Is there anything more frustrating than spending time and money on your exercise routine and suddenly realizing your workouts aren’t working?

You buy class packages, go to the gym, purchase the next best piece of equipment or hire a trainer, and yet you still don’t see the changes you were hoping to see.

I’ve been there myself and I’ve seen it with so many clients over the years.

After a while of this, it’s easy to just give up.

Why keep up with it when it isn’t making a difference, right? Why keep wasting time when our workouts aren’t working?

So we stop all together.

Today is the day we change all of that and give you the workout results you want!

 

Exercise itself is not the problem.

You are not the problem.

The problem is the things we unknowingly do to sabotage our efforts and ruin any chance of seeing the body changes we want with our exercise routines.

Here are the things that might be happening when your exercise routine doesn’t work:

1) You don’t have enough energy to workout
If you are tired or hungry, you might lack the energy you need for an effective workout. It’s important to fuel your body with the right food before a workout so that you don’t hit a wall of low blood sugar. This has happened to me on runs and it is no fun! I know my legs could go farther, but I have no energy left to give because I waited too long to eat or I didn’t hydrate with enough water. The same goes with sleep. Make sure you are fueling yourself the right way to get a good workout.

2) You haven’t cleaned up your diet
They say abs are made in the kitchen, which means they can be “unmade” there as well! You can’t have beer and pizza for dinner and think your workout is just going to burn it off the next day. I did Pilates for years but I didn’t see a flat belly until I focused on cutting out processed carbs, nightly cocktails and thoughtless eating. You will build muscle and burn calories with your workouts, but you need to help yourself out by cleaning up your diet as well.

 

3) You don’t push yourself hard enough
I used to go to the gym and read my People magazine on the elliptical for 45 minutes. I never changed the settings and I barely broke a sweat, but I checked that “cardio” box off for the day, thinking I did my workout duty. And I wondered why my butt never changed shape! It wasn’t until I traded my long elliptical sessions in for shorter home high intensity training sessions that I actually saw major workout results. I now do jump squats, sprints, mountain climbers and crunches for 20 minutes, which gets my heart rate up and challenges me in the best way possible. If you can read a magazine or talk on the phone while working out, you probably aren’t working out hard enough.

4) You are bored
If you are bored with your workout, it’s probably not challenging you (see number 3 on this list!). That means you also aren’t focusing on your form, which is crucial to getting the most out of your workouts. When I teach Pilates, I tell people they can get what they want out of the workout. It’s up to them. If they focus and really work on tightening the core during the exercises, they will get 10x more benefit than someone who’s mind is wandering. If you find yourself bored, then you probably need to try a different workout. Your exercise routine should be engaging and motivating! I know it won’t always be fun, but it should at least keep your attention the entire time.

5) You aren’t using your time efficiently
This is the one that probably changed my body the most over the past 3 years. Before I had a child, I could workout at my leisure. I could spend an hour at a yoga class or drive 20 minutes to the gym. After I had my baby, life changed and I had 30 minutes at the most to fit in my workouts. That meant learning how to get a kick butt workout at home, with little to no equipment. I had my clothes laid out and would change and run to the back porch the moment my daughter fell asleep. I set my timer for 30 minutes and just did anything that came to mind as hard and fast as I could. I didn’t stop to check Facebook or take a phone call. I just worked until that timer went off. Your workout time is just that – workout time. Use it wisely.

I love movement and exercise and I know it can change lives, which is why it frustrates me when people try their hardest and still don’t see results.

Don’t give up!

I promise there is a routine that will work for you and give you the workout results you want. You don’t need to spend more time or money than you already are. You just need to make a few small tweaks and changes and commit to doing this for yourself.

If you want to experience what challenging and balanced workouts at home can do for you, join my next 30 Day Pilates Plus Online Bootcamp that starts January 1! You’ll get 30 days of workout videos and instructionals sent directly to your inbox, as well as my 10 Day Clean Eating Guide and an invitation to my private Facebook group only for bootcampers! Secure your spot and see what kind of workout results you can get when you challenge yourself, clean up your diet, feel motivated and kick boredom to the curb.