Keeping the Momentum Going
Hi friends! How was your weekend? Hope it was wonderful and relaxing. Ours ended up being a bit of a whirlwind, but it ended up with madre here for the week, so all is good. As usual, Livi FREAKED when we picked her up at the airport. Her happy giggles make my heart so warm. Every time P looks at her Nana Cece, her face lights up into the classic P gummy smile. The best.
We also had dinner with friends, I taught my first Zumba class since last summer (!), and we ran a ton of errands.
(Yay for groceries and fresh flowers.)
It’s hard to believe that Winter Shape Up has come to an end, and I’m not posting the weekly WSU details today. It flew by and Anne and I were blown away by your awesome check-ins and success stories!
A huge congratulations to the Sabra winner from our final WSU week: Liz!
(check your email and we’ll get your prize on the way!)
How to Keep the Momentum Going
Since the challenge as over, I’ve had a few requests for ideas to keep the momentum going. Once you’re immersed in a challenge, and it ends, it can be tricky to keep the motivation up. This can go for a variety of situations, whether it’s ending your package with a personal trainer, completing a yoga or studio fitness challenge, or a team effort, like training for a race or endurance event.
Use These Tips to Continue Working Towards Your Fitness Goals
-Assess what’s realistic. Usually many “challenges” involve performing activities more often than would be feasible for a long term. For example, a yoga challenge at a studio may not be something you could do every single month without risk of burnout. Instead, look at what you’ve been doing for the challenge, and what habits you can maintain for the long haul. If you’ve been more consistent with your workouts due to the event or group effort, determine times and techniques that worked the best for your schedule. Like if you found that you could easily sneak in a class after work instead of waking up at dark-thirty, take these habits with you to the next month.
-Find a new challenge. Usually studios have something going on each month to look forward to, and if not, talk to your favorite instructor or trainer to see if they have any ideas. With spring on the horizon, there are tons of opportunities coming up. At our local Orangetheory studio, they seem to always have a fun challenge or group training event going on. Even if you’re not dedicated to a class, seek out some online options or new training plans. (Like my Post Baby Bod Plan if you’re a new mama and are ready to get back into the fitness game!)
-Check out something entirely different. I could be wrong, but I think that a lot of you are like me and we like a LOT of different workouts. 😉 If you’re wrapping up a yoga challenge, check out some strength training plans. If you’ve completed a bootcamp, try Pilates or Spin. I’ve found that by constantly switching up my routine and the types of classes I attend, I never get bored and it’s easier to stay motivated.
-Determine what was motivating to you about the initial challenge, and use that theme as you move forward. Perhaps you were ignited by trying something new. Find another new fitness love (there are so many!). Or maybe the group motivation is what pumped you up. Get together a fitness group or a group of friends to train or work towards a new challenge. Maybe it was having a set schedule or goal for the week (like 4 workouts per week). Take that strategy with you if you found it successful!
-Sign up for my newsletter below to receive my monthly workout plans if you’re looking for ideas! Also, you can always repeat the challenge to make it an 8 week total program. It’s fun to look back at how certain aspects of the workouts become easier and you can increase weights over time.
Did you do Winter Shape Up? Are you wrapping up another fitness challenge, or have you ever completed a group challenge through a local studio? What was your favorite? What’s a fitness goal you’re working towards right now?
Hope you have a very happy Monday and I’ll see you later!
xoxo
Gina
Photos: Henry Young
35 Comments
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And if you find something you love, you should consider teaching it! I’m interviewing for a cycle instructor position this week. True love. 🙂
yayyyyy good luck on your interview!
Keeping your initial motivation and goal in mind is super helpful to me. PS I love that plank picture of you.
Goals and challenges are the best way to stay motivated and find new passions! That’s why I like training for races! I’d also add enlist a friend to do something with you! Two heads keep each other motivated so they are better than one!
I love how much Liv adores your mom! What a special relationship for them to share with one another!
Right now, I am committing to yoga every day and I LOVE it! It’s been an awesome experience, and I hope to keep it up once the Lenten season i over too! 🙂
Happy Monday, Gina. Hope you have a beautiful week. xx
thank you, lovely. hope you do, too!
All great tips!:)
These are all really good tips! I’m currently doing Kayla Itsines BBG program as well as running too. I have a few races planned for this spring so I’m getting excited about those!
This time of year, post new years resolution highs, it’s so hard to keep momentum going!
