Identical Twin Models & Actresses: Shauna Baker and Shannon Baker. Photo by: BLK Fuel.
The most difficult thing about getting on a fitness regimen is to actually start. And when you start, it is easy to get discouraged when you don’t see results right away. They say it takes 4 weeks for you to see your body change, 8 weeks for your friends and family to see results and 12 weeks for the rest of the world to take notice.
Shauna and I are lucky in that we have each other to motivate and cheer each other on when it comes to sticking to a routine or getting our butts into the gym. For the rest of you, you don’t have a twin to keep you on track. So, we will tell you six ways in which we keep each other motivated.
1. Figure out your main motivation to work out: Once you have that reason or goal, write it down and think about it whenever you are feeling unmotivated. Whether it is because you are an actor and you need to have an amazing body to get certain roles, or you are engaged and want that perfect body for your wedding. Think about your goal before you go to bed, and when you wake up in the morning. When you hear your alarm clock go off in the morning, you can remember why you set the clock in the first place: because of your main motivation. The longer you sleep in bed, the longer it will take to get the body that you desire.
2. Plan Your Workout: Shauna and I usually write down our workout routine the night before on a white eraser board or we write out a plan on our phones. If you can’t come up with exercises on the top of your head you can always go to instagram and look up some instagram workouts by searching the right hashtags like: #FitnessWorkouts #CardioWorkouts etc. When you know what you are planning to do the next morning it is easier to get up because you will be waking up with a goal in mind.
3. Go to Bed Early: You need at least 8 hours of sleep a night. But, if you are normally a night owl like Shauna and I use to be then start gradually going to bed earlier and earlier. Shauna and I knew we wanted immediate sleep changes so what we did was something that we usually do when we know we are going to be working on a movie. We wake up early the next morning and stay awake all day without napping and go to bed early. I wouldn’t recommend it. But, if you want immediate results in your sleeping patterns then that is an option.
4. Don’t go back to sleep: When you hear that alarm clock in the morning and say to yourself: “Just 9 more minutes.” Don’t do it. Lets face it, do you really get that extra 9 minutes when you press snooze? Usually you don’t go back into the REM sleep that you go into when you are in a deep sleep, so you might as well just get up. It’s like ripping off a band-aid: You just have to do it.
5. Repeat: It’s all about repetition. It’s easy to feel dejected when you first start working out because you don’t have a pattern yet and you aren’t seeing the results that you are going to see 4 weeks later. Ease into your workout intensity. You may have to start your new morning workout routines by starting with a light jog in the morning. It’s not about how hard you work out, it’s about how often you repeat your workouts no matter how light or intense they are.
6. Be Easy On Yourself: Like we said before, it takes 4 weeks to see results. So think about that your first four weeks of working out. And have fun!
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