After years of REALLY wanting to get fit but never quite finding enough motivation to push me into a consistent exercise routine (one that I actually stuck to), who would have thought that lockdown would be the thing that helped me finally find my fitness mojo?
Aged 38, I am aware that weight gain creeps up steadily with age and I am aware that a healthy body is vital for ageing well. But since having a kid, I just could not push myself past the line of motivation to stick to an exercise routine.
Then during lockdown, I stumbled across something for my daughter on YouTube called Go Noodle, which is a kid’s dance channel for fun exercise. My daughter soon got bored of it, but I enjoyed it! So I looked for easy adult dance routines on YouTube. And I loved it. From there, I looked at my diary and worked out where – REALLY where – I could feasibly fit in 30 minutes’ exercise each day, because I never seemed to have the time. I realised that I had 30 minutes available at 7.30am each morning, when I would usually sit and stare through kids’ TV while having a cuppa.
After getting into a routine over the course of a few days, I started to look for dance fitness workouts on YouTube; these are harder than the standard dance routines I was doing and sometimes include weights, so I was getting more bang for my 30 minutes of effort.
And so it transpires that, surprising myself, I still continue to do my 7.30am workout, 5 days a week. Because I ENJOY it. And I am seeing – and feeling – the results (especially having indulged in too much food and wine during the first few weeks of lockdown!).
So while I am no expert, here are my top tips to motivate yourself to get fit:
- Figure out a time in your day that you can consistently commit to doing exercise - and stick to it. Even 15 minutes is better than nothing and gets you into a routine
- Find a form of exercise you love, otherwise your motivation will soon disappear
- Start easy, then once you’ve got into a routine you can start to increase the intensity of exercise
- Know your motivation for getting fit – be it health, strength, appearance, etc – and keep it in mind when your resolve starts to weaken
Written by Jenni Retourné, Founder of Willowberry
Willowberry is 'Nutritious Natural' skincare for grown-ups for your best skin. Launched in 2017, Willowberry is an award-winning independent British brand that has gained a cult following. Loved by top make-up artists, the streamlined, highly effective range protects skin’s natural barrier function to nourish and transform grown-up skin, with indulgent formulas that feed the skin and soul.
