Ab Workouts for Women

Most of the time, when it comes to anything fitness-related, getting started is the hardest part. It’s easy to come up with all kinds of reasons why we can’t hit the gym today, but reality is, sometimes it just takes a tiny bit of fitness motivation to get moving. Here’s a little healthy push for inspiration:

A one-hour workout is 4 percent of your day.

That means it’s time to stop making excuses and get yourself moving. Seriously, yes, you’re busy. We’re all busy. Between work, your social life, volunteer activities and family, working out gets lost in the shuffle far more often than it should. To make sure you have time to work out, set a consistent time that you can stick to every single day. This may mean waking up one hour earlier, so that you can sneak in a quick run, or making dinner one hour later, so you can swing by the gym on your way home from work. Physical activity isn’t always convenient, but setting aside the same chunk of time to get active on a daily basis will make it part of your routine.

Tired of starting over? Stop giving up. 

Twice each year, a group of runners goes streaking. No, not running naked, but running nonstop. Staff members at Runner’s World sponsor the events where runners run for at least one mile every single day. The goal, of course, is that once you’re out there with the wind in your hair, you won’t stop at one mile, but rather keep chugging along for several. Even on your off days or rest days, at least you’re moving a little with a quick mile jog. Start your own running streak. Grab a few friends and challenge each other to a two or three-week running marathon. Download a running app so you can track each other’s progress and make sure to bug one another if you see someone slacking. It’s always easier to keep going than to start from scratch and a running streak is a great way to get and keep the ball rolling.

“Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second.” -William James

In other words, push yourself. One way to do this is by setting goals. Your goal could be to run farther or faster. You could aim for benching more weight or gaining flexibility in yoga. The key is to find something you’d like to get better at and commit to it. Instead of just thinking of goals in your head, assign deadlines and write them down. Verbalize your new goals to friends and family members, or even shout it out on social media. This is sort of a social contract that will make you feel obligated to keep on pushing yourself.

Fit is not a destination. It’s a way of life.

Many, maybe even most, people start working out because they want to lose weight, gain muscle or look a certain way. It’s OK to start for those reasons, but what you should come to realize along the way is that fitness is a lifestyle. It’s not a goal weight or goal pants size that you call it quits once you hit. It’s a new way of thinking, making time for physical activity in your life. Not only will you likely achieve those body goals you set out for, but you’ll feel more energetic in your day-to-day life, actually be happier and live longer.

For more inspiration, check out some fitness motivation pins on Pinterest.