Sunday is the international day of being lazy on the sofa, watching your favorite TV show, maybe cleaning your apartment a bit. And Monday… Well, there’s a reason why this day is so universally hated (even by a cartoonish cat that doesn’t have a job!). All the week is stretching ahead of you and you have to get moving! Since it’s the beginning of the week, it’s important what kind of tone do you set for yourself. Starting your week by a Monday fitness routine is a great idea… If you get around to it.
Motivation
You’ll get moving… Once you force yourself out of the bed! But if you succeed, it will surely get you in the mood to tackle all the challenges of the week.
Try these simple tips to get motivated for your workout:
- Set up your goal. How about you will work out three times this week? Monday is a perfect day to start – and you’ll feel more motivated to continue.
- Put some energetic music on. Even better – prepare the music on Sunday. This way you won’t lose time browsing Youtube Monday morning.
- Find a workout buddy. It’s recommended by every motivation coach. You wouldn’t want to let your friend down on the first day of the week!
- Imagine that fresh energy the exercise will give you. Imagine walking in your office like a Greek god. Imagine those pictures you’ll upload on your Instagram.
All set? Now that you have your Monday motivation fitness goals, get ready to move!
Simple whole-body routine at home
You have your music and you have your goals, but you’re not sure where to start? It’s the first day of the week, so I suggest keeping it simple – and working your whole body at the time.
Here’s an easy to remember plan for starters – you’ll be able to jazz it up afterwards.
Squats
It's a great exercise for working your quads. Make sure to do them correctly and pick a duration of time (or number of squats) that you’ll feel challenged.
Cross jacks
This exercise will help get your heart rate up. Like jumping jacks, but somehow more elegant (less of the arm-flailing), this movement will tone your arms and legs.
Windmill
This motion will help enhance your core strength. Windmill is a great exercise for people of various levels of fitness, because you can modify it by simply adding a dumbbell. Even without one, it’s a great way to strengthen your back and improve the flexibility of your back and hamstrings.
Arm circles
Doing arm circles creates a nice opportunity to have a rest and tone your arms at the same time. One of the easiest exercises around, arm circles still provide many benefits for your arms and require virtually no concentration – you can do them while watching TV!
High knees running in place
Lift those knees up! Running in place while lifting your knees exceedingly high improves your running speed, power and durability – as well as getting your heart rate up.
Now that you’ve finished your Mondays workout, time to stretch, breathe and rest a couple of minutes before taking the shower and heading to work with new-found energy.
Diversifying your workout
Exercising on Monday is nothing new to you? In that case you might feel like you’re falling into routine: another week, the same exercises all over again. This might not only curb your motivation, but is also not that great for your muscles.
Our bodies – just as us – like to do as little as possible, with minimum effort. If you continue with the same exercises for a while, your body gets the hang of it and adapts. Muscles stop growing and your heart rate stays low while you perform the same movements. In order to avoid this, you need to mix up your routine a little: your body would benefit from a challenge and your Monday morning fitness motivation will stay high – after all, it’s exciting to try out something new!
Here are a couple of tips to jazz it up:
- Change the movements you’re performing. Choose another exercise for the same body area: crunches instead of mountain climbers for abs, lunges instead of squats for quads.
- Change of scenery. Working out at home? Why not head to the gym this week! Regular gym-goer? Try working out at the park! Even if the movements will stay similar, you’ll benefit from gym equipment or different terrain outside.
- Try something else entirely. Choose an activity you’re not at all used to. Why not head out for a jog or try that new swimming pool? Or invite your friends to do something active and fun after work, like lasertag!
Remember, keeping your body on your toes will keep you healthy – and it’s a great way to start your week.