We’ve all been there: getting home from a long day at work, tackling your to-do list, and then sitting down on the couch to relax, if you have time. At that point, a workout feels nearly impossible, and before you know it, you’ve talked yourself out of it. If you’re not blessed with endless energy or you aren’t in the routine of working out, it can be a difficult process trying to get into the routine. Here are some tips for getting into the swing of working out, so that you can become fit and feel great!

Make your workouts work for YOU:

This is your life, you’re in control and you get to decide when, where, and how you’re going to exercise. Find the time of day that you feel the most energized, motivated, and able to workout. For some, that’s early in the morning, and for others, it’s late at night. You may fall somewhere in between, preferring a lunch break yoga session or walk. Or maybe you break your workout up throughout the day, doing 10 minutes before work, on break, and after work. Find the time that works for you and then stick to it, so that it becomes part of your routine and you become accustomed to moving then.

You also get to decide what type of workout you’re going to do, and I always recommend doing the work out you enjoy over anything else. If you don’t like it, you won’t do it consistently or effectively, so decide what exercises you find fun (or maybe just tolerable…I get it) and do that! Your options are endless, including weight lifting, cardio, spin classes, walking, short and intense HIIT workouts, swimming, golf, pickleball, body weight workouts, yoga, and more!

Finally, decide where you workout best. This may depend on what type of exercise you’re doing (obviously swimming and golf require a certain environment), but if you’re just lifting weights or doing cardio, it’s up to you! If you feed off the energy at a gym or a class, you may be more motivated while you’re there, so you’ll get a better workout. But if the gym is 30 minutes from your house or you work on the road, you may not make it there very often, so you may want to get a few dumbbells for your house or truck. You may choose to workout alone, or alongside someone else – but don’t ever rely on someone else to help you get fit!

Stop thinking about it:

If you give yourself a minute, you’ll find 18 excuses for why you shouldn’t work out. You’re busy, you’re tired, you worked out once and hurt your toe, your hamster is sick… the list goes on. The only way to avoid this is to not give yourself that minute of thinking. Either think about something else, like how great your workout will be and how good you’ll feel after, or just stop thinking all together and get the workout done!

When the workout time you chose above rolls around, immediately get your workout clothes on and head to your workout area, whether it be your basement, gym, or beside your truck. Start warming up, and get ready to rock it!

When you feel like quitting:

Need a little extra boost to get you in the zone? Pump up your favourite music to move to, whether it be rock, hip hop, or even classical…to each their own! If that’s not enough, watch a short video on YouTube to get you motivated, like an inspiring clip from the Olympics, an athlete training for a championship, or a motivational speech.

Then, get moving! If you’re tired and stay still, you’ll become more tired and relaxed. If you’re tired and start moving, your body will begin to produce more endorphins, providing you more energy. Focus on completing your workout in 10 minute chunks, to help the time feel like it’s passing quickly and to keep yourself focused on what you’re doing now, not what you still have left to do.

Nobody is going to do your workout for you, so accept the fact that it’s your responsibility to move your body regularly, and keep going.

If you’re sick, exhausted, or just can’t make the time:

Sometimes, it’s just not the right time for a workout. If that really is the case and you know it’s not just an excuse, take a break for the day! Let yourself heal, be productive, or sleep in. Working out isn’t the only side to getting healthy, so keep your nutrition dialled in and get back to working out as soon as you can, but do some stretches out get outdoors if you can. If you miss more than a few days in a row, you’ll have a tough time getting back into the routine, so try and make sure your break doesn’t turn into a hiatus!

Above all, have fun with your workouts and stay as consistent as you can. Consistency is the only way you’ll see results, and those results are what will get you wanting to workout more!