If you’ve fallen out of love with exercise, how do you make yourself fall back in love? After taking five months out for no real reason other than September was a really busy month, I lost my way. I fell out of a good routine. And then I injured my ankle. I lost the definition in my arms and legs that I had worked hard to achieve, my belly had grown and my self confidence was starting to drop. My clothes were becoming tighter and whilst I never thought I was big (define big), I just knew that I could be a better version of me. Since George arrived I have been working hard to get back to somewhere close to my pre-pregnancy weight, and what I have learnt is that isn’t possible. My body is different now. I accepted that four years ago when I first started to train. And so, right back at the beginning of the year I set myself a goal to get back in to my training. To work on me. And to fall back in love with exercise.
Sometimes life happens. Its easy to go off track when family commitments pop up, holidays, work and more. And then like mine your exercise routine goes from regular to non-existent. So the question I started to ask myself was how do you get back into a routine? For me, I just had to do it. To break the bad habits and start at the beginning again. It was hard but gosh am I seeing the rewards now. I initially started training three times a week with my friend building up my confidence and now I’m up to seven or eight sessions a week. This might not be possible for some but mainly I fit my training in pre 7am, four out of seven sessions are whilst the boys are sleeping which makes me feel less guilty as I’m not missing much and they’re not missing me. I miss it when I don’t train.
I feel so much better in myself. I’m happier. It’s my release. A way of letting go for 30 mins. I’ve received so many messages on Instagram asking about my diet and training patterns, how I stay motivated and wake each morning at 5.30am. For this post I thought I would focus on my training although a healthy diet has definitely played a big part so I will follow up on this. And so here’s one reason why I stay motivated…
Each time I train I see eight points whizz over to my Vitality App and then my benefits load as my points increase over the week. Once I hit twelve a free Starbucks and Cinema vouchers are released – nothing like free coffee to keep me motivated. And whilst this post isn’t an advert for Life Insurance, Mr H and I are definitely enjoying a healthier life since signing up. We are both pushing ourselves. And I get a lovely new Apple Watch as part of my commitment to training although I do have to achieve a minimum of 40 points a week which is another motivator. Nothing like being in competition with yourself.
I thought I would share my top tips with you…
- Commit to fifteen minutes every day and build from there. Everyone can spare a few minutes. If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed then little and often could be the answer. There are so many resources online to help you if you don’t want to enter a gym setting. I love Joe Wicks HIIT workouts for beginners but of course there are others out there. I prefer to go to an actual class, I attend circuit and spinning classes at Ultimate Fitness which I’ve found over the years works best for me in terms of the environment and the trainers.
- Do it for yourself, not anyone else. Before George arrived and before I met Mr H it was just me. And so this is me working on me.
- Set yourself a target. I gave myself a weight loss target, in all honesty I don’t know if I have hit it. I stopped weighing myself weeks ago as I could see and feel the changes. I also gave myself a target of how many classes I wanted to hit a week – this was five. I’m currently doing seven or eight a week.
- Take photos – this is exactly what I did (see below). I took them 12 weeks before starting PT sessions and getting back into an exercise routine. And in all honesty I didn’t like what I saw. Mr H tried to be kind but I hadn’t realised how much my body had changed. There was so much I didn’t like. From that day on I was motivated to keep going.
- Get an exercise buddy. This is part of the reason I didn’t go back in September, my training partners had all moved on. They help so much, with encouragement and commitment to attending a class. I go as far as booking my classes a month in advance on the Ultimate Fitness App and sharing my schedule with Hannah so that we go together or need a really good excuse for missing one. I haven’t missed one yet!
- On tough days remember how good it feels. This is so important. You will have tough days, you’ll have days when you’d rather lie in bed. Just do it. Get up. And Go. My alarm pings at 5.30am four days a week and by Thursday I am shattered BUT I wake remembering how I feel afterwards. I never regret a training session.
And the last four points are from my personal trainer Steve, I thought it would be helpful to get some tips from a professional who helped me return after my injury. He has really helped me to understand my limits, push them on a weekly basis as well as re focussing my attention on good form and using different methods to train and ultimately get results…
And here they are, my twelve week progression photos. My goal when I signed up to working with Steve as my Personal Trainer was fat loss and toning. My problem areas have always been my belly, my arms and tone in my legs. They say A Moment On The Lips, A Lifetime On The Hips. Well for me, during those five months when I took a break definitely made a difference to my body. And you’ll see from these photos that I carry my weight around my belly and back. And whilst I still have some distance to go I felt proud when I saw these photos last week. This is me, closer to where I want to be. I’m happy, but I will keep going, I want to be the best version of me.
