- Want to start a new workout but don’t know how?
- Need to figure out why your new workout plan is not working for you?
- Do you know the ‘secret sauce’ for a good workout?
If getting active and staying healthy were easy, everyone would do it…but they don’t. You come home after a long day of unable to find the energy get your workout in. It’s so easy to say you can make it a priority if you want to, but let’s be realistic – sometimes that just doesn’t cut it…..We need to break down the mental walls keeping you from taking care of yourself.
No Excuses
First of all, if you’re not alone. Everyone knows they should get moving, but it so easy to stumble and fall back into old habits or never get the traction you need. Cut yourself some slack. This is completely normal, don’t think anything otherwise. Very few people spring out of bed one day and say “I’m going to change my behavior for the better for the rest of my life,” do it, and never look back. In the real world things are different. Here are some things to remember:
• Don’t be too hard on yourself. Most people getting started are simply too hard and expect too much from themselves; they think it has to be much harder than it has to be. When you don’t live up to the expectations you’ve set for yourself, it all begins to fall apart. Be nice to yourself—stumbles and failures are going to happen, no one’s perfect.
• Don’t get caught up in the “all or nothing” mindset. Exercise doesn’t have to be complicated. Doing something is better than doing nothing. Sure, you could be doing more or could be doing better, but in the long run doing anything at all is better than nothing. Do what you can do consistently then worry about getting better as you go.
• Understand how habits work. If you understand how habits work, you can gain bad ones and make good ones. The key is to find a routine replacement for bad habits that works for you, and that gets results for the energy you put into building it into your good habits. Our brain need reinforcement. Continually reward the good, and you brain will automatically want more of it.
• You’re not lazy, you’re just starting from zero. One discouraging thing you’ve probably thought (or heard) before is that you’re just lazy and will give up eventually, so why bother. To say that people don’t exercise because they are lazy is actually backwards. People are actually lazy because they’re out of shape and don’t exercise. Running a mile for a couch potato is far more difficult and requires more physical and mental stamina will than it does for someone who does five every day. Recognize that, especially when you start down the slippery slope of comparing yourself—and your habits—to others.
Find your “Secret Sauce”.
A lot of people will tell you to “just put the fork down,” or “just get up and do it,” which is easy when that person a: isn’t you, and b: is sitting behind a keyboard. Don’t listen to them: minimizing and oversimplifying the challenge doesn’t help. Hearing what worked for others can help you figure out things to try, it’s almost never going to be exactly what works for you. Remember, health and wellness are extremely personal. You’ll be overwhelmed with all of the information out there. Having lots of options can be a good thing. But don’t try to do something that is just nor for you. For example, not everyone enjoys running. So if you are looking for fitness advice from a marathon runner, and you don’t like to run, that advice might not be the best for you. Don’t be afraid to try something new – but find something you will enjoy long term.