Signing up with an online personal trainer is one thing, but sticking to classes and hitting your fitness goals is another. Staying in your PJ’s on the couch can too often seem easier than popping online for a class. Plus, it’s all too convenient to mute your phone and ignore messages asking why you’re not there.
We’re here to help ensure you attend your daily class, stick with your nutrition plan and look and feel better without ever having to step foot in a gym. Check out below our top 9 tips to make online group fitness training part of your daily routine.
1) Choose an online fitness coach and program that works well with your life and goals
With more and more online fitness programs to choose from, finding the best one for you can seem like a daunting task. Do you stick with YouTube workouts or go with a more personal approach, complete with an online personal trainer?
Unless you’re using online workouts as a top-up to a gym membership, a more personal approach is the way to go. You’ll be able to set personalised goals, sign up for classes that work with your schedule and have access to a range of online resources.
2) Schedule time with an online personal trainer, so you can feel confident when participating in online classes
For many, one of the most intimidating things about going to the gym or joining an online class is not knowing how to do exercises correctly. By scheduling a one-on-one training session with your online personal trainer, you’ll learn the ins and outs of working out at home. You can also get your bodyweight workout techniques down, learn the ‘lingo’ and ask questions.
As you continue your journey, your personal trainer will be with you every step of the way to ensure you reach your goals and are feeling comfortable yet challenged in your workouts.
3) Start small when starting a new online fitness program
One of the easiest mistakes to make when starting a new fitness routine is to go too big too early. If you haven’t worked out in a while, your body will need time to get used to a new workout regime and recover after a class.
By starting with three classes a week and adding more movement into your day, you can ease your body into a new routine without burning yourself out. If you’re unsure how many classes to sign up for, a chat with your online personal trainer will answer all your questions and set you on a path to success.
4) Use a calendar dedicated to your online fitness classes
Yes, it’s time to pull out the arts and crafts (or use your printer). Making a calendar where you can write down which classes you’ll attend and be able to check them off will be a stark reminder of your progress.
Keep this calendar somewhere prominent such as on your kitchen fridge or your closet door. If you miss a few and see a hole in your calendar, it’ll give you the motivation not to let this happen again.
5) Find an area you won’t be distracted when participating in your online group fitness training
With the many distractions at home, finding a place to tune out the rest of the world and focus on your workout is essential. Try and find a place where you can really get into your workout without worrying if you’ll be in someone’s way or they’ll be in your way.
If you need to, put a sign on the door saying, ‘do not disturb, workout in progress’ so you don’t get interrupted. The wonderful thing about online classes is that you don’t need much space, just a few metres in each direction and your body weight, and you’ll be amazed at how great of a workout you can get.
6) Set fitness goals for yourself, and if you reward yourself, don’t do it with food
Before starting your new workout plan, be sure to set reachable yet challenging goals for yourself. You should have to push yourself, but don’t make your goal so challenging that you lose confidence. Your online personal trainer will be able to help set the perfect goal.
Once you’ve reached you’re goal, it’s okay, and often motivating, to reward yourself. Just be sure not to do it with calorie-rich food and undo the hard work you’ve put in. Instead, consider rewarding yourself with new workout gear, an active activity that’s been on your radar or a new outfit. You’ll get the same happy endorphins without the added calories.
7) Use a smartwatch or pedometer to track your daily fitness goals
Using a Fitbit or something similar can be eye-opening. Some workouts that you think blast calories don’t actually burn that many. Whereas other workouts may surprise you with their energy-burning effectiveness. Plus, when you see just how hard it is to burn 400 calories, you’ll doublethink that doughnut you’ve been eyeing up.
If you don’t have a smartwatch or Fitbit, use the pedometer on your phone or buy one for only $10. Setting daily step goals between 10,000 and 15,000 steps a day will keep you accountable – no more guessing.
8) Tell your friends and family and connect with others on your online group fitness class
One of the best ways to stay motivated is to have the support of your family and friends. Let them know your workout plans and goals and encourage them to check in with you. Being accountable to yourself is one thing, but being accountable to others makes skipping out on workouts that much harder.
Another great way to say motivated is to connect with others in the same online class. If someone doesn’t show up, make sure everything is okay. Live in the same city? Try and schedule a weekend hike or walk around the park.
9) Along with weekly goals, set up weekly, monthly and even a yearly challenge with your online trainer
Besides goals, challenges are another great way to keep motivated. You can either set up challenges on your own or join one of the many online challenges, many of which help a specific cause or organisation.
See who can walk the entire length of New Zealand first, who can take as many stairs as it would take to reach the top of Mount Everest or if you can run over 100 kilometres a month.. It’s amazing what a little competition can do!
Ready to make online group fitness training a daily part of your life?
If you’re ready to conquer your goals and take charge of your fitness without an expensive gym membership and lengthy drives, reach out to Shane at Body Fit today to sign up for a personalised online personal training session!
With 18 years in the fitness industry and a former Commonwealth Games and World Championships competitor, Shane creates fun and effective body weighted exercise workouts so you can see results fast.