Love that you shared ways to keep the momentum going! It can be so easy to “take a break” after a challenge that lasts, well, until the next challenge lol
haha that is very true
I 100% agree with you on doing something totally different. I like to stay interested and for me, that means trying a lot of new things. I love completing a challenge but then I want to focus on something completely new!
Aww there’s nothing better than a visit from G-ma! (Except maybe gummy baby grins.) 🙂
Love Gerber daisies! Hope your Zumba class was fabulous!
The way kiddos love their grandparents is just the best!
I had to take a break from WSU during Week 3 because I got a really bad cold. I was so bummed! Last week I was finally able to start up workouts again and today I’m starting back with the Week 3 workouts. WO3 is a killer!
After WSU is over, I like to continue on with the routine it got me in, using my favorite workouts from the mix. I love the jumpstart these shapeups give in my fitness routine!
I loved WSU and am so looking forward to your monthly workout calendar. Thanks Gina, I really appreciate it!
so happy you enjoyed it! xoxo
WSU was a fun motivator as always! Thanks for all your hard work putting it together.
Enjoy your time with your mom!!
thank you so much!
I’m running a 21 day fix challenge, and I love it! Moving into round 3 now!
The gym at my office just finished a month log group fitness challenge, classes were worth different point values and a bonus class worth a lot of points every week. You could pick t reach either 300 points or 500. It was a blast and encouraged me to try new classes.
I used to be a devoted Pure Barre student and had a really hard time branching out into other forms of exercise. Though I still adore PB, I realized that my body hit a plateau and I wasn’t seeing all the results I wanted, though it was maintaining my figure. I remembered how you always say to mix things up, and though I dreaded the thought of it, I knew I had to! I’m going on my first beach vacation in five years in a few weeks and though I’m happy with my body, I wanted to feel as confident as possible. Lo and behold, I’ve actually really enjoyed mixing up my workout routine! A few circuits here and there, some HIIT workouts, some cardio, and of course PB. It was hard that first week or so but now I’m enjoying the flexibility that comes with having different options to choose from!
that’s awesome that you’ve switched it up a bit and that you’re enjoying it 🙂 variety is the spice of workout live
which beach are you visiting?
I’m lucky enough to be going to Maui 🙂
please go to leoda’s pie shop for me!!!!!
Thank you for the tip!! I will <3
Great tips! I find that working out with a buddy helps to keep me committed. Can’t let yourself AND someone else down. 🙂
i totally agree. love having a workout buddy!
I did WSU to a “T” and loved it! Thank you to you and Anne for everything you guys did for the challenge. I have looked and couldn’t find it- but i know you did a post on scheduling workouts/weekly workout schedules where you addressed how to schedule a week’s worth of workouts, what days to do certain workouts and what you should/shouldn’t do back to back, but I can’t locate it. Would you mind pointing me in the right direction? Thanks!
Sam
so happy you enjoyed it! thank you for supporting hiit it too 🙂 here you go: http://fitnessista.com/2010/07/how-to-create-a-workout-plan/
You’re the best! Thanks!
PS. I have HIIT it and checked there too! Just wanted you to know that I tried lol : )
Hi! Wondering if you are back to using shakeology and/or any recommendations for something similar but a little less pricey?!
hi! yes, i’m back to using it. i don’t have it every day, but most days. today was 1/2 a scoop in my oatmeal with some berries and cashew butter
i think vega is the most similar i’ve found but it doesn’t taste quite as good
i did WO 3 today! 🙂 i love incorporating shape up’s into my normal routine until the next one rolls around!
I JUST finished my own little food challenge. No refined carbs, no refined sugar, no dairy and no alcohol for 30 days. It was so hard at first, but got progressively easier, and I have so much more energy now. It involved a lot more meal planning and prep than I was used to, but I actually enjoy it. I like to spend my lunch hours on Pinterest looking around for new, healthy recipes. Now that the challenge is over, I won’t be so strict with myself but there are a LOT of things that I’ll be doing long-term. I realized that it wasn’t so hard to say no to every little craving (whereas before I would ALWAYS give in!), because at the end of the day, whether or not I ate that piece of chocolate or pizza or whatever have zero impact on my overall happiness. I felt better and prouder of myself for resisting than if I had given in. Of course, now I’ll be giving in to things here and there (read: wine and chocolate), but I learned a lot about myself. To “celebrate,” I really wanted a Costco hot dog (super weird, I know), and when I finally got it, it wasn’t even that good!