Every January health clubs fill up with new members. Sadly, most will have given up their self-improvement plans before the last of the snow melts. Here are a few pointers on creating and sticking with a fitness plan that will become an integral part of your life:
Approach your fitness plan as you would one in your professional life: a sales or marketing plan has to be realistic and quantifiable. Likewise, be accountable to yourself and come up with a list of action items that you feel comfortable seeing to completion. Rather than thinking in terms of losing 30 pounds in three months, draw up more tactical goals such as: “I will walk at least 12 miles this week.”
Keep a journal. Write down everything you did and how you felt while doing it. If you are working out on a treadmill, include details like “walked for five minutes, ran for three minutes, walked for 12 minutes.” A couple of weeks later your log may look like this: “treadmill: walked for 15 minutes, ran for 15.” Seeing improvements will inspire you to keep getting better.
Enlist a buddy. If someone is waiting for you, you’ll be a lot less likely to turn the car around at the last minute and head home.
Set a time each day as your exercise time. Lots of people prefer to do this first thing in the morning. If you can’t (or really don’t want to) exercise before you start your day, think hard about what time of day would be relatively convenient for you. Lunchtime, after work, before dinner, or even later at night works for some. Whatever time you choose, stick with it until it becomes second nature to work out at this particular time.
Remember, it takes 21 days to form a habit. Psychology researchers have found that three weeks is the minimum time for most people to get a new way of life ingrained. After the first three weeks, you will want to exercise and you’ll feel a bit incomplete on days when you don’t.
Still stuck? Here are some hints to get through the roughest days:
Offer yourself some variations. If you really can’t bring yourself to do your normal routine, try something new. Attend a yoga class or a spinning class, or try a new set of weight machines. Weather permitting, go outside. A brisk hike through the woods can be as reinvigorating to the mind and spirit as it is to your hamstrings and quadriceps.
Make a list of what you don’t like about exercising. Maybe you’ve done this before and can never seem to stick with a program. Blame the program and not yourself.
- If cardio machines seem relentlessly boring, buy or borrow an iPod or other music device. Most people find music to be a great workout partner. You can also listen to audiobooks or podcasts of news to multitask to best advantage.
- If you are too sore and tired after exercising or injure yourself often you might benefit from the counsel of a personal trainer who can show you correct form and provide ideas on how to structure a new exercise plan.
- If you enjoy exercising in solitude, large classes can be loud and exhausting. On the other hand, you might find exercising alone to be a punishment. If so, a class with lots of other people and dance music can be stimulating.
Be patient and dedicated. There will be days when you are too tired, busy, or stressed to exercise. Counter those negative feelings with positive truths. You will feel better after exercising. Think about your body. You have probably spent most of the day sitting in a car or at a desk. If you go home, sit through dinner and then sit in front of the TV or computer, your body doesn’t get to experience any change. Your brain might, but your muscles are doing the same exact thing. Get moving!
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