Asking yourself how can I be my own personal trainer? Or maybe you’re already on the right path and are wondering what that path might look like in the future? If so, I applaud your curiosity and self-starting ability. Becoming your own personal trainer isn’t easy, but it’s certainly doable if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, especially when you consider how much money you can potentially save by not paying someone else to do the job for you.

Small Bites

It’s often a good idea to split up larger meals into multiple small ones throughout your day, instead of trying to shove as much food in one sitting. This makes it easier for your body to digest, which is key for staying healthy and losing weight. Plus, you’ll stay energized (no lethargy) if you eat more often, and keeping your energy level high is crucial for exercise success.

Focus on What You Can Do, Not What You Can’t

If you’re working with a PT, you’re probably familiar with these two phrases: Do your best! and We can work around that. Our PT said both of those things often, but we found it easier to follow her lead when she focused on what we could do instead of what we couldn’t do.

Breathe

Before you do any sort of exercise, you should warm up your muscles with a 5-10 minute aerobic workout like walking or running. The most important thing about breathing is that you focus on inhaling and exhaling from your belly, not your chest. Try putting one hand on your stomach, and one hand on your chest to see if you’re doing it correctly.

Mix it up

Varying your workout routine is a great way to avoid getting bored and losing motivation. If you do the same thing day in and day out, your body will soon adapt—your workouts will become less effective, and you’ll be more likely to give up or take shortcuts. So instead of doing only cardio every other day, try adding some weight-training sessions in between. Or swap out your long bike rides for faster sprints on an indoor cycle.

Break Up the Workout with Positive Self-Talk

To motivate yourself during exercise, try muttering something positive and encouraging to yourself. For example, You are strong or One more push-up! Adding positive self-talk will make you feel stronger and encourage you to keep working out. It is a great way to stay on task when working out by yourself.

Keep Track of Your Progress

You don’t need a coach or personal trainer. You don’t even need a gym membership. To get started, all you really need is yourself—or at least your body. Recording and tracking your fitness progress can be as easy as taking photos of yourself each month or weighing yourself each week; find what works for you, and then commit to that schedule.

Resist the Excuses

Most people blame their lack of exercise on a lack of time. After all, work and family obligations suck up most of our days, right? But you’re probably going about your excuses all wrong. Instead of looking for ways to work out less (or not at all), think about how you can manage your schedule in order to squeeze in some time on a regular basis. Maybe that means waking up an hour early or scheduling a phone call during your lunch break instead of after dinner.