10 ways to crush your workout routine

In today’s post, I’m sharing MiO in my life as part of a sponsored series for Socialstars™.

In my last post in partnership with MiO, I wrote about how I work fulltime at Google and manage my blog. One of the things I mentioned that’s so important to my routine is exercise. I touched on it briefly and gave a couple key pointers that help me stay consistent with my workout routine, but I thought for this post I’d go into more detail, since it really is such an important factor that influences not only my body, but my mood and productivity. Here are ten ways tips for crushing your workout routine.

1. Cute workout clothes. This might sound silly at first, but when you look good, you feel good! When I change into a workout outfit that makes my butt look great and shows off my strong back muscles, I look in the mirror and think, “I’m ready to kill it!” It’s super motivating.

2. Schedule it. I mentioned this in my previous MiO post, but I always, always, always put my workouts in my calendar—and not just my personal one, but my work calendar so that my coworkers can see it and I don’t have meetings scheduled over it.

3. Eat protein before. Whether it’s a bowl of granola and yogurt, a handful of nuts, or a piece of wheat bread with almond butter on it, I always make sure I get some lean protein in me one hour before my workout. If I don’t, I notice I run out of steam about half way through, especially if it’s a high intensity workout.

4. Hydrate. I down a lot of water when I’m working out, and I also sweat a ton. To keep hydrated, I add a squeeze of MiO to my water bottle. My favorite flavor is Berry Blast.

5. Get a trainer. Working out with a trainer is a total game changer. Besides giving you new exercise and correcting your form, the right trainer can motivate you to push yourself more than you might have thought possible. I know for me personally, sometimes I’ll reach for 12 pound dumbbells for an exercise thinking there’s no way I could possibly do more. And then my trainer tells me nope, I’d better grab those 15’s. I knock out my set and I think, “Oh, I guess I could do more than 12’s…” If the idea of having a personal trainer sounds intimidating or too expensive, consider going to a small group workout class or splitting the personal training sessions with one or two other people. Which leads me to my next tip…

6. Have a workout buddy. By working out with a friend you can keep each other accountable. If you know you have a friend date at the gym, you’ll be a lot less likely to cancel on each other than if you were just going to go by yourself (and then end up deciding at the end of a long day you’re too tired and go home).

7. Do a fitness challenge. Some of my friends at work and I decided to do a fitness challenge and it has been so motivating and fun! We gave ourselves five weeks for the challenge and identified three quantifiable challenges—number of steps (we’re all wearing Fitbits), percentage of bodyweight lost, and inches lost. We measured ourselves at the beginning of the challenge and at the end we’ll see who the winner for each category is. We’re also all throwing $50 into the pot, which will then be divided three ways and given to the three winners. Since there are eight of us participating, each challenge winner will get $133!

8. Try something new. Doing the same ol’ workout isn’t very inspiring. Spice things up and try different workouts to shock and challenge your body and figure out what you like. I’ve recently tried boxing and I’m obsessed!

9. Work out outside. If it’s nice out, try working out outdoors. Whether it’s going for a run or taking your yoga mat into your backyard for some pilates, adding some fresh air to your workout is so refreshing.

10.  Reward yourself. After you’ve gotten into a workout groove, reward yourself with some new gear every once in a while. It can be something little like a cute workout headband to keep your hair out of your eyes, a new, chic water bottle, or a splurge on some new kicks. Just something fun to acknowledge your hard work!