Work Hard, Rock Hard Gym Mix

It seems like the summer has only just begun and yet the calendar keeps reminding me that it's rapidly coming to a swift and bittersweet end. While part of me is sad about this because I've had a wonderful summer of spending time with friends, enjoying the sunshine, indulging in fun activities, relaxing and taking a bit of time off here & there to do some soul searching, I'm also excited for what the Autumn will bring. As Fall approaches, my fitness routine always seems to get off kilter - it happens every time, but this year I'm determined to stay on track. Every year I spend countless hours outside, being active and getting lots of physical activity, but with dropping temperatures I tend to get more lazy, taking comfort in big, cozy sweaters and I start to prefer snuggling up with a blanket watching a film over a trip to the gym or any other fitness endeavour. This year, I'm determined to make a change. I've spent the summer well, most of it anyway treating myself and my body to a more active lifestyle, developing a routine, finding a way to eat well (with the regular occasional indulgence) and as I watch August quickly disappear taking the summer with it, I'm reminded that now is the time to really hammer in some good habits so that I can maintain all the work and willpower I've worked so hard for this summer. Over the past couple of weeks, I've had some time off and with it as is usual for holiday time, I've let my gym routine slide. For the first time ever, I've been able to tell a difference without regular workouts - I feel sluggish, weaker and less motivated. I know it's time to get back to business and stop being lazy. Balance is not something I'm good at - I'm more of a "if some is good, more is better" kind of girl, but I've come to learn that it's the only way to live my best life, a phrase I seem to see trending a lot on social media these days. So, I'm prepared to send the summer off on a high this year... For the rest of this month, I'm upping my gym attendance focusing mostly on strength training with some cardio in between, going for regular walks, maintaining my dance schedule by hitting the studio three times a week while practicing my dances daily and to really get the Autumn started right, signing up for a heart-pumping jive class for the month of September. Rather than mourning the end of summer, I'm excited to use it to my advantage, taking the opportunity to really solidify my fitness routine before the temptation that comes with cold weather kicks in and distracts me from my goals.

To get things started, I'm also switching up my gym jams... Boredom is a killer of motivation, so I try to change up my gym music regularly to keep me entertained and pumped for a gym sesh, which frankly isn't my favourite thing to do. During the summer, I do like a fun playlist for workouts, but I find when extra motivation is required, a good, hard, rock & roll playlist always does the trick for me and this one is packed with my favourite, fast-paced rock songs for a killer workout. Just push play below or click here to get the playlist and let's rock our way into a fit & fabulous Autumn season!

Do you have any tried & true tips for maintaining fitness as the cold weather approaches? If so, I'd love to hear them, so do leave a comment below and for more great playlists, be sure to follow Pink Julep on Spotify!