Celebrate September with a Fresh Workout Routine

It’s that time of the year again—the start of a new season. As the weather changes, it’s a great opportunity to change up your fitness routine. Here are eight easy and effective ways to kick off a fresh workout routine.

Sign up ahead of time
Commit yourself by registering for fitness classes and training sessions in advance. By pre-booking, you commit yourself to a full, non-stop workout session with a group or trainer. Additionally, many businesses charge a fee or apply other consequences for no-shows—so you have even more motivation to show up.
Try group fitness
Take classes and make friends with the regulars at your local gym or fitness studio. Working out with a group of likeminded people motivates you to try harder than you would alone, and the energy of the class will keep you going in the moments you want to give up. Think of your classmates as teammates—you wouldn’t want to quit and let them down, would you?
Challenge yourself
Create micro-challenges that will help you reach your long-term goals—whether your focus is on improving cardio stamina, increasing reps, refining your yoga practice or anything in between. Reach your goals by increasing difficulty slightly over time: give yourself a deadline and then extend the finish line, increase the number of reps or practice a new pose.
Work out with a partner
Work out with someone who will inspire you to push past your limits. Exercising with a partner gives you someone to compete with, while also encouraging each other to excel. Getting to the gym is often the biggest challenge—but when you have someone there to cheer you on, you’re more likely to look forward to going.
Record your progress
Track your growth using a mobile app, invest in a wireless activity tracker or keep a fitness journal. By tracking your progress, you’ll have a more accurate view of which parts of your routine are working and which parts have room for improvement. This will help you create a plan and stay on the right path. Plus, by measuring your progress, it makes it easy to define and set new goals.
Eat the right foods
Eating before and after a workout is vital to your progress. Before exercising, make sure you eat wholesome foods that boost your energy, like oatmeal with banana and peanut butter—the complex and simple carbs will promote a slow and steady release of energy throughout your workout. Also, never forget to eat after a workout. Your body is in recovery mode, so eat a nutrient-dense dish like grilled chicken, rice and vegetables. The carbs and protein will help your body recover faster while increasing your metabolism and restoring energy for your next workout.
Fall in love with the process
No matter what type of fitness you practice, have fun and allow yourself to get addicted to the post-fitness endorphin rush. Once your blood starts pumping, you feel excited and ready to take on new challenges. Eventually, when you love the way you feel from a workout, the results will come naturally.
Embrace change
As the weather changes, explore opportunities to change up your workout. Get outside and enjoy the crisp air on your run or if your studio changes its schedule seasonally, try taking your favorite class at a new time.

A new season is a great time to start a new routine and these easy, motivating ideas will help you get started. Soon, you’ll become a healthier, happier you for the new season ahead.