How To Stick With Your Fitness Class Once And For All
It's no secret that the hardest part about attending a fitness class is staying consistent. If you find yourself jumping from one class to another, with long periods of time off, you may want to rethink your approach. According to Verywell Fit, the key to committing to a workout routine is by overcoming barriers that are holding you back. What do these barriers look like? They may be excuses about time constraints, a household budget to stick to, feeling too tired, lack of motivation, getting bored of the class, or quitting due to lack of results.
There are a few ways to ensure that you will stick to a fitness class, but much of it boils down to feeling at home in a community. Many times, all we need in order to stick with something is a solid group of people helping to motivate us. A fitness class is a great start because it offers you a chance to meet like-minded people who will help keep you on track. Moreover, with various options out there for you to choose from, sticking with a fitness class has never been easier. Here, we take a dive into how a community can help you stick with your fitness class for good.
Find the best fit
The first step to getting yourself into a good routine with a fitness class is to find the best fit for you. This may take some trial and error before you find what makes you want to keep coming back. One biggie that will determine whether you make it to class every week is the location of the gym. Finding a great class you enjoy close to your home is a huge factor in your success. Search online for exercise classes that interest you, and see which ones have the closest commute. If your gym is too far, you may encounter barriers such as the gas needed to get there each week, traffic issues, or always running late. Don't set yourself up for failure right off the bat by picking a class too far away.
The good news is there are so many types of fitness classes out there to try, with more popping up each day. Some examples include CrossFit, Orangetheory, barre, hot yoga, boot camp, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. If you have friends with similar interests, you may be able to schedule a class that you can all take together. Having friends to hold you accountable for showing up to class is so important. They'll keep you engaged, and you'll also be a source of inspiration to them when their motivation declines.
Make it personal
If you are having a hard time sticking to a class, or if you haven't exercised in a while and you want to get back into working out, it's time to make things personal. How do you make a fitness class personal to help with commitment? First, you have to think about your schedule and the time constraints that you have. Get honest with yourself about what kind of time commitment you can devote to the class. It's easier to start small and build up to more classes. This approach will help you avoid getting burnt out and eventually quitting. Also, consider gym memberships and fees when looking for a fitness class. How many classes are you able to afford each week without breaking the bank?
To pick the best class for you, you'll also want to consider your physical condition and restraints. Do you have any injuries you should talk to the doctor about before starting a high-intensity fitness class? If the class is new to you, but you really feel it will be a good fit, see if they have a fundamentals class you can start in. This way, you will build up your skills as you attend classes each week. Before you know it, you will be moving on to the more advanced classes. If you are super nervous about starting a class, consider working with a trainer for a few sessions before diving into a group environment.
Set your goals
On your path to committing to a fitness class, you should always be working on a goal. However, before you start setting goals for your fitness class, it's a good idea to find out what your intention is. Do you want to feel better physically and mentally? Do you want to lose a certain amount of weight? Are you looking to find friends and build a community? Becoming laser-focused on your wellness intention before you start goal setting will ensure that you always have a "why" for when the motivation starts to decline.
As recommended by Harvard Health Publishing, set a long-term goal, and then break it up into little bite-sized goals that you work on in shorter time frames. For example, if you want to attend a fitness class multiple times per week, but don't know where to start, make it your one-year goal to attend three classes per week. Write down the small steps that it will take to get there, and then take action. Maybe your first goal is walking into the gym and signing up for the class within one week. Then, make a one-month goal of attending one class per week. As you stay consistent, increase the frequency of the classes you attend, working your way up to that one-year goal.
Hold yourself accountable
As you are working on setting and smashing those fitness class goals, it's important to also keep track of your progress. A great way to hold yourself accountable to the goals you set is to chart your progress. Mark down when you attend a class on your fitness watch, planner, or calendar so that you can chart the amount of times you worked out during the month. You can also write down notes about how the class went so that you can work on improvements. There are many fitness apps, journals, and planners out there to help you stick with your fitness goals.
Within each fitness class you also have specific markers that you can work towards. Orangetheory is a great example, as it helps you track your performance during class (via Elle). This way, you can work up to a specific strength or endurance goal within your fitness class. Additionally, regular attendance at fitness classes helps us aim for even bigger fitness goals in our lives. Many people who frequent classes go on to set huge goals for themselves such as running marathons, competing in competitions, or becoming coaches themselves.
Take care of your body
As you start to develop a good routine with your fitness classes, don't forget to make sure you are staying healthy in all areas of your life. Sometimes this may look like taking a rest day so that you can heal sore and tired muscles. Rest days in between hard fitness classes are key to building muscular strength and endurance. Don't think of it as skipping a workout. Instead, look at it as a way of optimizing your fitness outside of the gym environment. Keep in mind that overtraining leads to decreased motivation, which leads to burnout.
You also don't want to overwork your body, putting yourself at risk of getting sick or injured. Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint. Schedule time in your week for your body to recover — take a sauna, try an ice bath, submerge your muscles in an Epsom salt soak, get a massage, or invest in a massage gun. Your muscles will thank you when you take care of them! Rest days also offer you time to evaluate how much progress you have made. Finally, don't forget to celebrate those hard-earned gains once and a while. Buy yourself that new yoga mat you have been eyeing, take your friends out to coffee, or celebrate your progress with some quality family time.
Lean on community
Another way to hold yourself accountable is through your fitness community. People who frequent your fitness classes are great resources in accountability. Create online groups to help motivate each other, share healthy recipes and workouts, or set up a group chat with a few friends who attend your class. This way, on those days that you don't feel like going, you can reach out to your community for motivation.
Fitness classes offer us a place for social stimulation as well as physical health and wellness. The concept of a third place is the notion that humans crave a space to go outside of home and work. It is somewhere that offers a community of like-minded people a place away from the stressors of home life and the demands of work. A fitness class is the perfect third-place environment. It all boils down to having a good work-life balance. When you find the perfect fitness class — one that you love going to each week — you'll be able to form a community that helps you grow in all areas of your life.