Workout Tips & Tricks

It’s the first week of March, which means the motivation and inspiration behind our New Year’s resolutions might be dwindling – aka, do you remember your resolutions!? I love exercising but I suffer a lot from skipping workouts because “I don’t have enough time for them in my day.” I’m 25 so I want to take advantage of my young, healthy, strong body because I know it’s truly a gift that I’m fortunate to have. What a shame to waste it. So, I’ve strategized 10 workout tips & tricks for staying on top of working out. These tips truly help me and make a huge difference in my fitness routine! Plus, it’s spring which means spring break and then summer break (teacher perks!). It’s time to get serious!

Pants (c/o) / Top (c/o) / Sports Bra (c/o) / Tennis Shoes (personalize your own pair) / Fitbit / Hair Tie

Get the look:

Before we get to my tips and tricks, let’s talk a little fitness fashion. I can’t wear this Carbon38 workout outfit enough! The top is my go-to easy, breezy tank to throw on. It breathes so well because of the ripped open back style. I usually go for simple sports bras but lately I’ve been loving the feeling of stepping up my game by sprucing up my sports bra collection (goodbye old ratty pairs!). I’m having a major moment with this graphic print bra. I’m not going to lie, it feels good to look good and workout in style! Plus, how fun are these pants? A classic black legging with a twist!

My Tips & Tricks for Accomplishing My Fitness Goals (I CAN do it!):

1.  It’s all mental. The minute I think about a workout as an item on my to-do list is the minute I loose all interest. I try to reframe working out as a healthy lifestyle choice that will benefit me today and years from now.

2. Set a realistic workout schedule. If I know I have report cards due or some other insanely time-consuming thing going on, then I don’t aim to workout five days that week. I will not be able to accomplish that goal and I will feel bad about failing at it. Rather, I tell myself I’m going to workout on Tuesday and Thursday. Now, that I can plan around and feel good about. I can get a five day workout week in when my report cards are done.

3. Set exercise goals. Is there a particular reason I’m working out this week, this month, or this year? Some weeks, my motivation for working out is as simple as my urge to sleep better. Whatever your goal is, continue to be realistic and don’t expect to see immediate results overnight. Goals take time. If goals didn’t take time, then they wouldn’t be called goals. It’s a marathon, not a sprint! See below for my 2016 fitness and health goals.

4. Sleep. Honestly, if I don’t get enough sleep one night (it happens WAY too much), then I won’t have the energy to workout the next day. Sleep is the key to the maintenance of our entire body. When I get quality sleep I workout more.

5. Buy new workout clothes. Why, because it’s fun and feels so good to step out in a new pair of Nike’s or a new colorful top. Carbon38 workout clothes are my obsession right now. Their clothes are so comfy and when I slip them on, I truly feel ready to kick butt! It is clearly a company run by women, for women.

6. Workout with a friend. Exercising is so much more fun when you have a buddy to go with, to help motivate you, or to talk with during workouts. If I make a plan to workout with a friend, I will 100% follow through with it because I won’t bail on a friend (the way I might bail on a workout, eek!).

7. Sign up and/or pay ahead of time for classes. Hey, if I sign up for a class and miss the free cancelation deadline, then you know I’m going!

8. Diversify your workouts. This is HUGE for me. I have to move my body in different ways to stay interested and challenged. I love to mix it up with indoor and outdoor workouts too. Here’s my go-to list of activities: yoga classes, running outside, cardio classes, hiking, neighborhood walks, skiing, stairs, and tennis.

9. Get some healthy PINspiration. Create an exercise or healthy living Pinterest board. You’ll be able to save workouts and recipes that you want to try and then Pinterest will start recommending more similar pins to you, hence the inspiration is endless.

10. Thank goodness for music! Revamp your workout playlist once a month and save new playlists so you can go back to them. Sometimes I’m craving top 40 hits while other times I want to workout to upbeat classics like The Rolling Stones. Then there’s my nineties and my eighties workout playlists. You can also search for workout playlists on Spotify. Music keeps my energy levels high so it’s a must!

Bonus tip: Congratulate yourself. You are strong, healthy, beautiful, motivating, deserving, energizing, and amazing! Remind yourself of this everyday and thank your body for serving you so well by giving it a good sweat.

My 2016 Fitness and Health Goals:

The first week of January, I wrote about my resolutions for the year. In my personal life, I also wrote down my goals for 2016 based on the short-term (3 month goals), mid-term (6 month goals), and long-term (12 month goals). It’s time to check in with the fitness & health goals that made it on this list. When I wrote these, my idea was to build on them; so, everything listed in my 3 month fitness & health goals still stands for my 6 month and 12 month lists.

My 3 Month Fitness & Health Goals for 2016:

– Get 6 hours of sleep a night… sort of check.

– Attend Hunter’s Boot Camp as many times as I can… need to work on this!

– Try boxing… in the works.

– Build a stronger core… I’m doing daily planks.

– Take tennis lessons with my friend Allison… check!

– Do 3 workouts each week (preferably different ones – CorePower yoga, Burn 60, Orange Theory, running, tennis, hiking, the Santa Monica Stairs)… working on it.

– Eat dinner at home 3/4x per week… check!

– Make a Be Well By Kelly Smoothie 4x per week… check!

My 6 Month Fitness & Health Goals for 2016:

– Get 7 hours of sleep a night

– Do 4 difficult local Los Angeles hikes

– Do the Santa Monica Stairs once a month

– Lose 5 pounds and maintain it (focusing on gut health)

– Make a new recipe once a month

My 12 Month Fitness & Health Goals for 2016:

– Maintain 7 hours of sleep a night

– Add a couple of new recipes to my routine that make eating at home easy

– Keep that same 5 pounds off (focusing on gut health)

– Finish 2016 feeling like I had a healthier, more balanced year

How do you like to work out and stay healthy? A handful of my friends do the at home/gym workouts by Kayla Itsines. I must admit, I’m considering joining the bandwagon. I’d love to hear any tips you have in the comments below!

Photography by Valorie Darling