If you’re thinking of getting back into training then do let me know how you get on. And as always ask me any questions in the comments.
I’m Kerri-Ann or KA as my friends call me, always found with a cup of coffee in one hand and my camera in the other. I have a huge passion for photography, fitness, fashion and family travel. I started this blog in 2014. It began as my creative outlet after becoming a mummy to our little boy George Archie. I started out blogging about parenting and over the years it has evolved into a blog that covers lifestyle, fashion, family and travel. Today TheKAEdit is ultimately a life and style blog. Thank you for reading x x
Well done you are looking fantastic….I’m trying to get back into training but find it sooo hard getting up early to work out but like you with 2 daughters and a full time job i find it is the best time of day.
Thanks so much. Training in the morning works for me for sure. It can be tough some days getting up so I try to do early starts 3 days a week. I find excuses not to train in the evening. Good luck getting back into things
Fab post KA. Exercise has completely gone by the wayside for me and I’m not liking what I see in the mirror but struggling to find the motivation to do something about it! This was a great read well done x
Thank you Gemma, that’s so lovely of you to say. I would definitely start by doing a Joe Wicks session for beginners, it really helps to kick start the training mentally x
Wow you are making amazing progress, I have only started to get back into it when Joe went back to school and those couple of months took their toll, I can so feel it and am so enjoying getting back into excessive. I even managed 3 classes in St Lucia. Well done Ka you are totally rocking this x
Aww thank you Sarah, I’m definitely working hard and found a new release. Well done for doing something when you were in St Lucia. I’m hoping to train when we are in Spain x
Fab post. You are doing so well and are looking great. We are away in Norway at the moment and my aim is to do some form of exercise each day. (Taking advantage of having Mr K around each day to keep an eye on our 2 year old) Your post motivated me to get up and out for a run this morning.
Thanks so much Claire. I’m actually taking my resistance bands and trainers on holiday with me to train for 15/20 mins every morning just to allow me to drink all the mojitos 🙂 x
Well done KA, the difference in that time really is quite remarkable! Some great tips here and I’ve heard lots about the HIIT workouts. I do think a PT is the way to go if you’ve got a specific goal in mind. I try to go to the gym 3 times a week and that just maintains where I am. I know that drinking wine doesn’t help with the mum tum! Look you, I hold my weight around the middle which you can disguise with clothes but when it’s bikini time, doesn’t feel quite so nice! xx
Thanks so much lovely, I am really proud of what I have achieved. Just trying to maintain my efforts now. The HIIT workouts are really good, and great for busy lives. Wine is definitely calorific so I’ve given up on wine and now drinking Gin or staying off it completely. x
I think the key words are commitment and consistency – well done you for getting back into what helps you feel better. I too get up at 5am but it’s to work rather than work out. With my husband working all sorts of weird shifts in his job there’s no way I could have a regular session at the gym before my girls get up because some days he’s already gone to work and other days he’s comatose after a night shift and wouldn’t wake up when they do. (In fact, I’ve never set foot in a gym apart from having some physio of a shoulder injury I sustained in a car accident). I’ll stick to my yoga and long walks in the woods for now (though one day I’ll start running like I keep promising myself I will!). I hope you manage to keep up your routine and that you continue to feel better and better 🙂
My husband always says he loves how committed I am when I put my mind to something. I guess it depends if you want to do any exercise, one thing I have learnt is that if you do you’ll fit 30 mins in or even 15. If you don’t then you won’t. I guess its simple really. You have to do what’s right for you.
You are so determined when you set your mind to something KA! Your hard work is paying off on every level. All those early morning sessions, even the thought of them makes me want to cry. I’ve definitely put weight on in the last 6 months, and feeling really unfit. With my husband and eldest at swim training most nights I find it hard to go to classes as I’m either at home with the youngest or they are at the wrong time. I’ve started going to a yoga class though and in September I’m adding another one, coupled with kickstarting my healthy eating I hope to be on a healthier path. x
Thank you sweetie. Thankfully my hard work paid off and I felt confident and enjoyed my break. I’m already back to it and hoping this is cemented in my routine now x