In my opinion a weekly ritual is the biggest key to success on your fitness journey because it provides you a roadmap for the week ahead, and accountability to stick to your plan. Without a routine you are playing it “day by day” which leaves a lot of room for errors and unneeded stress.
When it comes to creating a weekly routine, you need to find what works for you and gets you excited to do it. You can not just take what someone else is doing, and copy it because you will not stick with it. Also, be open to your routine evolving, mine certainly has! You should evaluate your routine often and eliminate things that are not working, and add in things that help move you closer to your goal.
Here is my (Coach Corey) weekend routine that I currently use.
On Fridays I plan my meals for the entire week ahead, create my grocery list, and go to the store to buy everything I need for that week. By planning my meals I eliminate the stress of figuring out what I want to eat each day, and it also allows my to buy the exact amounts I need for the entire week so I do not waste food and money, Also, I strongly value my time so I complete all the shopping at once so I do not have to make multiple trips to the store
Then on Sundays I prepare for the week ahead. I take 60-90 minutes to prepare all my food for the week ahead so that all I have to do during the week is grab it, reheat it, and enjoy. The only meal that I do not prepare early is breakfast, as I cook it fresh every morning.
I then plan my workouts and my walks for everyday. These are important to me so I put them on my calendar just like I would schedule a meeting or a session with a client. This is a game changer! By putting it on my schedule I assure nothing conflicts with it, and I also am now accountable to doing it because it is on my calendar.
I am then set up for success heading into the week!
Then each day during the week, I take 5 minutes to plan out my next day, pack my lunch box of pre made food, and pack my gym bag with the workout clothes and shoes I will need for the gym. By reviewing the day and packing everything the night before I am able to hit the ground running in the morning.
And that is it! My routine is nothing fancy, but it allows me to stick to my fitness routine without the added stresses that so often derail us.
Hopefully this blog helps YOU on your fitness journey, and please drop us a message if you have any questions as myself and all the coaches at Xtra Mile are here to help you anyway that we can on your fitness journey.