tips, but planning everything out is super important. I have two posts that talk about how to plan. This one is all about how to plan in a bullet journal, and this one is all about how to plan out your workouts.

Reward yourself

Rewards are fun, and a great way to convince your mind that the workout is your reward. Yes, if you get a reward right after a workout for long enough, you won’t need a reward, or a quick splash of water on the face would feel like a reward. Examples of rewards could be:

• Cuddle with your pet
• A SMALL cookie or treat
• Five minutes of social media time (This is my favorite)

Track your progress

Always track your progress. It will give you strength when you feel week. It will remind you where you started, and when you look back in a couple of years, it will bring you joy, how far you have come.