Setting a Workout Routine You’ll Actually Stick To

If you’re new to city life, you might find it difficult to fit exercise into your hectic schedule between commuting, long workdays, and a busy social life. However, cities like New Haven offer many ways to live a healthy lifestyle – it’s just a matter of working them into your daily routine. In addition to exploring downtown apartment buildings with a gym, there are many ways to squeeze a great workout into your schedule.

Enjoy the Outdoors

While large, sprawling fields may be hard to find when living in the heart of New Haven, there is plenty of green space across the city for all to enjoy. Between a stroll through Yale’s beautiful old campus to a Saturday morning walk to CitySeed’s Wooster Square farmers’ market, there are many ways to squeeze in a quick workout, not to mention a few errands.

Take Advantage of Bike- and Pedestrian-Friendly Downtown

New Haven is becoming more bike-friendly all the time with new bike lanes popping up across the city and plenty of parks to ride through. Worried about where to park and lock up? Check out these tips for responsible bike maintenance.

You can also find fun and challenging ways to incorporate the hustle and bustle of city life into your morning run. As you wait for the walk signal, try jogging in place or doing a few squats. Use downtown landmarks to create new distance goals, or strive to explore different parts of Yale campus with each run.

Explore The Union

As one of the few downtown New Haven apartment buildings with a gym, The Union offers its residents free access to machines, weights, open workout space, and more. Rather than waiting on open machines or paying a monthly gym membership fee, residents can easily take advantage of the exercise space and equipment available at The Union.

Ready to get started with your new workout routine? Here are a few final tips to help you stay on track.

1. Make a schedule you can stick to. If you are not a morning person, then promising yourself to wake up an hour earlier to squeeze in a workout is probably not going to happen. Be realistic about your schedule and try a few different times and days of the week to find your groove.
2. Grab a buddy. Staying motivated and on schedule (see Tip #1) with your workouts are often the biggest obstacles to reaching your fitness goals. Many experts recommend that teaming up with a friend or significant other can help you stay on track.
3. Set short- and long-term goals. Start out by asking yourself what you want to accomplish. Are you looking to lose weight? Tone muscles? Increase your stamina? Once you have decided on the reason behind your new workout routine, take the next step and set a few realistic, short-term goals, and one or two long-term ones, too. Setting your sights on long-term goals only will could leave you feeling frustrated, while just setting short-term goals can make your routine harder to stick to for the long haul.
4. Celebrate your accomplishments. Achievements as small as sticking to your new routine for a month deserve some recognition! Treat yourself to a favorite snack or a new outfit. Not only will you feel like you truly earned it, but thinking about your next goal and what you’ll do once you reach it is a fun, positive way to stay on track.

Landing on a workout routine you can stick to is a big accomplishment. Whether you decide to take your exercise outdoors, buddy up with a friend, or squeeze in quick workouts when your schedule allows, you’ll feel better for it. Looking for an easy way to incorporate health and exercise into your everyday lifestyle? Explore available residences at The Union. Contact us today!