25 Sep 5 Simple Steps to Kickstart Your Fall Fitness Program

Last week, the new fall season began, bringing with it a whole slew of people ready to hit the gym again. Now that summer’s over, everyone’s returning to the gym ready to start over with a new fitness program. With the kids back in school and summer holidays come and gone, you’ve got some time to focus on your fitness goals.

If you’re ready to make some changes this fall and need a little boost, here are 5 steps to kickstarting a brand new-to-you fitness program. These ideas should help you get and stay motivated so you reach those goals you’ve been wanting to achieve for some time.

How to Kickstart Your Fitness Program This Fall

Ready to get back into the swing of things? Start with these 5 steps to reboot your fitness program and then take it from there!

1. Get New Workout Gear or a New Fitness App

Want an easy mind-trick for convincing yourself to get off the couch and go to the gym? Buy new gym clothes.

This time, try and mix it up. Don’t just go for new tops or yoga pants. Instead, consider helpful and practical workout gear for your new fitness program, such as a new heart monitor or better shoes. Think about the kinds of things that will keep you going and interested in your workout.

Beyond clothing, consider getting a new pair of headphones for your workout (or even a new phone to go with it). Along with that, reboot your playlist with your newest favorite songs.

To take it even further, download a fitness program app that lets you track your workouts in several ways:

• Cardio – What you’re doing and how fast you’re burning calories
• Resistance – Track your personal bests and see how much stronger you get over time
• Water intake – Track how much water you’re drinking
• Step counter – Easily stay motivated by glancing at how many steps you take during the day

The key here is to get excited about working out again by getting yourself something new. Along those lines, incorporate some rest, meditation, and self-awareness into your routine with a new app. One great app for meditation is Headspace.

MyFitnessPal remains one of the top apps for tracking both food and fitness.

2. Commit to a New Class

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We’re passionate about offering great classes that people love to come back to time and again. If you find a helpful, fun class, you’ll be that much more likely to stick to your fitness goals and regimen.

Kickstart your fall fitness by finding a class you can commit to each week. If you are pressed for time, just start with one. Most gyms – including ours – offer both early morning and early evening classes as well as group workouts throughout the day. Try weekends, too, if weekday workouts don’t fit your schedule.

Insider tip: Choose a class you think is fun. If you enjoy the workout, you’re way more likely to keep your commitment.

3. Take It Outside

Go for a fun run, walk, or hike at least once a week this fall. If you’re into sports, find a frisbee golf, flag football, or kickball team you can join for the season. Get outside and enjoy the changing of weather. Summer’s heat and intensity can become exhausting, but fall’s cooler weather energizes and rejuvenates.

If you really want to jumpstart your fitness program, you’ve got to change things up a bit. Keep a fitness calendar. In the calendar, plan the days you will go to the gym as well as the days you will force yourself to get outside. Make a commitment to yourself to incorporate fun activities that take advantage of the cool fall season.

4. Grab an Accountability Partner

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If you skip out on your workout, who’s going to know? If the answer is, “No one,” then you need to find an accountability partner. Choose someone who will get on your case if you don’t follow through with your fitness program.

Here’s the thing: your accountability partner doesn’t need to be a workout buddy. They just need to be honest with you, and someone you’re not likely to disappoint. Trainers make great accountability partners but if you don’t have a trainer, you can still find one.

Insider Tip: If you’re a parent, make your child your accountability partner. Children keep excellent accounts and will have no issue calling you out if you cheat. Ask them to put a sticker on a chart for every day that you workout, and reward them when you reach a certain amount of stickers. They will be sure to keep you honest!

5. Make It a Regular Thing

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Going to the gym shouldn’t feel like a big deal. If you feel like you’re going way out of your way just to work out, something’s off. Ask yourself, “How can I make my fitness program a regular thing?”

You may need to reorganize a few things to accommodate a new gym schedule, but don’t uproot your entire life. Baby steps. Your goal right now is to start things off the right way. In order to do that, you need to be realistic.

For example, you can get a complete workout in 45 minutes (Try CBXT). You don’t need to set aside three hours a day to get fit. Start with two or three days a week and then go from there. Whatever you do, find a way to weave it into your life naturally. The more natural it feels, the less inclined you’ll be to quit.

Another way to do this is to get involved with friends and family who work out. They’ll encourage you and motivate you. At the same time, having new people in your life that love fitness will eventually normalize it for you.

Get Started!

You now have the 5 simple steps to kickstart your fall fitness program. These are all little things you can do this year that will make a big difference. You’ll notice an increase in your commitment level, and at the same time, you’ll enjoy the process. The best way to motivate yourself to workout is to use a list and mark things off as you go.

CompleteBody Gym has three locations in Manhattan and is open 7 days a week. With more than 20 scheduled group fitness classes a month, juice bars, spa, and physical therapy options, we’ve got you covered. Visit the location nearest you to become a member.