Try this workout if you struggle to stick to exercise

Have you ever struggled to stick to your exercise regime? Yeah, so have we. Don't worry - it's absolutely normal to have highs and lows with your workout routines, especially if you previously led quite a sedentary lifestyle.

Firstly, bravo for entering a brand new exciting period of your life! We all know that when we move, we feel energised to squeeze all we can from life, so keep on taking those first steps along your fitness journey. These first few steps will be the hardest... but you won't have to repeat them. You'll only improve.

But if you are forever lacking motivation, try this ace workout if you struggle to stick to exercise. Although traditional advice might suggest you start slow and steady, we've got a more radical (and science-backed) approach to firing up your exercise regime that builds incredible strength and stamina...

Try This Workout If You Struggle To Stick To Exercise

If you struggle with the idea of long, torturous periods of exercise focused on cardio, then you might want to try HIIT. 

What is HIIT?

HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. HIIT is a form of interval training, alternating short periods of intense anaerobic exercise with less-intense recovery periods. You may be familiar with interval training when using treadmills, where you would sprint at top speed and then recover for a short amount of time with a slow walk. This makes for a fab workout as it's been scientifically proven to be a real fat-blaster that helps build stamina:

• When running at your full speed, you get your heart rate high.
• The fast blast of high-intensity exercise fires your metabolism.
• It increases aerobic capacity and improves anaerobic capacity.
• It also improves the ability to build muscle!

This means that you can exercise as efficiently as possible - working hard to maximise results in a shorter time frame. It can help you psychologically when faced with exercise as well - if you think, "It's only 20 minutes on the treadmill", the small timescale will help you scrape together motivation to hit the gym. It's such a small window of time in your day.

Try this 20-minute HIIT treadmill workout - adjust speed and incline according to your fitness levels.

But don't slack for 20-minutes on the treadmill. We're watching you...

You need to put in 110% to see results. Go hard and you can get an incredible effective 20-minute treadmill workout instead of slogging through an hour or so of continuous running, which you may come to dread if cardio isn't your forte.

Break through any plateaus in your fitness journey using HIIT, and remember what our Head Coach at Move says:

"...raising your threshold for what you deem is hard work makes everything after that feel easier and more enjoyable!" - Head Coach, MoveGB

Can I do HIIT without being stuck on a treadmill?

We're glad you asked.

The awesome thing about the HIIT concept is that it can be applied to many other activities which will work you hard, using your own body weight or equipment. Many group exercise classes make use of HIIT-style workouts in their circuits, but you don't need to be in a class to get a blast of HIIT.

Since HIIT is basically a series of intervals that switch between high intensity to a lower-intensity or 'rest', you can create your own HIIT workout. Whether it's at home or at the gym using the equipment.

How to create your own HIIT workout:

• Know what YOUR 'high-intensity' is: Aim to get your heart rate at 80 - 95% of your maximum heart rate during your high intensity intervals (calculate your max heart rate here). Basically, during these periods, you should be proper puffed and unable to carry a conversation.
• Mix up which body area is worked - switch between lower and upper body moves to get your heart pumping blood throughout your body at a higher volume.

“When you boost your heart rate like this, you disrupt your metabolic pathways in such a way that they’re scrambling to return to normal long after the workout has ended. This concept of burning calories even after you stop busting a move — known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption or EPOC — will blast fat and calories, fast.” - Adam Rosante, Daily Burn

Try this neat guide to design your own HIIT workout!

But we've got one last important thing to say, so do read on after taking notes from the below guide...

via Daily Burn.

But what if HIIT isn't for me?

Hey now. Everyone's different and if we haven't sold you on this workout, then you just need to find 'the one' for you. Whilst studies have proven that HIIT workouts are more enjoyable in comparison to moderate continuous training, you need to find the exercise routine that plasters a smile on your face. 

So I'm still struggling to stick to exercise...

Whether you choose to try HIIT or not, the most important thing to remember is that if you're struggling to stick to exercise, you need to try a variety of activities until you find the one you enjoy. Especially at the beginning of your routine. 

"For sedentary individuals, a key barrier to starting an exercise program is the preconceived notion that exercising is not enjoyable. Failing to find enjoyment from exercise can make it more difficult to stick to an exercise program over time" - Dr Jennifer Heisz

Habit formation is the key to creating a routine, so if you're enjoying what you're doing then that's more than half of the battle. Find something that you love and transform fitness into a lifestyle and a habit, not a chore!