The Exercise Hack That Means I Never Miss A Workout

Let me begin by saying that I’m a bit of a newbie to this whole working out thing. Sure I’ve, how can I put this, ‘dabbled’ with exercise in the past but I’ve never really found a routine that’s stuck.

That is until now. I joined a new gym at the beginning of January (me and everybody else, right?) and since then I’ve worked out every week at least three times a week without fail.

So what’s been different this time around?

Well as an introduction let me explain that I like to keep my workouts short. You won’t see me getting my sweat on for longer than 45 minutes for two reasons: one) because there’s evidence to suggest that working out past this point could actually be hindering your goals and two) because it’s a lot easier to motivate yourself to workout for 45 minutes than it is to muster up the energy for a two hour session.

Like this post? You’ll love this: Here’s How Much Cardio You Need To Do Each Week To Lose Weight. Hint: Not Much

That said, while I’ve been fairly consistent over the past five or so months, I still have my off days. My co-workers can attest the fact that every Wednesday without fail, I’ll try and talk my way out of going to my weekly Body Pump class.

So what about those days when I really, really don’t want to workout?

This is what I do: I half my workout. That’s right, instead of my usual 45 minute session, I’ll tell myself I only have to go for 20 minutes, and really working out for a measly 20 minutes doesn’t seem so daunting.

Whats more if I’ve scheduled myself in to do a gruelling leg session which I’m really not looking forward to, I’ll let myself off the hook a bit and aim to do something I find more enjoyable, like HIIT cardio.

What usually happens is, I’ll go in for the 20 minutes and once the endorphins starts flowing and I get sweating I’ll want to stay longer.

And on the days I do my 20 minutes and I’m still not arsed? Well, at least I did something. Yes, even if it’s only a little bit.