Even though I write a lot about staying fit on A Side of Sweet, sometimes I have to remember to take my own advice. Case in point – in January, when everyone else was busy getting energized and setting new goals, I was fighting some serious workout burnout. Think burnt-to-a-crisp burnout.
We recently moved to a new neighborhood in San Francisco, putting us too far away from my beloved Golden Gate Park to do my daily runs there. Instead, I’ve been running on concrete surfaces, dodging cars and running past people smoking cigarettes. It’s hard to stay motivated after being so spoiled! The excuses started to add up and before I knew it I was only running 3-4 times per week and had completely cut out my long run.
I knew I needed to switch things up. I had heard great things about The Dailey Method from friends. They raved about how you use every muscle in their barre workouts and about the camaraderie in the classes. I thought it sounded like just the thing I needed.
After my first class, I knew The Dailey Method was perfect. I literally felt like I was floating. I felt straighter and taller. Like I had used muscles that had been asleep for years! I absolutely love the tiny movements (up an inch, down an inch!) and repetitions that make you feel like you just can’t go on. I love the feeling of digging deep and channeling my breath to push through the pain. I also love connecting with women in classes and through social media who are just as into The Dailey Method as I am! On a recent Instagram post, a woman shared how she lost 25 pounds with The Dailey Method. It seems like so many people have a story about how their bodies changed after starting The Dailey Method.
My favorite instructor was Brittany (who is in these photos), who owns The Dailey Method Mission Castro in San Francisco. I talked to her a lot about being bored with my usual exercise routine and we brainstormed ways to stay motivated to workout.
Here are some tips we came up with. They were helpful for me, so I thought would be nice to share with all of you!
Tips for Fighting Workout Burnout
1. Switch it Up! :: Obviously for me, this was exactly what I needed. I was in a running rut and I needed a complete change in my exercise routine to snap me out of it. The Dailey Method works my body differently. It engages different muscles and requires more attention and focus than running. The instructors somehow manage to know the names of almost everyone in class, which helps to make me feel like I’m part of a group.
2. Find a Workout Buddy :: I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but finding a friend to keep you motivated can really help! My friend Katie signed up for Dailey Method classes with me which helped to keep me accountable. There were days when I 100% would have played hooky, but knowing that Katie would be there too was just the kick in the pants I needed.
3. Switch up Your Routine :: Brittany talked a lot about making little changes to stay motivated. Even if you don’t pick a whole new sport, try a different time of day to work out or choose a class with a different instructor.
4. Stay Accountable :: Plan your workouts at the beginning of each week. You could even write them on your calendar or set a phone alarm! Set little goals, like taking three classes or running ‘x’ number of miles. Thanks to online registration, I register for all the classes I plan to take ahead of time which means I’m committed to working out! You could also sign up for a race, like I did last fall when I was trying to up my fitness level.
5. Treat Yourself :: Splurge on some nice workout gear so you feel good going to class or to the gym! Reward yourself for a particularly good week or month with a deep tissue massage.
6. Be Present :: Focus on your muscles and don’t let your mind wander. Remember that your workout is the one hour you have completely to yourself, disconnected from technology and work stressors. Take advantage of that time to really maximize your workout time!
7. Take Time Off :: Part of working out consistently is giving your body time to rest and recover. Some of the most important benefits of exercise happen when your body is at rest. That’s when your muscles repair and strengthen and your heart remodels to increase your endurance. You need to listen to your body and avoid overtraining. Make sure you allow enough time between workouts and take some days off!
8. Give Back :: Try coaching or mentoring someone in the sport you enjoy! Connecting with others who are just starting out is a great way to remain energized and feel good about what you’re doing! What better way to get excited about your own fitness than to help other people with theirs!
Those are our tips! What do you do to prevent workout burnout?
Thanks so much for reading A Side of Sweet! For more Sweet in your life, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin’, Facebook, or Twitter, or subscribe to receive a weekly email with new posts (see sidebar).
Thanks to Brittany for all the advice and kicking my butt! Thanks to The Dailey Method for sponsoring this post.
P.S. – Like this post? Here are some more posts about fitness that you might like:
Fitting Running into a Busy Schedule
5 Yoga Poses for Runners
Cranberry Almond Energy Bites
Your Running Myths – Busted!
Running the Nike Women’s Half Marathon
The Dailey Method is one of the few barre studios I’ve yet to try. I agree with all of these tips — switching things up, finding something new, and taking a break are all good ways to reset your body. Glad you’re back at it! 🙂
You NEED to try it! I’ve tried a bunch and this one is so much better than the rest!
I’ve got a Pop Physique voucher to use, but once that’s up, I’m tempted to do Class Pass for the very reason of not getting stagnant and trying new things. 🙂
Nice! I tried Pop Physique and thought it was great! Not quite as good as the Dailey Method because you really can’t beat the burn from the small movements they emphasize but a ton of fun!
I did Bar Method (probably more similar to Dailey Method) for awhile, but the workouts were very repetitious if you went regularly.
Ah, I didn’t notice that with the Dailey Method, at least in my first month!
This sounds like so much fun! I love ballet / barre workouts – they really do work *every* muscle, don’t they?! Love all your tips – I do think little treats like nice workout clothes or a new yoga mat really help and can make you really look forward to your workout. xxx
Thanks Miranda!
A workout buddy and taking time off to refresh are huuuuuge for me!
Awesome!
Been there! Great post and so ready to kick it into gear once baby boy makes his arrival!
Yay! Good luck Kristine!
I definitely want to buy myself some new workout kit so that I am actually motivated to work harder! Great post and fab pictures. I think working out in this way would be perfect for me!
Katie <3
Thanks Katie!
Great tips! I totally agree that switching it up is a great way to fight burnout!
Awesome!
I love these tips! And, I totally agree with the treat yourself tip! I feel so motivated when I have cute workout clothes to wear and by looking the part I am motivated to actually act like the part
It makes all the difference, doesn’t it!
I love barre!! I am a huge Pure Barre lover 🙂 Oh and I have those same yoga pans as Brittany 🙂 They are SO comfortable!
You do? She’s so stylish I can’t even stand it! One of the most fun things about class is getting style inspo from her!
This place sounds amazing, I can tell it must be a stellar workout judging from Brittany’s body, those muscles! I’d love to join you for one of these classes once my arm is healed…I can feel myself getting weaker by the day 🙁 Thanks for the intro to The Dailey Method!
Awww, injuries are such a bummer! I hope you heal quickly!
This is why I am involved with so many “sports”. Climbing, yoga, running and (R.I.P not anymore as it’s $21383/month here in CA) CrossFit. I tend to get bored easily or plateau in workouts, so I need to switch it up.
And holy crap Brittany is ripped.
She is, isn’t she!!! I think one of the hardest things is how expensive group fitness sometimes is. 🙁
Great to “meet” you through the Facebook group! I am a bit of a fitness fanatic, I guess, and after abusing my body running a marathon a few years ago, I learned a hard lesson to respect it, listen to it, and embraced P90X as my main source of exercise. Been doing it for almost 6 years, with running taking a back seat – I still run, but moderately so. I guess variety is key, but keep challenging the body is a must. Again, nice to meet you!
Nice to ‘meet’ you too Sally! P90X is so intimidating – I’m so impressed that you did it regularly!
Switch it up is a great tip. When stuck in a gym routine, even going at a different time of the day makes a difference.
So true!