The weather is starting to warm up, the sun is coming out more, and you’re ready to flaunt your summer body. But even with a lot of discipline and consistency in the gym, you may still feel like you’re hitting a wall. Figuring out how to get over these difficult periods where your body stalls is a different process for everyone, but these ideas can help.
Diversify Your Workouts
One of the biggest mistakes that people make when it comes to the gym is getting stuck in the same old workout routine. Sure you may really like your squat rack, or maybe you’re obsessed with weighted lunges. But, according to Dr. Lifepro, switching up your workout can make a big difference in eliminating the stall you may be experiencing.
You don’t need to necessarily cut your favorite exercises entirely, but try doing them a bit differently. For example, if you love weighted lunges, try ditching the weights and doing jumping lunges instead. You’ll work your muscles in a different way causing new strain and new growth.
Eat Better at Home
Another huge thing people forget about is their eating. It’s easy to get into the mentality that working out at the gym justifies eating unhealthily outside of it. But in reality, your eating has a lot more to do with your fat loss than do your workouts.
Figuring out how to make healthy eating convenient can be challenging. Try meal prepping and freezing some of your food for later. According to Vacuum Sealers Unlimited, you can preserve all kinds of foods like meat, soup, fruits, and vegetables in vacuum-sealed bags.
Get Better Sleep
According to Genesis, one of the keys to enabling your body to perform at its best is getting enough sleep. But sadly, even though sleep is so important, it tends to be one of the first things that go when life gets busy. Making an effort to prioritize sleep and to get roughly eight hours each night will ensure that you have ample energy at the gym to maximize your workouts. And in turn, working hard at the gym will help you sleep better at night.
While switching up your workouts, eating healthily, and getting good sleep sound simple enough, they can be much harder to implement in real life. Start with little goals to incorporate these lifestyle changes a bit at a time. As you succeed at one goal and start to make it a habit, integrate a new change into your routine. Slowly, you’ll be able to reach your fitness goals.
Read this next: What You Should Change to Get More Out of Your Workout Routine