I was talking to a client last week who was struggling to work out consistently.

And I was like, “I feel you! I’ve been struggling with this too. Let’s talk about it.”

In addition to sharing that this is ok and normal — especially this time of year and now with many gyms closing — I walked her through a few steps that help me when workout motivation is low:

Brainstorm workouts that sound the most fun to you right now and welcome the opportunity to change things up. It might be trying new YouTube workouts, starting a yoga routine you haven’t had time for, or setting a new goal for your 5K.

Toss aside what you feel like you should do and identify the absolute minimum that will help you maintain your fitness or that you’re ok with. Decide on your type of workout, the number of days per week, and the length of each session.

While I’d love to work out for 1+ hours five days a week, I’ve recognized that I don’t have the time or motivation for that right now. Instead, I’ve settled on 3-4 sessions of 20-40 min of strength training plus a short run or two each week. (Your minimum could look like more or less than this, and either is ok.)

Decide on the exact days and times each week that you’ll work out. Be very realistic, and then maybe even subtract one day from your goal.

When I asked my client to do this, she wanted to work out all five week days, yet some weeks she was only exercising once or not at all. Instead, we settled on three days which felt much more doable and set her up to actually follow through and build momentum.

Once it’s on your schedule, don’t think about it or question it. Just do it! 

The more decisions we have to make, the more space resistance has to show up. But the more solid our routine, the less likely resistance is to win.

There are a lot of weeks I wouldn’t get all my workouts in if I wasn’t accountable to my own nutrition coach, and my clients often say the same thing.

Whether it’s a coach or a friend you can text, letting someone else know whether or not you did what you said you were going to makes a HUGE difference.

Hope you found these steps helpful!

And if your gym is closed and you need workout ideas, you’ll find four home workouts — two strength and two HIIT — in The CC Quarantine Survival Guide. (No equipment needed!)

In the guide, I’ve even included some immune-boosting recipes and a simple food log to help you keep your nutrition on track amidst the COVID craziness.

Simply comment below to let me know you’d like the guide, and I’ll send it over for free!