Top 10 Ways to Avoid Workout Distractions – Fitness Monday with Karma Nelson
So you love to workout, but the stresses and responsibilities of daily life are getting to be too much of a distraction. Where’s the ME time?!?!? Trust me, I’m a busy momma and have been there plenty of times myself. You’re either too tired to workout, or too busy at work to shut your brain off and relax with a killer heart-pumping workout.
Well stop feeling like all is lost, take a deep breath, and read my Top 10 tips to avoid workout distractions.
- Embrace Morning Workouts – My No. 1 suggestion. I know the thought of waking up at 4:30 a.m. to workout is likely not tops on your To Do list, but why not? At that hour, there are no screaming kids, there are no emails to read and nobody is blowing up your cell phone. It’s just you and the workout of the day! The biggest benefit is it releases positive endorphins, makes you feel good about yourself and helps you prepare to take on the day with gusto!
- Avoid The Gym, Workout From Home – I’ve talked at great length in previous blogs about the benefits of home workouts. I’m a believer because it saves time, money and increases your efficiency as you prepare for the day. You really don’t need all that expensive equipment, and besides, there are a ton of distractions at the gym. So avoid it all together.
- Be Efficient – Unless you are training to be a bodybuilder, who works out for 2-3 hours anymore? Not to mention, who has the time? Focus on getting your workout done in 30 minutes to an hour.
- Turn your phone off – What? My phone has a power off button? My friend told me that before smartphones, he used to leave his flip phone in his gym bag when he went to the gym. Then he started bringing it with him, and it was the worst thing he could have done. If you use your phone to listen to music stations like Pandora, then just don’t use it for anything else while you are working out. Your time is the most important thing – so take advantage of it.
- Get Your Kids, Husband Involved – My husband, Brett, loves our home workouts. We get up every morning to get our workout in together. One of our kids happens to be an early riser, and ends up working out with us. Even our dog Jojo is part of the fun.
- Goal Setting – Not sure why I put this so far down on the list. Decide your workout routine, or which video you want to workout to, ahead of time. Use a log to track your progress.
- Eat The Right Foods – Foods like oatmeal, bananas, salmon, and eggs are examples of healthy foods that can improve your concentration and improve energy levels. Combine that with a solid morning workout, and you are guaranteed to have a better day.
- Sleep – A no-brainer. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults need between 7-8 hours of sleep each night. For teenagers it’s anywhere from 9-10, and 10 for school-age.
- Think Outside The Box – I actually read this somewhere. Have you ever tried working out without any music? Maybe give the phone and earbuds a rest, or put your favorite workout video on silent? Sounds crazy, but it will help you focus on form and train your brain to concentrate in awkward situations.
- Take Advantage Of Ideas In The Shower – I wanted to close out this list with something that isn’t necessarily workout related, although you should take a shower after you workout. There’s a waterproof notepad called Aqua Notes, and it even comes with a pencil. Suction it to the wall in your shower and use it to write down your goals/objectives for the day.
Bottom line, even if you incorporate half of this list into your life, I guarantee you will see a difference. We can’t completely avoid distractions, but there are ways to be strategic and face them head on.
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