Some weeks, staying motivated and getting my bum to the gym can be reallllly hard. But I am constantly looking for new ways to stay motivated because the weeks I do stick to a consistent workout schedule I have so much more energy, I accomplish more, and I am generally in a much better mood (which my husband appreciates).

Before BB, working out was something I did when I had the time/motivation, sometimes enjoyed, and never stressed about. I also was lucky that I didn’t really need to workout. Sure, I felt better and looked more in shape, but things didn’t look and feel drastically different when I was in a consistent workout schedule and when I wasn’t. But post BB, working out is a MUST. I actually look forward to my workouts (most of the time) and I get really stressed when I cannot find the time to do it. I find my stress levels are SOO much lower when I workout and my body looks and feels so much better. I NEEDED to workout after I had the baby to get my body back to what I was used to and I still need to workout to keep it that way.

When I miss a couple workouts I find myself eating worse, then I start to feel out of shape and unhealthy which makes me want to skip more workouts and the whole thing just spirals out of control. So during those weeks when the motivation is lacking or time has slipped through my fingers, sometimes all I need is an awesome workout mix and a 20 minute power workout at home!

So here are five tips to get yourself motivated + my new favorite workout outfit from Ivy Park!

1

AN AWESOME WORKOUT PLAYLIST

I am not always excited to workout, but when I have a great workout playlist, I am excited to turn it on and start sweating. HERE is my go-to workout playlist right now! On the days I cannot find the time to workout or I am just feeling really lazy, I do a mini workout at home. My two favorite mini workouts at home are a quick burnout of arms, abs, and legs + a quick cardio session on my half flight of stairs out to my patio. I do 5 minutes of abs, 5 minutes of arms, and 5 minutes of legs. But I do all three as burnouts. I set my timer for 5 minutes, turn on my playlist, and do as many ab exercises WITH NO BREAKS for 5 minutes straight. I take a 30 second break and then move onto arms and end with legs. I always start with abs because I find that if I start with abs, it helps my abs keep working throughout the arms and legs. Our place is too small for a treadmill or stairclimber, but our half flight of stairs is the perfect place to get in a little cardio, it just takes a little creativity and pinspiration. I pinned my favorite quick stair workout HERE.

2

AN OUTFIT YOU ARE EXCITED TO WEAR TO THE GYM

Sometimes, all it takes is a new workout top to get me in the mood to go to the gym. Lately, I love Ivy Park. It is affordable, cute, comfy, and everything stays where it is supposed to during my workout. My hips are disproportionately larger than my waist, so sometimes I find my pants slipping down during spin or yoga classes. Buy Ivy Park pants have a stretchy waistband that keeps them up.  HERE is my top and HERE are my pants! More Ivy Park is linked below.

3

A WORKOUT BUDDY

Working out is SO MUCH BETTER with a friend. I love the days Blake and I get to workout together, but most days we usually divide and conquer. He takes the baby and I workout or vice versa. So find some friends you love to workout with too! Thankfully, I have some equally soul obsessed friends who make getting my butt out of bed and to those 7am Monday rides so much easier.

4

REWARDS

I am very reward driven. If I stick to my workout schedule this week, I can…fill in the blank. My “rewards” are usually food and/or shopping related, obviously.

5

SET GOALS

If there is not a reward (burger) at the end of the line, there needs to at least be a goal. After baby, the goal was fitting into my bridesmaid dress for my sister’s wedding 2 months post-partum. Then the goal was getting back my pre-baby body (or close to it). Now the goal is feeling great and getting into the best shape of my life (even though the big 3.0. is approaching).

6

DRESS THE PART

When all else fails, I find that if I just put on my workout clothes, working out is all the more likely. Which is why I can be found in my workout clothes most hours of the day.

PHOTOS BY Jules Kennedy