Home / Cardiovascular / Staying Motivated

 

amys-blog

Staying Motivated

I’ve never had much of a problem motivating myself to workout. It was always part of my routine Monday through Saturday, with a rest day on Sunday. I’ve been doing it for years. Don’t get me wrong, some days were definitely harder than others, but I would take a class or go for a run and get the workout in.

Once I got pregnant, that whole motivated “gotta get the workout in” attitude changed. For 12 weeks I thought I was going to barf every time I jumped or ran, or smelled the sweat walking into the gym. I’m pretty grateful I didn’t throw up on anyone while teaching class or during a personal training session (came close a couple times). For the majority of first trimester, I couldn’t work out. Once second trimester hit, I had more energy and felt like myself again (except my belly keeps getting bigger and that number on the scale keeps going up). But, I still had such a hard time motivating myself to work out. I started getting out of breath in the first 5 minutes of class and we hadn’t even finished the warmup! I felt defeated for a while and thinking about working out throughout my entire pregnancy was daunting. I’ve realized that if I take it week by week it is much easier to motivate myself to keep going. On Sundays, I try to plan out my goals and workouts for the week, trying to get 5 workouts in with 2 rest days. I’ve also accepted that it’s OK that I can’t keep up with everyone in class, or that I have to grab lighter weights than I’m used to. You have to do what’s right for yourself at the time. I have so much more energy after a workout, which helps keep me motivated to continue working out each day.

Whether you’re pregnant, coming back from a workout break, or just starting up, you have to listen to your body. It may be daunting to think about working out 5 days a week for the rest of the year. Take it day by day, week by week or month by month, and make smart, attainable goals. If your shoulder is bothering you, grab those lighter weights. If you need a break, take a rest day. Try a new class at FITT-RX, or small group training if you feel like you’re in a rut. Be smart, but stay active. It’s worth it.

–Amy Shannon, Certified Personal Trainer at FITT-RX

 
Share this page
 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *