During the week it’s relatively easy to stay on track. You have your morning alarm, the expectation of showing up to work on time, the deadlines you have to meet, and the day-to-day responsibilities that sometimes get pushed to the side when Saturday comes.
If there’s one thing you have to keep in mind about fitness, though, it’s that staying on track is all about consistency. When you show up and put in the work, you get the results—it’s as simple as that. And when it comes to the end of the week, the same applies.
Here are five ways to stay motivated on the weekends.
1. Stick to a morning routine.
The easiest way to keep yourself on track on the weekends is to stick with a routine. Even though you may be tempted to turn off all your alarms and sleep in, the best thing to do is to give yourself some semblance of a schedule. No, you don’t need to get up at the crack of dawn, but commit to a morning workout or class. Get a walk in before you start your day, etc.
Having intention starting first thing in the morning will set the entire tone for the weekend. It also makes it much easier to stick with your goals when you have them in the forefront of your mind.
2. Plan out your meal choices.
Maybe you meal-prep during the week to make lunches and dinners easier. Don’t neglect this when the weekend comes! If possible, set aside some time on your weekend to make meals, or in the very least, plan out something to eat.
The hardest thing is to fight against temptation on Saturdays and Sundays. I don’t know about you, but going out to eat is my weakness! Being healthy doesn’t mean that you can’t go out to eat, but it does mean that you make better choices in terms of planning where and what you consume.
3. Rest.
This is probably one of the most valuable parts of the weekend—the rest. While this doesn’t necessarily mean sleeping the days away, it does mean making sure you’re getting enough sleep (especially if you’re going out on the town)!
Beyond sleep, you’ll also want to rest from any tough workouts you do over the week, as well as give your body some relaxation from stress.
4. Don’t make your weekends feel different.
One of the worst habits you can make for yourself is acting like the weekends are total breaks from your routines. While there is value in rest, recovery, and fun, you don’t want to set up your weekend to feel like a total abandon of everything you work so hard for during the week.
Going out, drinking, being lazy, eating more than normal—those ‘cheat’ days or moments are okay from time to time. But keep in mind that a single glass of alcohol can mess with the protein synthesis in your body, as well as have harmful effects on your muscle gain!
Drinking and having a good time with friends and family isn’t bad, but you want to be smart about it. If you’re seeing your weekend as a total ‘cheat’ on your workouts, fitness goals, and eating habits, you’ll only set yourself back. Have fun, but stay consistent, too.
5. Don’t punish yourself.
Finding ways to stay motivated on the weekends isn’t about punishing yourself for your mistakes or beating yourself up for the moments you break routine. When the weekend comes there are an infinite number of temptations. If you fall into one, don’t speak negatively to yourself. Instead, encourage yourself to be better next time. And if you mess up, simply look to restart first thing Monday!
0 Comments