I have long been a gym regular (in large part because I work there part-time as a spin instructor) and I have owned my Peloton for four years, but I never considered myself a workout fiend. But lately, I've gotten more serious about it. I'm using apps to monitor my protein intake, filling my downtime with sports, and even—and especially—working out at home.
I invested in equipment
Money is a major motivator for me. Maybe it’s because of all my Capricorn zodiac placements, the fact that I’m an only child, or just a personality defect with no explanation, but the fact remains: I am incapable of enjoying a hobby without tying it to some kind of financial stakes. I can't simply like fashion; I have to constantly sell and rent out my clothes online so I can get money to buy more clothes. I can't simply take spin classes; I have to get certified so I can teach them. Teaching spin, it turns out, paid dividends for me: I got paid to do a thing I would otherwise be paying to do, and I got a free gym membership in the bargain. Initially, however, that backfired: Because I was no longer paying for my gym membership, I stopped going to the gym when I wasn't teaching. Turns out that financial motivator was key to my productivity.
I also began collecting workout equipment, like weights, a sturdy yoga mat, yoga blocks, and random tools like resistance bands and this strange little device for more effective body-weight squats. I keep it all in the open in my living room so that I have to consider my investment every day. If I don't use it, I'll know my money is going to waste. It's an aggressive defense against my own lazy tendencies, but it works for me.
Pilates Bar Kit with Resistance Bands $27.99 at Amazon Learn More Learn More $27.99 at AmazonThis also addresses one of the other ways the gym tends to be better than at-home workouts: The more equipment you have, the more you can do, and the more you'll want to do. It's no fun to follow along with a YouTube video or a Peloton strength workout and not have the right tools. Spending not only money, but time, figuring out what you need to meet your goals is worthwhile.
You can set out to curl a certain weight by your next birthday, gain a certain circumference on your bicep by autumn, lose a certain amount of pounds by an upcoming event—it doesn't matter what your goals are so much as it matters that they're unique, actionable, measurable, and time-based.
Don't forget to track your progress toward your goals. Cristina Chan, a F45 Global Recovery Athlete, tells me that when it comes to staying motivated to work out solo, "Tracking your workouts in a way that’s visual and rewarding can be a game-changer." She encourages clients to mark off a calendar, fill in a habit tracker app, or even put sticky notes on a wall to keep track of active days. "Seeing your consistency build over time is a powerful motivator and it shifts the focus to showing up, not just physical results."
I dress to impress (myself)
I could do my at-home workouts in my pajamas, but that doesn't put me in the "workout" headspace. It puts me in the "lounging" headspace. Making the conscious decision to get up and put on compressive garments, high socks, and a sturdy hair clip tricks my brain. I wouldn't lounge around all day in those tight clothes, so my mind automatically knows it's not time to lounge at all. Even if no one sees me in my matching sets, I "see" myself, and know what time it is. When I finish my at-home workout, I put on a new outfit, just as if I was leaving the gym.
All of these rituals are about getting into the correct mindset. Your living room probably doesn't look like a gym or have gym vibes, so it's on you to make yourself feel like you're ready to work out.
This is why I love taking Peloton classes. The leaderboards make it easy to feel like I'm part of a real class, and I always feel a need to compete with other people—even faceless strangers whose output scores I'm trying to beat in a virtual setting. If you don't have a Peloton, there are other ways to accomplish this same thing.
A lot of virtual fitness instructors, like people who upload cycling classes to YouTube, offer live classes, too. Just like signing up for a class at the gym, this can force you to work out when you might not otherwise want to. You don't want to miss class or make other regulars wonder where you are.
I add variety
To inject some variety, I mix up what I'm doing on my Peloton. I watch YouTube videos, play games, and take scenic rides. I schedule rides with friends and have even taken classes in foreign languages just to force myself to pay extra attention to the on-screen metrics. Beyond the Peloton, I try to do an array of other kinds of workouts, though a lot of them—like stretching and meditation—are also available in the Peloton app. I even divvy days up the same as I would in the gym, focusing on legs one day, arms the next, and so on.
If you're tired of the same four walls, stretch on your deck. Jog down the block. Get yourself out of the same room you're always in so that the workout feels fresh.
Now, I'm slowly figuring out the schedule that works best for me, which is harder in the summer months, when the likelihood of going out at night is much higher. As it stands, I'm doing morning Peloton rides on the days I'm not already teaching a spin class at 7 a.m. (with a 10-minute "cooldown" Peloton ride when I get home on the days I do teach), then immediately doing yoga, stretching, or mat pilates right after work at least three days a week. I also try to make sure at least one leisure activity a week is more activity than leisure, like golfing, playing basketball, or swimming, and those are usually slated for weekend afternoons.
I try to be kind to myself
I'm serious about this one. I've been working hard for the last year or so to stop badmouthing myself when I don't do as well at something as I think I should. Getting down on yourself only worsens your mood, which isn't particularly motivating. There are days I really do not want or have time to work out, so I queue up a 10-minute meditation on the Peloton app to maintain my active days streak. I don't give myself grief about this, and that's key: I know that if I felt bad about it or made myself feel lazy or guilty, I'd start to associate those negative feelings with working out altogether—and then I might quit.
Chan suggests having a "bare-minimum" workout allowance for those off days—your version of my Peloton meditations. "Some days, motivation just isn’t there and that’s normal," she says. "I tell my clients to always have a go-to ‘bare minimum’ workout: five minutes of mobility or three sets of a simple bodyweight circuit. Even if that’s all you do, you’ve kept the habit alive. Most of the time, once you start moving, you’ll want to keep going."
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