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Inspiration and Motivation: DIY Workout Binder

On the topic of weight loss, Kayla Itsines and New Years resolutions, I decided to reevaluate my workout binder. I've had this binder for a few years, and would bring it to the gym with me when I had a membership. We now have an on location gym in our townhome complex, and I have been using it like crazy lately. Unfortunately, I had lost this binder some time ago and haven't been using it. 

BUT! There's this crazy thing called New Years decluttering and alas, I found it! I don't like keeping magazines, and I always lose websites after I've exited out of them. Thus, I thought, why not keep the pages that I think will help me and get rid of everything else! You see, this binder was just something I came up with years ago, in high school, to get rid of clutter. I mean, when you're living with your parents, you don't have much space of your own. 




Since then, I've replaced pages, kept pages, and even replaced the binder itself after wear and tear took hold of the original binder. One thing stays the same though. The pages are protected and therefore never really have to be replaced unless the content doesn't suite you. This binder is a good way to give you that little motivational push that you may need to start those resolutions. 


DIY Workout Binder
2-3 Packages of sheet protectors
A sharpie
Page dividers
A binder of choice
Magazines or print outs

This is a fairly easy binder to set up. It only takes time and motivation. I just grabbed what I had on hand those many years ago, and It's worked for me since. I may eventually get a prettier binder, maybe some even prettier page dividers, but until then, this works for me!

I have my binder broken into three different categories. They include work outs, healthy food and motivation. In each one, I have it broken down even further by order. I have a few subscriptions to different magazines such as Self, Shape, Runner's World and Women's Health. Each magazine that I receive, I take a few minutes in my day to go through them. Below is how I categorize each section.


Work Outs

My work out section has anything that I found informative in the exercise division. This includes anywhere from a simple stretch to a more complex circuit. I love having different options, as I do get bored with the same routine. In the front of my work out section, I start off with the cardio. For me, as I am still in the weight loss portion of my fitness plan, I like doing cardio more. I understand that you really should lift weights, but as I am still trying to build up my strength and endurance, I feel that I need to start off slow and steady. The next part of my work out section is the part that includes weights. Anything from routines with dumbbells to full out machine work outs are in this section. Lastly, I put the stretches in there. While you need to start off with stretches for each exercise, I feel that the more complex stretching, those that are in most magazines, should be at the end when your muscles are really warmed up.


Healthy Foods

This section is pretty straight forward. It's broken down by meal. At the beginning is any breakfast I found would be easy or nutritious. Next comes snacks. Since I will be meal planning soon, I felt that I needed to reorganize my binder to include snacks second. I used to keep snacks at the back, but seeing as I would hardly ever reach the back of the section, I felt that it would be more beneficial if I moved snacks up to where I could meal prep more easily. Of course second comes lunch, and lastly is dinner. Now, there is one more part in my healthy foods that isn't normally considered a meal and that is drinks. This includes smoothies, infused water ideas, coffee or anything of the sort. And that is it for foods.


Motivation

Lastly, motivation is pretty straight forward. Any articles, pictures or running plans that I find motivational are stuck in this section of the binder. This is also kind of my motivation to train for that half marathon that I wrote about in my New Years resolution post. I feel that it keeps me accountable for the race. All in all, this section is easily created and can be made in any way you'd like.

This binder has helped me in the past to keep motivated, and I'm hoping that it will keep me motivated this year since I found it again! Yay! I will be updating some of the pages in my binder, but for now, all of the pages are fine with my weight loss plan.



Will you be making one of these workout binders as well? What categories would you have? 
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