How to Beat the Speed Humps in Your Journey

At some point during the 12-Week Challenge, or any new fitness routine, you might be faced with a speed hump. Your motivation could be low and mentally, you are kind of struggling to keep going with the routine. Here are some of the common roadblocks you might face, and how to beat them!

“I don’t see any changes!”

Don’t be upset if it’s been a few weeks and you aren’t seeing results just yet. It doesn’t necessarily mean you need to train more or eat less. Your body is simply adjusting. With consistent workouts and a healthy eating plan, the results should soon appear.

In the meantime, you might have noticed these changes: your clothes might fit better, you have more energy or the exercises you struggled with at the beginning are now easier. That, girls, is progress!

“I’m beat after a really tough day”

We all have busy lives, but the key to beating this speed hump is thinking about the type of fatigue you’re feeling. Is your body tired, or are you feeling mentally drained? Mental fatigue can actually be helped by a bit of exercise, as it gets the blood flowing. Aim to workout for a short session on those tough days. You might find you end up staying longer once you’re there. However, it’s important that you don’t confuse this with physical tiredness. If this is the case, then it’s important to listen to your body and rest if you feel it’s needed.

“I can’t run [insert time here]!”

Yes, you can! Everyone needs a bit of positive thinking to help them reach their goals. Find a way to break the timing down. Try splitting it into a walk, with bursts of jogging and running every few minutes. As your fitness improves, stretch out the running portion. You’ll find yourself making progress before you know it.

“Exercising at home is a waste of time”

No workout is a waste of time! You need to find the real problem, which could be you aren’t pushing yourself BECAUSE you’re working out at home. Switch up the location! Try going to a nice park and doing your workout there. Or meet up with a friend and workout together. If being home exposes you to too many distractions, try to find a new workout zone.

“My legs are sooo sore!”

Post-workout soreness is pretty common, particularly if you’re new to an exercise program and using muscles that haven’t been worked for a while. It’s a sign you need a little rest and recovery, so that any micro tears in the muscles have time to heal.

Rather than doing another leg workout, try training a different area of your body (like focusing on abs). Grab a foam roller or have an epsom salt bath to give your body a bit of relief.

We all face our own speed humps in our fitness journey. Hopefully these suggestions will help you beat them! Remember, you can also lean on the support of the community if you are struggling, pop by the 12-Week Challenge forum to read some inspiration from your fellow challengers.

Love, Kayla xx