I am fortunate and grateful to Him that I can choose how I want to spend my days. And that means I can work out whenever I want to. So besides some basic movement in my morning ritual in the form of Surya Namaskar, I usually do my workouts in the afternoons.

Related Article: 6 Exceptional Ways To Start Your Day

But almost a decade back, I was an employee, and there was no other option but to do my workouts in the evening. So no matter how tired I was after a long day at work, missing my workouts was never an option for me.

There were no good gyms around my house, and I had to change two buses to reach Fitness First! This was when I was working in England in 2006.

Following Are 7 Things That I Did That Allowed Me Not To Miss My Workout Sessions

1) Make Your Workouts Non-Negotiable

I told myself there was no way around it. One hundred-one thing can come in between you and your workouts. My colleagues often suggested hitting the bar after work. Sure once in a while, it’s cool, but not every day!

Once you make it clear to your friends, colleagues, and family that exercise will always remain your priority no matter what, they eventually get it or stop bothering you with requests that they know you won’t be able to oblige. Anyone who cares for you will understand your point of view and may even agree to accompany you to the gym. Like attracts like:)

2) Carry Your Workout Gear To The Office

The act of carrying your workout gear to your office suggests that you are serious about your workouts. It signifies your commitment and is a great reminder that you need to hit the gym after work. You can take a step further and change into your gym gear when you are just about to leave the office. This almost guarantees that you will hit the gym.

3) Treat Your Workouts Like A Business Meeting

Schedule going to the gym in your calendar or do-to-list for a specific time. What gets scheduled gets done. If you constantly feed your mind that you need to go to the gym after work, chances are very high you will go.

4) Make Going To The Gym Fun

Build up a relationship with the receptionist so that every time you enter the gym, you enjoy the small talk. For example, if you lift heavy, imagine the ‘awesome feeling’ after completing that heavy set of squats. Or imagine that cute spinning instructor and how much you enjoy taking her class.

Imagine how you feel when you sit in the sauna. All that stress and toxins evaporate from your body, leaving you feeling rejuvenated. Imagine the interesting conversation you have after your workouts with your gym buddies while drinking the yummy protein shakes.

You can label all these things as ‘hooks’ that makes you feel good about coming to the gym.

5) Choose Your Gym Wisely

How good the ‘hooks’ are will depend upon how wisely you choose your gym. Read the below post to figure this out.

Related Article: 9 Things To Consider Before Committing To A Gym

6) Reward Yourself Pretty Often

I told myself if I managed around X number of sessions this month, I would treat myself to a weekend trip, a massage etc. The anticipation of the reward makes working out even more fun!

7) Plan Your Nutrition A Day Before

If you don’t have your breakfast and lunch on time, your workouts will suffer. You won’t have sufficient energy, and your motivation to hit the gym will go down the drain. Make sure to have enough complex carbs, moderate proteins and healthy fats. This will allow the slow and adequate release of blood sugar and will keep you charged up.

You are drinking coffee or having a protein shake half hour before your workout can give you that extra boost that you so need during your lifting sessions.

8) Meditate, And Visualize To Get Into The Mood

You get off work at 5:30 pm. It’s 5 pm. You are almost done with your work. Since you have carried your workout clothes with you, you know you need to hit the gym.

Now, know this, your mind is designed to seek comfort, and therefore it will start coming up with sort of excuses. For example, you had a tough day at work, and all you can picture is your comfortable couch and your Tv. This feeling of comfort, laziness, and lethargy is temporary! This is your mind’s way of staying in your comfort zone.

Do this: Immediately stop your thinking and instead start to practice mindfulness.

Start a stopwatch, relax for the next 5 minutes, and take deep breaths. Once you start to feel better, visualize the ‘hooks’ we discussed in Tip no 4.

Next, put on some inspiring music. I love the soundtrack from ‘Rocky,’ and at the same time, I google ‘fit bodies’ or something similar to it and start visualizing myself looking like that. Hey, it may seem vain, but it works 🙂

Then take a step further and get changed! Put on your workout gear, look in the mirror and say this out loud:’ I am going to have an awesome workout today,’ and now congratulate yourself on working hard on this 5-10 minutes ritual of preparing yourself to go to the gym.

Now, unless a charming colleague comes up to you and asks you to stay back and help her with some work, you are almost guaranteed to hit the gym:))

What are the problems you face when going to the gym after work? Have anything you like to add? Let me know in the comments below!