How to Start a New Routine
The Secret to Your Future is Hidden in Your Routine…
This is one of my favourite quotes and I 100% believe this. When you start a new routine or even think about it, it can be a daunting task. But once you jump on the bandwagon, it can be one of the most rewarding experiences. Since I started sharing my morning routine on Instagram Stories, I get a lot of questions about how I managed it and how I turned exercising at 6 am into a habit. Unfortutently, what you’re not going to want to hear is that it didn’t happen overnight. I think I read once it takes about 14 days to turn a hobby into a habit, and it was pretty much this time frame that it took for me to embrace my new routine.
MY NEW FITNESS ROUTINE.
For those interested, I work out pretty much six days a week. For my workouts, it’s a mixture of cardio and resistance. My routine is:
Monday: BBG Legs
Tuesday: 30-minute jog/ run
Wednesday: BBG Arms
Thursday: 30-minute jog/ run
Friday: BBG Abs
Saturday: 1-hour walk/ hike
I wake up at 6 am every weekday to workout, I have to get it done in the morning otherwise it won’t happen. It took a while to get used to, but now I love waking up and get moving in the morning. Honestly, the hardest part was starting. But I found these secrets/ tips that I worked out really helped with motivation and getting myself to where I am now.
These tips are going to be focused more towards my morning fitness routine, but I think most of these tips can be implemented into any new routine you want to set up. Even if you take one of these to start a new routine, I hope it helps towards enabling you to live the life you want to live. Here are some of my top tips for starting a new routine…
EASE INTO IT.
One thing you should not do it go full force into a routine. The first time I got up at 6 am to work out, it was the biggest shock to the system. It took every bit of will power to pull myself out of bed and get downstairs. Even when I started working out (which I use to do after work), getting my body was an adjustment. My one tip is not to go from zero to 30 in 60 seconds. If you’re looking to start working out, start with only working out for a couple of weeks every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If you’re looking to get up early, accept that those first workouts aren’t going to be amazing whilst your body gets used to its new wake up call. Don’t be too hard on yourself during this time. It will all come together. The first time that you jump out of bed with ease you’ll feel like a superhero. Trust me.
RECRUIT A TEAM MEMBER.
The first thing I did when I started my new routine was telling my husband about it. Then I told the internet. The reason why I did this was to have someone to hold me to account. If my husband knew this was my goal and I didn’t do it, I knew he would push me and question me. Same with announcing it on Instagram, now that I said it out loud, I had to do it. Whilst this is not something we can do at this current time, perhaps in the future, I would look to arrange to meet up with some friends for a workout. Or even do a Zoom workout right now. Having someone who will have your back and be your firm push to get you going will help you ease into the routine will be so beneficial.
SCHEDULE IT.
Another way to hold yourself accountable. Schedule it in your calendar. Mine are colour-coded (did you expect anything else with me?) so it’s so easy to spot when I plan to do some exercise and what I’m doing that day. Even now my routine is second nature to me, I still schedule it in for accountability. One thing it also does is show you exactly the time you have available. I found when I actually looked at my calendar and could I fit getting up early to workout AND get ready AND commute to work (when that was a thing) that actually yes, I had plenty of time in the morning to fit it all in. Whether your calendar is digital or old-school, get the different colours out and whatever you want to fit in, assign it a colour and get it into your calendar.
GET YOURSELF THE RIGHT TOOLS… OR GET CREATIVE!
When it came to getting into a working out routine, I knew I needed to find the right tools. For me, I jumped at signing up to Sweat, which is the app that BBG Guide is on. It is honestly worth every penny. I know some people have concerns about the equipment some of these exercises need. Right now, all the routines have been updated so that you can do them at home rather than the gym. But I was editing them prior to this to accommodate with doing them at home. Bicep dips were done using the fluffy stool. A large jar of flour or porridge oats is my big weight and two tins become my dumbbells while I wait for the ones I want to come into stock (pray for me).
If you’re looking to start a new fitness routine, you need the right tools to help you out. Find an app to help you with new workouts or tracking. And if you can’t get them right now, get creative! There are so many resources that you’re bound to find the one that works for you.
KNOW IT TAKES TIME AND YOU WILL GET THERE.
I truly wish you could snap your fingers and it bam! The routine is right there. Unfortunately, it does take a little time and patience. But I promise you, if you give the time you will be rewarded. One thing I can highly recommend from a fitness point of view is progress pictures. They show you how far you’ve come! It will show you how worth it was to put in those first few weeks of work to get what you’ve got now.
Good luck with your new routine. You’re awesome and you’re totally going to boss it.
