Setting goals in the new year is a great way to kick-start your fitness goals. Although our goals may be exciting initially, we must be aware of possible pitfalls along the way. We want our exercise to be sustainable, and to be sustainable, we must consider burnout. One online definition describes burnout as “a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.” Although exercise is a good form of stress, we still have to be mindful of burnout. Here are a few ways to avoid burnout and keep up your fitness routine all year long!

Have a variety

Having a variety of exercises not only keeps things interesting, but it challenges your body in different areas and avoids plateau. By having a variety of exercise, your body doesn’t get a chance to adapt to a set routine. This is helpful because when our body adapts to a routine, we reach what is called a plateau. If you’re experiencing a plateau, you’ll start to notice that your workout may seem easier, or you may stop seeing physical results. An example of variety would mean scattering your workout days with other forms of exercise. For example, strength training on Mondays, walking or running on Tuesdays, and yoga on Wednesdays.

Set a schedule

Along with variety, having your workouts scheduled can set you up for success. Along with mapping out your days for exercise, mapping out your rest days can help with muscle recovery and give your body a chance to rest. Scheduling your workouts also helps you to not overwork certain muscle groups and ensures you have ample time to recover before challenging that muscle group again.

Challenge yourself

Challenging yourself is a great way to avoid burnout, both from your muscles and your mind. In order to challenge yourself, you must know your starting point and have a definite goal in mind, but you also have to measure your progress. By measuring your progress, you’re able to set definite Tiny Steps on your way to your bigger goal and challenge yourself along the way. An example of this would be increasing your strength training weight from 5 pounds to 8 pounds and slowly moving up after you feel like you’ve mastered the 5-pound weights. Not only will this method keep your body guessing, but you can think of infinite ways to compete with yesterday’s you all year long!

Wave burnout goodbye this year! With these helpful tips, you’re sure to surprise yourself. Follow our #PackMoves channel on Youtube for workout inspiration!