SPRING REFRESH: 3 EASY WAYS TO SPRUCE UP YOUR WORKOUT ROUTINE

I’m back with another “SPRING REFRESH” post, yay! You can find the last one here. Since the dust has settled from all the new years resolutions, we’ve (hopefully) made it through flu season, schedules are getting more structured (and full) and the sun is coming out to play (yay vitamin D!) I’ve been focusing more on my workout routine and found a few things that have really helped spruce things up… Here are 3 changes I’ve recently made that have helped me stay more consistent!

1. SCHEDULE IT | my trick to getting just about anything done is to actually add it to my calendar + planner. When the kids were younger we had a pretty strict routine for our days and I could always count on a 30 minute block either before or after their afternoon nap where a ride in the jogging stroller (with their lunch or snack) was a good idea. After Johan got hired as a firefighter and now that we have older kids, our routine had become much less predictable and more busy so I literally have to block out a time on google calendar and in my daily planner to workout.
2. FIND YOUR UNIFORM | the less I have to think about working out the more likely I am to do it. I’ve found stocking my closet with enough of my go-to workout gear has been a big help! Also putting it all in the same section of my closet (instead of spread out between bins, dressers and hangers) helps keep me in autopilot. My current uniform includes my favorite leggings, a cotton tee (or one of Johan’s), a sweatshirt and a hat to keep the rain off my face.
3. SWITCH THINGS UP | sometimes I get into a rut simply because I’ve been doing the same workouts over and over again. I used to only go for runs so when we joined a gym after Griffin was born, I felt extra inspired. After using the Sweat app for the last couple years, adding running back into my routine felt so good (although a little slow at first, lol). One day, when everyone’s in school, I hope to sign up for workout classes. However, switching things up could mean anything from finding a workout partner to going for a hike on the weekends to deciding to train for a half marathon.
4. TURN YOUR “I SHOULD” INTO “I MUST” | as I was thinking back on my workout journey and the seasons I was more consistent, it occurred to me that there was a time when working out was more a matter of survival (I HAD TO!) than an item on my to do list. I truly needed the endorphins and moment of self care… So as I’ve been working on getting more consistent I’ve tried to tap into that mindset of “have to” and it’s made a huge difference the last few weeks :) I know that’s not long but feels like a small victory over here and something worth sharing… mindset is so powerful!

Another question I get asked a lot that I thought would be good to answer in this post…

Q: When do you find time to workout?

Currently Johan and I have been getting up at 5am on mornings that he has to leave for shift, to go for a run in our neighborhood. Luckily no one has woken up while we’re gone, but thankful for teenagers in the house… (there’s a whole new level of parental freedom when you can leave for 30 minutes without hiring a sitter!!!!). It’s my favorite way to start the day but just to be clear, I might be a morning person, but have NEVER been a morning worker-outer person (I prefer coffee and quiet time, lol) so the first mile and a half feels like torture! On days Johan is home from the station, I’ll often go for a run around 7 without interrupting dinner or bedtime (yay daylight savings!) and then all other days I bring my yoga mat and weighted ball outside while the kids are playing either in our backyard, at the park or before a baseball game/practice and go through a circuit workout on the SWEAT app.

I really need to work on my flexibility, lol.

Also, there are few things more awkward than taking pictures while pretending to workout. We had planned on snapping a few candid shots while going for a hike with the kids earlier that morning , but it rained buckets so we stayed home. Later that day after Oz’s baseball game the rain stopped (finally) so we took advantage, grabbed my mat and camera from the car and snapped a few pics… Sometimes you just gotta go with it, ha!

Since I’m not a fitness blogger by any means I’m always pleasantly surprised by the reaction I get from posts like these BUT love the comments and convos that take place… a good reminder that we really are in this season of life together! So please share where you’re at, what’s working for you and what you might be struggling with below.

XOXO, Rae